Dutch prime minister concedes his support for 2003 Iraq invasion needed stronger mandate
By APWednesday, January 13, 2010
Dutch PM backs away from criticizing Iraq report
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has conceded that “with the knowledge of now” a stronger legal mandate was needed for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 — and his decision to support it.
The statement in a letter to parliament late Wednesday appears to have saved Balkenende’s 3-year-old ruling coalition from collapse.
Balkenende enraged the Labor Party, a coalition partner, Tuesday by dismissing the findings of a government-commissioned study that criticized his coalition in 2003 for supporting the Iraq invasion.
Labor lawmakers were particularly angry that Balkenende appeared to speak also for their party when he rejected the report Tuesday.
Labor was not in the 2003 coalition and always opposed Dutch support for the attack.
