US embassy cable - 05THEHAGUE2126

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002126 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2005 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PGOV, PINS, PREL, PTER, UZ, NL 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/UZBEKISTAN: MORE ON DENIED DUTCH 
OVERFLIGHT 
 
REF: TASHKENT 2077 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
(C) Polmiloff followed up on August 2 with Joop Nijssen, 
Deputy Head of Operations at the Dutch MFA, regarding the 
July 29 flight clearance denial by the GOU of a Dutch 
military plane transiting from Afghanistan (reftel).  Nijssen 
acknowledged that the denial was regrettable and most likely 
politically motivated, as suggested reftel.  He noted, 
however, that while the purpose of the Dutch overflight was 
"military in nature", the plane itself had been contracted 
commercially.  As such, Nijssen said the GOU was technically 
"within its rights" to deny the overflight as the request for 
flight clearance fell short of the required 30-day advanced 
notice for commercial flights.  He confirmed that only a 
10-day advanced notice is required for military planes. 
Nijssen suggested that, given this technicality, the Dutch 
did not have a strong case for a protest and therefore did 
not plan to make an issue out of the denial. 
 
 
SOBEL