Dutch government wants guarantees on Afghan prisoner treatment News
Dutch government wants guarantees on Afghan prisoner treatment

[JURIST] The Dutch Foreign Ministry [official website] said Wednesday that the Netherlands [JURIST news archive] wants to secure a prisoners' rights guarantee in Afghanistan with its NATO [official website] allies, including the United States, before deciding whether to send additional troops there. Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot [official profile] told parliament "We want very good guarantees. That is an important condition for the cabinet for taking a decision concerning a new, dangerous mission with a thousand soldiers to the Southern Afghan province of Uruzgan." The Netherlands currently have approximately 330 soldiers in Afghanistan as part of a 12,500-member International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) [official website] peacekeeping operation led by NATO. The US has asked its European allies to carry more of the burden of combatting the Taliban in Afghanistan after receiving sharp criticism by human rights groups and former detainees regarding prisoner abuse [JURIST report]. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emporer

On December 25, 800 A.D., Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome, Italy. During his lifetime, Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He is credited with spreading the rule of law throughout his dominions as well as starting the French and German monarchies.

President Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederates

On December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all who had been involved in "insurrection or rebellion" during the US Civil War.