US embassy cable - 05THEHAGUE3100

S E C R E T THE HAGUE 003100 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, MARR, MOPS, AF, NL, EUN 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/AFGHANISTAN:  CONTINUING DUTCH 
CONCERNS ABOUT ISAF III 
 
REF: A. THE HAGUE 3054 
     B. THE HAGUE 3037 
     C. THE HAGUE 2988 
 
Classified By: Charge D'Affaires Chat Blakeman, reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY:  Senior Dutch military and diplomatic 
contacts say that Defense Minister Kamp feels he has not yet 
received sufficient assurances from the U.S. to proceed with 
a proposed Dutch troop deployment to Oruzgan under ISAF Stage 
III.  Kamp hopes to talk directly to SecDef Rumsfeld to 
resolve outstanding Dutch concerns prior to a planned 
November 18 Cabinet discussion.  End Summary. 
 
2. (S)  Dutch Defense Minister Kamp remains undecided whether 
to recommend to Cabinet a deployment of Dutch forces in 
Oruzgan province in Afghanistan under ISAF STAGE III because 
of continuing concerns regarding neighboring Zabol province 
and the two northern Oruzgan firebases (ref a).  That is the 
message Charge, POLCOUNS, and DATT each received on November 
16 from Pieter de Gooijer (Deputy POLDIR, MFA), Robert de 
Groot (Chief of Security Affairs Department, MFA) and General 
Eikelboom (Chief of Operations, MOD) respectively.  All Dutch 
interlocutors stressed that Minister Kamp had been 
disappointed by the results of Pace-Berlijn talks in Brussels 
over the last 48 hours, and intended to call SecDef 
personally to request reconsideration of the U.S. position. 
Kamp is still planning to meet with Foreign Minister Bot on 
November 17 to consider whether and how to initiate 
discussion of the deployment decision in Cabinet on November 
18. 
 
3. (S)  According to de Groot, the Dutch are satisfied with 
the results of their discussions with partners (UK, Canada, 
and Australia), SACEUR, and the Afghan government.  De Groot 
added that he expected the results of the intelligence review 
to be more "nuanced" than the MIVD's initial report, making a 
Dutch deployment appear more "doable" than previously. But, 
he stressed, the outstanding requests for U.S. forces (about 
80) to remain embedded with the Afghan National Army in 
Oruzgan and for a maneuver battalion (about 200 troops) to 
remain in Zabol are "show stoppers" for Kamp.  De Gooijer 
similarly stressed that without movement on these two 
requests, Kamp would be unlikely to make a positive 
recommendation to Cabinet to proceed. 
 
4. (S) COMMENT:  In addition to the proposed Kamp-Rumsfeld 
call, we understand that Dutch Ambassador van Eenenaam may 
reach out to senior State, NSC, and Pentagon interlocutors to 
underscore Dutch concerns.  The Dutch have stressed 
repeatedly to us that Kamp's considerations are as much 
political as military; they have also emphasized that the MFA 
and uniformed military want the deployment to go forward but 
are unable or unwilling to challenge Kamp's decision.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
BLAKEMAN