THE HAGUE, 19/11/03 - The Lower House has summoned Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. He must provide clarification immediately of possible Dutch involvement in the American recruitment of Iraqis living in the Netherlands for the war in Iraq.

The Christian democrats (CDA) and Labour (PvdA) yesterday supported a request by the center-left (D66) and leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) for an emergency debate on the question to be held this week. According to D66 spokesman Bert Bakker, the minister in any case gave the impression that he failed to inform the House fully on the Dutch involvement - a parliamentary sin.

Last March, De Hoop Scheffer claimed that no Dutch government body at all was actively involved with the recruitment of Iraqis who wanted to serve as interpreters or guides in a possible war against Iraq. But the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) apparently has issued documents guaranteeing Iraqi asylum-seekers unfettered return to the Netherlands following their activities in Iraq for the Americans.