Netherlands takes control of Operation Enduring Freedom

Djibouti, 12 Dec. (AKI) - The Netherlands has assumed command of the maritime arm of the multi-lateral Enduring Freedom anti-terrorist operation, targeting al-Qaeda and other terror formations, Radio Netherlands reported on Monday.

The fleet - Task Force 150 - includes three Dutch ships, as well as vessels from Canada, Germany and Pakistan and several other countries. It is based in the tiny but strategic East African Muslim country of Djibouti, located at the mouth of the Red Sea.

Dutch commander Hank Ort will command ten to fifteen ships deployed in the Arabian Sea. In April, the Netherlands will hand over command to Pakistan's navy. Pakistan will be the first non-Western nation to be in charge of part of the Enduring Freedom operation, the United States' military response to al-Qaeda's 11 September 2001 attacks on New York and other targets in America.

The US is continuing to reduce its forces within Enduring Freedom. In Afghanistan, these are being replaced by NATO forces, international peacekeeping troops, and Afghan-led security forces such as the Afghan National Army (ANA).