European Governments Falling Down

The ruling Dutch coalition collapsed over the weekend over the question of whether to extend the country's troop commitments in Afghanistan. Dutch troops were originally supposed to have withdrawn in 2008, but the government agreed to extend their commitment to 2010 because no other NATO country volunteered to send replacements. Only 2,000 troops are currently committed, which may not seem like a lot, but they comprise an integral part of the NATO force operating in Southern Afghanistan. Because President Obama is tied down on domestic issues, he lacks the political capital to lobby countries like Netherlands to retain their troop presences. As a result, the Dutch government is unlikely to be the last to founder over this question.

Monday Morning Update: Looks like the Dutch might be on their way out even sooner than expected:

[NATO Airstrike Said To Have Killed Afghan Civilians]