US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1935

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2014 
TAGS: PREL, OPDC, MOPS, MARR, IZ, NL, EUN, NATO 
SUBJECT: DUTCH A/POL DIRECTOR ON IRAQ: TERRORISM STATEMENT, 
EU AND NATO MISSIONS, RECONSTRUCTION IN AL MUTHANNA 
PROVINCE 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 167045 (NOTAL) 
     B. (B) AUGUST 2 DAVIES-RUSSEL TELCON AND EMAILS 
     C. (C) STATE 165043 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel R. Russel for reason 1.5 (b). 
 
1. (SBU) Terrorism Declaration:  CDA contacted Dutch MFA 
A/Political Director Herman Schaper late August 2 and got 
confirmation that the Netherlands would support and release 
the Coalition Terrorism Declaration.  Early August 3, A/Pol 
Couns provided ref A points to MFA Security Policy Director 
Maurits Jochems.  Jochems confirmed FM Bot had no problems 
with the substance of the statement and that the MFA planned 
to publish the statement on its website concurrent with other 
partners on August 4.  Jochems noted the slight textual 
changes between the versions of the statement as conveyed 
refs A and C.  He termed these changes "improvements8 and 
said he would convey the revised ref A version to FM Bot. 
 
2. (C) EU Mission to Iraq:  Schaper said that the Dutch are 
pushing hard to organize the exploratory mission agreed to at 
the July 12-13 GAERC with Iraqi FM Zebari, despite foot 
dragging by the Commission and resistance by "certain 
members" (i.e. France, Germany, Belgium).  The Dutch have 
penciled in August 28-29 as a window for FM Bot to visit 
Baghdad.  This would allow him to report back firsthand to 
the Gymnich meeting of Foreign Ministers on September 3 and 
put some force behind his recommendations for accelerating 
and expanding the EU's role in Iraq.  Seeing value in giving 
the mission a high profile, the Dutch are hoping to persuade 
Solana to accompany the FM.  Schaper said he would accompany 
the Minister (who will be on his way back from Indonesia) and 
planned to stay on in Iraq for a few days to flesh out 
details of the proposal to EU FM's.  He was sharply critical 
of the Commission's timidity about the mission, saying that 
in a conversation Friday he had "shamed" Patten's chief of 
staff who had assumed that due to security concerns, Schaper 
would delegate the visit to a junior member of his staff. 
While Iraq is Bot's "first priority," Schaper said that 
events in Darfur might require that the FM go to Sudan in 
late August vice Iraq.   In that case, they had a second 
window for travel -- September 8-9, which was still in 
advance of the GAERC on the 13th, although it missed the 
Gymnich. 
 
3. (C) NATO training mission in Iraq:  Schaper said that the 
appointment of Dutch Air Force Maj. Gen. Hilderink, RNLAF 
(currently Commandant of the Military Academy at Breda) as 
chief of the NATO training mission was well received in the 
GoNL and would be quite helpful politically and in terms of 
good EU-NATO coordination.  He said he knew Hilderink well 
and would meet with him before the General departed to 
coordinate.  The Dutch are keen to ensure that there is a 
complementary and cooperative division of labor between NATO 
military training and EU police training in Iraq.  Schaper 
said that (unfortunately) it appeared unlikely the MFA would 
be able to assign a Dutch POLAD to Hilderink because they 
were "running short" of suitable candidates who know the 
Middle East well and speak Arabic.  Separately, MOD sources 
spoke highly of Hilderink to Acting PolCouns, describing him 
as an activist, and noting that in addition to his training 
background, he also has international and operational 
experience having been heavily involved in Bosnia policy as 
Dutch MOD operations chief from 1995-1997. 
 
4. (C)  Reconstruction in Al-Muthanna Province:  Schaper said 
that the Dutch MOD reported a serious and growing problem 
among the Iraqis in the Al-Muthanna Province where the Dutch 
battalion is deployed.  With the dissolution of the CPA and 
the phasing out of the "commanders' program" (that provided 
quick funding for small local projects at the discretion of 
local commanders), money for reconstruction in the province 
is drying up.  The Dutch military sees growing concern and 
resentment from the populace and reports an uptick in 
complaints that the MNF is doing nothing to promote 
prosperity and civil reconstruction. Local concern about 
economic stagnation is beginning to poison the previous good 
relations between the Dutch military and the population. The 
Dutch mission is strictly security and the GONL has no 
reconstruction programs or funds for Iraq.  Nevertheless, as 
the face of the international community in the province, the 
peacekeepers are being held to account.  Schaper said he 
regretted that the question had been posed in Washington by 
the Dutch embassy in terms of "where is the money that Amb. 
Bremer promised us?"  The real question, he clarified, is: 
Who in the USG should we be talking to -- either in 
Washington or Baghdad -- in order to get a better 
understanding of what to expect in the future in terms of 
civil reconstruction funding in the province?  CDA promised 
to seek guidance from Washington. 
 
5. Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
 
 
RUSSEL