Double Dutch about Afstan

From Brian Platt:

Blatant Lies, Conjured-Up Quotations

The Canadian government's position is that in 2011, the mission "as we know it" will end [see the end of this post too - MC]. The Australian government's position is to leave when Afghan security services can take over, hopefully by 2012.

The Dutch? Well, they'll get back to us on that.

Today's De Telegraaf reports that Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop has been seriously embarrassed by an interview he apparently gave to De Telegraaf at the end of last month regarding the future of the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan.

In the interview, he said: "President Obama can call me a dozen times, but our mission in Uruzgan ends in August 2010. And we are not going to a different area. That is not an option". His colleague, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said last week that a new mission to Afghanistan would be considered, adding that Mr Van Middelkoop's statements did not reflect a cabinet decision.

In parliament on Tuesday, the minister flatly denied speaking to the De Telegraaf about the desirability of a prolonged Dutch stay in Afghanistan. The minister said: "I never gave, let alone authorised, an interview with De Telegraaf". The paper's chief editors responded by calling the minister's statement "a blatant lie".

De Telegraaf writes that the minister's statements were submitted to the defence ministry and approved prior to publication. In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the minister was eventually forced to admit: "It would have been better not to speak of 'conjured-up' quotations".