Omar Samad, Afghanistans ambassador to Canada, is surprised. As part of an international academic group he arrived in The Hague last week to learn from D66-politician Lousewies van der Laan that the Netherlands should not participate in the expansion of the NATO-led operation to Southern Afghanistan. [Editorial background note: Ms. Van der Laan is a member of the small liberal party D66 which opposes the deployment of Dutch troops to Southern province of Uruzgan in Afghanistan; D66 is part of the ruling coalition in the Netherlands with the Conservatives and the Christian Democrats; The Dutch cabinet, in which two posts are held by D66, decided in December that it will send the troops if Parliament agrees; A final decision is expected early February]

Mr. Samad: "I was surprised about how badly informed she was about the situation in Afghanistan. She explained her party's opposition to the mission by referring to the experience of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But how can you compare Soviet aggression to the present effort by 35-plus countries and the Afghan people themselves to build peace in the country?"

Mr. Samad fled his country after the Soviet invasion, only to return in December 2001, shortly after US troops ousted the Taliban. "Afghans do not view the presence of international troops as an invading force", he says, "but rather as a means to help them build up their institutions. The troops promote stability and prevent the re-emergence of the Taliban and Al Qaída. Ms van der Laans assertion that many Afghans oppose the presence of international troops in their country, is utterly false. I invite her and her party to come over and have a look for themselves."

In the interview Ambassador Samad further asserts that the international community paid a high price for neglecting Afghanistan in the 1990s. To do so again would be "very dangerous". Afghanistan might again become a training camp for terrorists. "The same elements who profited from international neglect in the 90's are trying again. We are talking about a small, but determined minority. They should not get the message of withdrawal, but of resolve."

Amb. Samad does not deny that a military operation in Uruzgan (the southern province where 1200 Dutch will be deployed, if Parliament on Feb 2 follows the governments stated "intention" to do so, ed.) carries risks. But he points out that those risks are shared with Afghan troops and NATO allies. In Canada - which is deploying troops to a "more dangerous" province - there is no debate about it. "The Canadians are open about the risks, but they recognize that this mission is of crucial importance."

Asked whether it is possible to introduce a democracy in a country large parts of which are still under the control of war lords, Amb. Samad says "it's a difficult debate". He admits major problems remain to be solved. "Of course we aren't there yet", he says, "but there is a world of change with the situation in Afghanistan over the last 25 years. That's why we thank the Dutch people for what they have done for us in the past four years and that's why we don't want to lose your support." Ambassador Samads concluding remark is that no matter how you look at it, fighting terrorism "requires leadership and the taking of certain risks".