Wednesday, 8 October 2014 - 19:13
Defense minister responds to Kurdish concerns
Bombing is not always a solution in the fight against ISIS, Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert said on Tuesday.
In the Syrian city of Kobani ISIS fighters mingle among the population, allowing a bombing could lead to a disproportionate number of casualties.
Currently Hennis is in Washington where she had a discussion with her American colleague Chuck Hagel.
According to Hennis, Hagel made an appeal to the Netherlands to reconsider joining the fight against ISIS in Syria. At this time Dutch F-16's are only active over Iraq. The Cabinet does not want to get involved in Syria because there is no international agreement, a legal mandate, to do so.
Hennis stressed that the door is not locked concerning Syria. The Cabinet is considering the issue. Hennis said that more information will come very soon.