Nederland en Afghanistan 73

De Washington Post bericht: 'Italian Leader Calls Iraq Occupation "Grave Error." Another U.S. ally in the war in Iraq distanced itself from the U.S.- led effort today when Italy's new prime minister, Romano Prodi, called the invasion and occupation a "grave error" and said he would propose a withdrawal of Italian troops. "We consider the war in Iraq and the occupation of the country a grave error," Prodi told the upper house of Parliament, wire services reported. "It has not resolved, but complicated the situation of security." Italy has about 3,000 troops in Iraq in peacekeeping roles. They are already due to be withdrawn in groups before the end of the year. Prodi did not set forth a timetable for withdrawal and it was unclear whether he would speed up the departure. "It is the intention of this government to propose to Parliament the return of our troops from Iraq," Prodi said. Prodi's coalition narrowly defeated that of then-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in an election last month. Berlusconi had been among President Bush's most ardent European boosters. Bush's best friends from the start of the Iraq war in 2003 are dropping off one after the other. The party of Spain's prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, was ousted in 2004 by voters upset in part by troop deployments in Iraq. The prime minister of Portugal, who stood next to Bush days before the invasion, resigned months later for another job. The leaders of Poland and Ukraine, which had sizable units in Iraq, were both replaced in elections by successors who pulled out some or all troops. Japan's prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, often cited by Bush in stump speeches as one of his best friends abroad, plans to step down in September. And even British Prime Minister Tony Blair, mired in Iraq-related controversies, appears poised to resign next year. Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic originally had forces in Iraq but withdrew them. Twenty six countries, including Australia, South Korea, Japan and Britain, remain active in the multi-national force, mostly in relatively small contingents.' Lees verder:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051800451.html Of:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051806A.shtml En de New York Times bericht: 'Afghanistan Bomb Kills American and Wounds 2ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 18 — An American counternarcotics official was killed and two other Americans were wounded in a suicide bombing on Thursday in western Afghanistan, while heavy fighting between forces suspected of being Taliban insurgents and the Afghan police continued in two southern provinces, officials said. The violence occurred amid increasing reports of many militants moving around rural areas. The fighting killed 13 police officers and possibly dozens of insurgents, officials said.' Lees verder:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/world/asia/19afghan.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fAfghanistan