US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1903

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
TERREP 
 
STATE FOR DS/DSS/ITA, DS/DSS/IP/EUR, DS/ICI/PII, DS/ICI/CI, 
DS/IP/FPO, EUR/UIB 
AMSTERDAM FOR PSO 
BRUSSELS FOR LEGAT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, NL, PTER 
SUBJECT: SURVEILLANCE OF U.S. EMBASSY THE HAGUE 07/27/2004 
 
A. (U) POST: The Hague. 
 
 B, (U) ACTIVITY DATE/TIME: July 27, 2004 at approximately 
1250 hrs. 
 
 C.  (SBU) SUMMARY: DCM and RSO responded to the office of 
the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Public 
Safety, at his request, to join with the Israeli Security 
Officer, in a briefing on a security incident from the 
previous evening. The security incident was a filming of 
sensitive locations including Dutch provincial and national 
government building and the US and Israeli Embassies, among 
others. It was later determined that our source received the 
report the previous evening but that the incident was several 
hours earlier in the day. 
The incident came to light when the Dutch Royal Military 
Police Security Detail for the Israeli Defense Attach 
noticed an passenger filming the area in front of the Israeli 
Embassy from inside a vehicle stopped across the street.  The 
MPs followed the suspicious vehicle, a black Peugeot 205 
(NFI) and when the driver was observed using his cell phone, 
not hands free while driving, they stopped him for the 
traffic violation.  The two occupants were determined to be a 
Dutch citizen and a Saudi citizen. The MPs reviewed the 
filming done by the subject even though they lacked any clear 
legal authority to do so. The review revealed they had filmed 
for approximately one kilometer on 3 streets.  They began at 
the provincial government building around the corner and 
continued towards our location filming the Omani Embassy, 
Turkish Embassy, The Hague's only Synagogue, the French 
Embassy (immediately adjacent to us) along the way, our 
building and continued almost a half kilometer to the Israeli 
Embassy and the Dutch Parliament building across the street. 
The subject's line of approach gave him an angled view of our 
only pedestrian entrance and our rear gate vehicle entrance. 
This line of travel took then along the south side (long 
side) of the building and gave them a similarly angled but 
fairly complete view of the front of our building. Finding no 
reason to hold the subjects the MPs released them after 
returning their video camera. 
The Coordinator refused our requests for names, DOBs and tag 
numbers citing the fact that an active Police investigation 
was ongoing and that he did not have authority to release 
that information. He did indicate that he anticipated arrests 
in the next day or two. 
 
D, (SBU) REPORT SOURCE: Agents of the Dutch Royal Military 
Police (Koninklijke Marechausee) Protective Security Branch 
(BSB) to Ajgan Jonge Vos, Dutch National Coordinator for 
Security and Public Safety. 
 
E. (SBU) DESCRIPTIONS: Two Males, one Saudi National and one 
Dutch National.  Mr. Jonge Vos is restricted in what 
information he can disclose but he did state a) the subjects 
drove up the A-12 from Utrecht, b) that one subject was born 
in Brawa and c) the investigation was being conducted outside 
The Hague. From that we deduce that driver/vehicle owner is a 
naturalized citizen from Brawa or Brawa Yare, Somalia and 
that the investigation is in the hands of the authorities in 
Utrecht. Utrecht, about 60 km East of The Hague is the fourth 
largest city in the Netherlands, a city with a significant 
Muslim immigrant population and a known radical mosques. 
 
F. PROBABLE TARGET/S: Dutch government, US and Israeli Embassy 
 
G. (SBU) POST INVESTIGATE ACTIONS: RSO will check SDTeam 
Database and attempt to determine is our cameras recorded the 
passage of the vehicle.  The Israeli RSO will also check his 
video recordings and has agreed to share his results. 
 
H. (SBU) POST SECURITY/OPERATIONAL ACTIONS:  RSO will brief 
the SD Team and the MSG Detachment. 
 
I. (SBU) REQUESTS MADE FOR HOST SECURITY ASSISTANCE:  DCM and 
RSO requested any an all releasable information developed as 
the investigation progresses. 
 
J. (SBU) SECURITY ACTIONS TAKEN BY HOST GOVERNMENT:  Host 
government has promised a full investigation. 
 
SOBEL