Dutch pullout will change security picture in Afghanistan

AMSTERDAM; The likely exit of 2,000 Dutch troops from Afghanistan leaves a key province in the heart of the nation vulnerable to Taliban infiltration - especially if militants are pushed out of their sanctuaries in the south.

The departure of the Netherlands - and Canada, which plans to remove its 2,800 troops from the country next year - could prompt other nations in the NATO alliance to rethink their commitment to the eight-year-old war. And it underscores the difficulty US President Barack Obama faces in keeping the international contingent intact.

The Dutch serve in Uruzgan province, an area well-known to several insurgent commanders, including Taliban kingpin Mullah Mohammed Omar, who once was a cleric in the Dihrawud district. Moreover, Uruzgan borders Helmand province where 15,000 US, Afghan and NATO forces have been fighting insurgents for control of the town of Marjah.