Gates apologises to Dutch for Afghanistan comments: ministry

AFP, January, 2008

THE HAGUE (AFP) — US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Thursday apologised to The Netherlands after criticising NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, a Dutch defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

"Mr Gates telephoned (Dutch Defence Minister) Eimert van Middelkoop and apologised," Joop Veen said but did not give details.

The Dutch government on Wednesday summoned the US ambassador to explain Gates' comments.

Gates had told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that international troops deployed in the south -- mainly from Britain, Canada and the Netherlands -- were not properly trained to fight an insurgency.

"We do not recognise ourselves in the image conjured" by Gates, van Middelkoop later told reporters.

He argued that Dutch troops had acted...