US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1262

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2014 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, NL, UNSC 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/IRAQ: DUTCH SUPPORT DRAFT RESOLUTION 
AND FURTHER CONSULTATIONS 
 
REF: A. STATE 116099 
 
     B. THE HAGUE 1210 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR CLIFFORD SOBEL FOR REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY:  The Dutch government has reacted positively 
to the draft UN Security Resolution on Iraq.  In a May 25 
meeting with Ambassador Sobel, Hugo Siblesz (MFA Political 
Director) said that the draft resolution would help build 
strong Parliamentary support for a decision to extend Dutch 
troops.  The Dutch hope that their remaining questions 
concerning the chain of command and the roles of various 
authorities after the transfer of sovereignty will be 
addressed in side letters if not in the resolution itself. 
Siblesz also pressed for continuing consultations, including 
between military authorities, in the lead-up to June 30.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) The Dutch Government reacted positively to the 
circulation of a draft UN Security Council Resolution on Iraq 
on May 24.  Foreign Minister Bot told the press that the 
draft included "all the elements we find important" and 
stated that the Netherlands would be satisfied if the text 
went forward without changes.  Bert Bakker, the D66 
(Center-left, coalition) party foreign affairs spokesman in 
parliament reacted more cautiously, saying that details 
regarding the exact role of the UN needed additional 
clarification, but still described the resolution as a step 
in the right direction.   PvdA (labor, opposition) party 
spokesman Koenders acknowledged that the text contained 
positive elements, but said that he remained skeptical about 
its lack of specificity regarding Iraqi sovereignty and the 
future role of the UN.  (Post has distributed copies of the 
text resolution (ref a) and the President's May 24 speech to 
senior party leaders and the Prime Minister's office.) 
 
3. (C) On May 25, Ambassador Sobel personally delivered the 
draft resolution text and a copy of the President's speech to 
Hugo Siblesz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Political 
Director.  Siblesz stressed that the Dutch were pleased with 
the draft text, and suggested that it would help the GONL 
make its case in Parliament for extending Dutch troops in 
Iraq.  He noted that all the "relevant ministers" were 
already firmly on board for an extension, but the draft 
resolution should go a long way towards satisfying the 
previously stated concerns of junior coalition partners D66 
(ref b).  Even the PvdA, he suggested, would find it 
difficult to mount a strong challenge to an extension under 
these circumstances.  He cautioned, however, that the Abu 
Ghraib revelations would probably influence the tone of the 
debate in parliament, if not the final outcome. 
 
4. (C) Siblesz noted that several specific issues related to 
deployment of forces in Iraq were not addressed in the 
resolution.  He hoped that they would be directly addressed 
in side letters between coalition authorities and the UN. 
For example, Siblesz said that Dutch military officials 
needed clarification regarding relations between the MNF and 
nascent Iraqi military forces, as well as among the Iraqi 
authorities themselves.  Relations between the Dutch military 
forces and local authorities in Al Muthanna, he noted, were 
good -- how would they be affected by the transfer of 
sovereignty to a national Iraqi government?  Similarly, a 
clear delineation of how policing and security duties would 
be transferred from coalition forces to Iraqis would be 
helpful. 
 
5. (C)  Ambassador Sobel asked Siblesz whether he had found 
the recent meeting of POLDIRS in Washington useful.  Siblesz 
agreed that it had been a productive exercise and pressed for 
additional consultations in the leadup to the transfer of 
sovereignty.  Consultations between military authorities, he 
added, would be especially helpful in resolving the issues 
mentioned above.  It was also always useful for the GONL to 
be able to demonstrate to parliament that serious 
consultations, with real give and take, were taking place 
with the United States. 
 
6. (C) In conclusion, Ambassador Sobel stressed we would be 
looking to the Dutch and other coalition partners to help 
generate support for the resolution with other European UNSC 
members, especially France and Germany.  Siblesz agreed that 
achieving a positive outcome in New York was a shared 
interest and that the Dutch would keep a close eye on 
developments there. 
SOBEL