Dutch parliament has agreed to expand involvement in the NATO operation
The Dutch parliament has agreed to expand involvement in the NATO operation Ocean Shield, targeting piracy in Somali waters. But ships wanting to hire private security forces to give them extra protection will not be allowed to do so.
The Netherlands will send extra personnel, two Cougar helicopters and an unmanned plane to the region.
Meeting a NATO request, the Netherlands will also send a submarine to join the mission in the second half of 2012. The additional involvement is targeting intelligence gathering and will cost 13 million euros.
The Dutch government says the aim is to help detect piracy early on and prevent the escalation of violence. The pirates are well-organised, have substantial financial backing and operate from well-equipped mother ships supplied from camps along the Somali coast. Their main targets are merchant ships and (food) aid convoys, at least fifty-nine merchant ships were attacked last year, thirteen of them were hijacked.
Private security forces
On Tuesday Dutch insurance companies backed an earlier appeal by ship-owners to allow merchant ships to hire private protection forces. They claim the Dutch naval forces are underequipped to protect all ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and have previously declined requests for protection. They add that even if the Dutch navy is able to provide protection, it costs twice as much. Dutch merchant ships have already resorted to sailing under the flag of foreign countries that do allow private security forces, according to the insurance companies.
Minister of Defence Hans Hillen acknowledged the high cost of protection, but said there was little he could do. “All armed organisations have to fall under the State’s responsibility to ensure accuracy and proportional measures. Therefore the Ministry of Defence cannot allow private armed security forces to operate in the area. The high cost of naval protection is mainly the result of high fuel costs, due to the elevated speed of most vessels. We could cut down on the costs if we moved at a slower pace, but that would also mean we’re an easier target. ” The Minister announced that naval protection would increase from 50 cases to 175 in 2013.
Defense, diplomacy & development
Although all parties backed the proposal, the Democrats (D66) and Green Left stressed that military intervention was mainly a cure for the symptoms and not for the problem itself. “Defense is only one of the 3 Ds. In order to find a long-term solution, we will need to invest in diplomacy and development as well,” remarked MP Arjan El Fassed of Green Left.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal said the Netherlands is contributing to the stabilisation of the area, notably by investing in the reconstruction of the rule of law and detention capacity.
Atalanta controversial
The European Union counter-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, has been declared ‘controversial’ by the Dutch parliament and can’t therefore be discussed until after parliamentary elections in September. Operation Atalanta would have allowed Dutch troops to attack logistical camps along the coastline from sea or air. Operation Ocean Shield does not have that mandate.
Operation Ocean Shield is being led by Dutch Commodore Ben Bekkering, who assumed command last week from Turkish Rear Admiral Sinan Azmi Tosun.
The issue of private security forces will be discussed further in a separate debate later this week.
Source: RNW
