Dutch Revolt in Iraq?
Thursday, January 6th, 2005As if there weren’t enough troubles already in Iraq, another tribe there is now in revolt. And this is among folks who would ordinarily be among the last you would look to for such trouble, the “good guys,” so to speak. I’m talking here about the 1,350-strong contingent of Dutch soldiers stationed there, and that’s a direct quote from the head of their union, the AFMP, W. van den Burg: they’re in opstand, or “in revolt.” What that means in practical terms? Increasing talk about some sort of “strike action,” whatever that is supposed to look like in the middle of Iraq.
At least the Dutch still have military forces helping out there, as one-by-one other national contingents slip away (the Hungarians being the latest such). After I first came aware of this story and commenced my usual Dutch press-scanning for it, it turned out that most Netherlands dailies have declined to cover it, at least on-line. The exception is Allard Besse, of the Algemeen Dagblad and his article Soldiers in Iraq Grumble Over Money, but quite a good exception it is. (more…)
