Netherlands to wait for a UN decision over Syria - Patriot missiles in Turkey not to be used for Syria Attack

The Members of the Netherlands Foreign Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives discussed Syria Thursday and they took a dim view of a possible military intervention in Syria without getting the support of a UN resolution.

Netherlands will wait for a UN decision over the matter, said Foreign Minister Franciscus Timmermans.

Members of the commission also voiced that the Dutch Patriot missiles in Turkey should not be used for attack purposes stating they were sent to Turkey for defense purposes.

Last night the British parliament voted against British troops getting involved in Syria and in fact handed Mr. Cameron, who was in favor of the intervention, a resounding defeat.

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Dutch government will also send Patriot missiles to Turkey

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday the government has agreed to send two Patriot missile systems to reinforce Turkey's air defenses and calm its fears of coming under missile attack, possibly with chemical weapons, from Syria.

"The Dutch deployment of Patriot systems aims to protect the population and territory of NATO ally Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the southeastern borders of the alliance," the government said in a statement.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands, the only three NATO nations with the most modern type of Patriots, have all agreed to send missiles to protect their ally.

Germany and the Netherlands have each said they will send two Patriot batteries with multiple missile launchers.

A U.S. defense official said the United States would probably contribute two batteries, but the number has not been finalized yet

Read more: Dutch government will send Patriot missiles to Turkey | Reuters

Syria: Netherlands likely to provide Patriots missiles to Turkey - by Sevil Küçükkoşum

The Netherlands will be the likely donor of Patriot missiles to NATO ally Turkey in order to help defend the country’s border with Syria, though Turkey has yet to make an official request for the system.

There is already a consensus among members in the alliance to deploy Patriots in Turkish territory in an effort to help defend the country’s border from threats emerging from inside Syria, including chemical weapons that may be used by the Syrian regime or groups in Syria such as al-Qaeda, a Western diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday.

The Dutch Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert yesterday said that the Netherlands has not received a formal request to send Patriot missiles to NATO ally Turkey. “We are waiting for a formal request,” minister added.

Read more: POLITICS - Netherlands likely to provide Patriots

Germany: Turkey will ask NATO for Patriot missiles

Germany’s defense minister said Monday he expects Turkey to make a formal request to NATO for Patriot missiles to bolster anti-aircraft defenses along the border with war-wracked Syria.

‘‘It may be — I expect it — that there will be a request by the Turkish government to NATO today for Patriot missiles to be stationed on the Turkish border,’’ Thomas de Maiziere said ahead of a meeting with his European Union counterparts in Brussels.

NATO’s Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said no such request had been received yet from Ankara, but that if it was it would be considered ‘‘as a matter of urgency.’’ ‘‘The situation along the Syrian-Turkish border is of great concern,’’ Fogh Rasmussen said as he arrived for a meeting with the European Union’s foreign and defense ministers.

Read more: Germany: Turkey will ask NATO for Patriot missiles - News - Boston.com

Finland 'finds Patriot missiles' on China-bound ship

Police are questioning the crew of the MS Thor Liberty after what were described as 69 Patriot anti-missile missiles were found aboard. Interior Minister Paivi Rasanen said the missiles were marked "fireworks".

The MS Thor Liberty had docked in the Finnish port of Kotka after leaving Germany last week.

Dock workers became suspicious after finding explosives poorly stored on open pallets, and the missiles were then found in containers marked "fireworks".

For more: BBC News - Finland 'finds Patriot missiles' on China-bound ship