Dutch commander criticises US military in Afghanistan

"The actions of the Americans have had little or no effect. The Taliban was dealt with - and that was very necessary - but the country is no more stable as a result," General Dick Berlijn told 'Elsevier' magazine.

Discussing the 'Dutch approach' to overseas missions in conflict zones, Berlijn said: "We know you can't just roar through the streets in tanks with closed turrets."

"Some countries", he said, "react in an unnecessarily harsh manner in conflict zones, thereby generating unnecessary resistance".

Berlijn said Dutch troops rely on their discipline to maintain their own tempo if challenged by violence. The troops are also trained to respect local cultures. There is never a question of 'lift your burka' and searching the wearer. We have never frisked women and children in Iraq."

Yep, the Dutch "softly, softly" approach is just wonderful:

Does anyone remember in Sbrenica that Dutch soldiers did NOTHING as Serbs massacred the muslim population?

Many teams investigating the massacre -- which the Serbs this week admitted they planned and executed -- have questioned the role Dutch troops played in the killings. The troops were there as peacekeeping forces in a United Nations security zone, yet they did nothing to stop Bosnian Serb militias from rounding up and gunning down thousands of men and boys.

No offense, Dutch general dude, but you might want to back off on your comments that the Dutch way of warfare is superior to the American way. I'm sure both styles have their drawbacks, and the British and Dutch occupying the Shia areas of Iraq certainly think their way works better. (Though, suprisingly, they don't offer to take over the Sunni triangle...)

Then again, Kofi Annan is a big fan of US style peacekeepers:

He expressed hope that the United States would participate in a planned U.N. rapid reaction force, authorized by the Security Council earlier this month, that would have the firepower to intimidate armed gangs threatening the country's fragile political transition. Officials said that similar requests are being considered for other countries, including Canada and France. "We want scarier troops," one senior U.N. official said. Annan told Rice that the Haitians "respect the U.S. military"

And, just a tip, the bad guys do wear burkas to hide themselves. And apparently so do the Pakistani commandos who are tasked to capture them. That would make a cool scene in a movie.