The Dutch people, as most Europeans, have traditionally been very close to and supportive of the United States and of Americans–politically, economically, militarily, philosophically and in just about every other manner. Especially after World War II, Americans were beloved, almost idolized. I know, because I lived in The Netherlands and its Antilles for seven years shortly after the War.
On 9/11, those ties grew closer and deeper and remained that way even after the United States attacked the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 tragedy and the Taliban in Afghanistan. But things changed when the U.S. invaded Iraq.
Today, over five years later, while the Dutch still have approximately 2,000 troops serving in Afghanistan under the NATO umbrella, most Dutch people consider the war in Iraq to be a big mistake and disapprove of President Bush’s Iraq war policies.
Even in Afghanistan, where the Dutch are fighting and dying, many feel that the Netherlands, albeit a small country, should have more influence in the strategy for that war and that the Netherlands has been too “subservient” to Washington.
At least that is what the well known Dutch journalist and columnist H.J.A. Hofland says in a recent article, in the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. According to him, “The Netherlands has, for more than five years, been the faithful, little follower of the most powerful man in the world, who has in the meantime actively proven to be the worst president.”
As the Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, accompanied by his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ben Bot. prepares to visit President Bush on June 5, Hofland is critical of both the Bush international policies and of the Dutch government’s “submissiveness“: “For more than five years now, we have been virtually uncritical of the most powerful nation in the world, which under President Bush’s administration is conducting two debilitating wars and in doing so has steadily lost power and respect.”
Hofland calls the upcoming visit to Washington, an “Expedition to Washington” and writes about it, and about the ongoing U.S. primaries, as follows:
By H.J.A Hofland
Translated by Dorian de Wind
May 21, 2008
In just about two weeks the Netherlands’ Prime Minister Balkenende and Minister Verhagen will visit President Bush in Washington to talk about world affairs. Six months later the American elections take place. After this Bush remains president until January 2009, during which time he has nothing more to say about world affairs. In America, the chaos of the election battles continues to rule, which—as it appears now—will finally be between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama (Unless Hillary Clinton is able to miraculously recover).
Regardless of who is the next president, American foreign policy will change significantly. McCain is critical of Bush, but believes that around 2013 Iraq will have reformed into a working and resilient democracy, so that only a small contingent of American troops will be needed for monitoring purposes. Obama wants to bring all forces home as soon as possible. McCain is opposed to any talks with regimes that he considers to be radical or terrorist; Obama does not rule out diplomatic contacts with presidents Ahmadinejad of Iran and Assad of Syria. A new foreign policy is capable of being formed. No one can say what form it will ultimately take, but it is good if our ministers take the pulse in Washington.
The only issue where we may be able to have some influence is Afghanistan, where around 2,000 Dutch military operate in dangerous Uruzgan within the NATO framework. The war there has now lasted almost seven years. Most of our allies have—to put it kindly—shown no indomitable fighting spirit when it came to sending troops there. That is not so surprising. The situation there is constantly changing, but always chaotic. When The Hague decided to participate in this war, the impression was that this would be a (country) building mission. The Taliban returned. Our small front part became a combat mission.
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The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.