Tension had been building between Balkenende and Bos for months, but the breaking point was precipitated by a note from NATO’S Rasmussen earlier this month asking the Dutch to stay on in Uruzgan in a scaled-down mission

After a contentious 16-hour cabinet meeting, a key partner walked out of Jan Peter Balkenende’s coalition, accusing the prime minister of reneging on a pledge to withdraw 1,600 troops this year from Uruzgan province, where 21 Dutchmen already have died. CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan The collapse of the center-right government was the result of discontent […]