US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE969

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000969 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS, MARR, PREL, PGOV, IZ, NL 
SUBJECT: DUTCH PARLIAMENT DEBATES IRAQ 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  On April 15, the Dutch parliament 
debated Foreign Minister Bot and Defense Minister Kamp on 
the future of Iraq.  Looming in the background is the 
government's upcoming decision whether to renew the 
deployment of Dutch troops currently in Iraq beyond July. 
Bot and Kamp parried opposition demands for a complete UN 
takeover as well as calls for criticism of U.S. strategy. 
Both the government and parliament agree on the 
desirability of a bigger UN role, but Bot rejected a call 
by the opposition Labor Party to give the UN "final 
responsibility" for all international efforts.  Bot noted 
the UN does not want such a role, and suggested doing so 
would amount to Iraq being ruled  by another occupation 
force, instead of giving "Iraq back to the Iraqis."  Kamp 
robustly defended the U.S. approach in Iraq and put down 
clear markers for a renewed deployment of Dutch troops.  He 
warned that a Dutch pullout would have very negative 
consequences for the Iraqi people and underlined that the 
UN, U.S. and UK have explicitly asked the Dutch to stay. 
Ambassador Sobel will follow up with Bot on April 22.  By 
then, the dust will have settled and it will be clearer as 
to the effect of the debate on a possible extension.  End 
Summary. 
 
UN Role 
------- 
 
2. (U) Much of the debate centered on the future role of 
the UN in Iraq.  Bot recalled the government has 
persistently sought a more significant UN role; however, 
UNSYG Annan and Special Envoy Brahimi made clear to him in 
a recent meeting that the UN does not seek a dominant role. 
Accordingly, Bot rejected a resolution tabled by opposition 
Labor Party Foreign Affairs Spokesman Koenders calling for 
the UN to have "final responsibility" for all international 
efforts."  Bot noted that work continues on a new UNSCR, 
which he called desirable, and the goal of which is to get 
more countries involved.  To that end, he said he had 
specifically discussed these issues with his French and 
German counterparts, and had observed a willingness on 
their parts to consider sending troops if the UN role was 
more clearly defined. 
 
3. (U) Overall, Bot was cautiously optimistic about the 
political developments in Iraq.  He asserted that the 
current violence is primarily caused by small groups of 
extremists who do not have much support among the 
population.  He said that those who oppose the current 
process towards establishing democracy could be expected to 
continue to try to frustrate this process.  Bot was 
nonetheless hopeful it would be possible to get the 
security situation under control. 
 
Renewing the Dutch deployment in Iraq 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Defense Minister Kamp strongly argued in favor of 
continuing the Dutch troop deployment in Iraq (note:  the 
Dutch have approximately 1300 personnel serving in 
AlMuthanna province as part of the UK Multinational 
Division South-East).  He noted UN, U.S. and UK requests 
for the Dutch to remain and observed there would be "very 
negative consequences" for the Iraqi people if they left. 
He also cited the importance of Dutch assistance to 
Japanese forces in AlMuthanna.  He did allow for three 
possible scenarios in which Dutch troops might be 
withdrawn:  "If the Iraqis no longer appreciate our 
presence; if the UN involvement does not become bigger, and 
if the security situation deteriorates so much that it 
would be no longer responsible to stay." 
 
5. (U) Kamp said preparations continue for relieving 
currently deployed troops.  The Dutch are coordinating 
closely with the British, and he warned it would become 
more and more difficult to pull out as time passes, since 
other countries rely on the Netherlands.   The Dutch relief 
forces are due to arrive in Iraq by mid-June to give them a 
few weeks to acclimatize.  Accordingly, the final deadline 
for an extension decision would be mid-June.  Both Bot and 
Kamp supported a larger future role for NATO in Iraq, 
although they said for the moment NATO is very much 
preoccupied with Afghanistan. 
 
6. (U) A majority of MPs from the three coalition parties, 
the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and the Liberal 
Democrats, are inclined to support the extension, while the 
smaller Green Left party and the Socialist party are 
opposed.  While the main opposition Labor Party supported 
the initial Dutch deployment and its first renewal, it now 
states it will not support a renewal unless the UN is 
granted a "lead role" and the entire strategy is "radically 
changed."  (Comment:  the political problem is that the 
Dutch prefer to have the main opposition onboard for 
deployment decisions.  Technically the government has 
enough votes without the Labor party or the smaller far 
left parties, but it would be a significant shift to 
proceed without them.  End comment). 
 
7. (U) The debate disintegrated after Green Left Foreign 
Affairs Spokesperson Karimi tried to induce either Bot or 
Kamp to criticize the U.S. for its handling of affairs in 
Iraq.  Neither rose to the bait.  Kamp delivered a strong 
and lengthy defense of U.S. actions and objectives, noting 
that the U.S. was "investing tens of billions in Iraq" and 
that the main goal of the U.S. is to "bring about 
improvements for the people, to transfer power to them, and 
to leave the country as soon as possible."  He said the 
Netherlands is "glad to be part of that" and "just like 
President Bush, I say in all modesty, we won't stay a day 
longer than is strictly necessary."  In response to Kamp's 
remarks Karimi shouted that she had to throw up, and Kamp 
advised her to see a doctor.  Koenders then stalked out of 
parliament in a huff shouting that there was no point in 
talking to a minister who resorts to "taking the moral high 
ground." 
 
8. (SBU) Comment:  Such antics are uncommon in the Dutch 
parliament.  Dutch MFA contacts, perhaps relieved that 
Koenders and Karimi had not been able to corner the 
ministers, said the exchange was more reminiscent of the 
British parliament.  Bot and Kamp robustly defended the 
Dutch role in Iraq and laid down markers for a future 
debate on the renewal of the deployment.  Even so, we 
anticipate further tough debates leading up to a renewal, 
especially since a decision will likely need to be made 
before consideration of a UNSCR is completed.  End comment. 
 
 
SOBEL