The Dutch government took significant risks with its 2015 support programme for opposition groups in Syria, according to a government commission under the leadership of a former army commander. The foreign affairs ministry ‘punched well above its weight’ with the non-lethal assistance programme, which aimed to help moderate groups in Syria, the report said. In particular, it is unclear where the help ended up and which groups were actually supported. The programme, which cost an initial €27 million, included supplying trucks, uniforms and tents to 22 opposition groups from 2015 to the beginning of 2018 but was stopped because Dutch support for the rebels did ‘not had the desired effects’, ministers said at the time. ‘In a war situation such as the one in Syria, keeping a complete overview of all the groups involved is by definition impossible,’ Friday’s report said. ‘It would also be unrealistic to expect that armed groups in this conflict – including those supported by the Netherlands – would be able to keep clean hands.’

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