Debate continues around Iraq mission

The Cabinet is still planning to end the nation's peacekeeping mission in Iraq in March despite pressure from the Liberal VVD and the Christian Democrat CDA parties, Foreign Minister Ben Bot said on Friday. The mission is planned to end mid-March. Bot admitted pressure was being brought to bear on the cabinet to extend the mission, but said he could not see any "unforeseen circumstances" that would stand in the way of the mission ending as planned. He had previously said the mission could be extended if circumstances changed. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende echoed Bot's words, but also said the government had not excluded the possibility of extending the mission. There are currently 1,400 Dutch troops in southern Iraq.

Missing yachtsman's body found

Emergency services found body of one of the men reported missing since a yachting accident on Sunday in the Maas River on Friday near Itteren. The body was taken out of the river on the Belgian side and Belgian authorities took it into custody. The body was discovered as emergency services salvaged the remains of the yacht which broke into pieces when it fell over a 7m dam in the river on Sunday. Two women and four children were rescued. The remaining missing man is presumed dead. The boat was being taken to Itteren.

Gang 'scouted' museum before theft

The thieves who stole EUR 10 million in paintings and silverware from the Westfries Museum in Hoorn last Sunday night, previously visited and made an inventory of the premises before carrying out the burglary. Police are thus searching for people who visited the museum between Thursday last week and Sunday. The museum was re-opened on Friday morning and the stolen artwork was largely replaced by photos. It had previously been reported that due to the fact that theft crimes carry a statute of limitations, the thieves will in effect become the owners of the stolen goods in 20 years time.

Dutch remain negative about euro

Dutch nationals remain more negative about the euro than citizens in other countries. Just 39 percent of Dutch people believe the introduction of the euro had been positive for the Netherlands. That compares with 43 percent 12 months ago. Just 41 percent of Germans believe the euro has been good for the nation, compared with citizens in Luxembourg, Ireland, Finland, Belgium and France, where more than two-thirds of those surveyed praised the introduction of the new currency. The average across the entire euro-zone was 53 percent, compared with 59 percent two years ago. Some 12,000 people are surveyed for the study's results.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005

Subject: Dutch news