Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 3955 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Yemen Jordan

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10
2002/02 2002/03 2002/11
2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone
Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AF AM AE AG AR ASEC AS AU AORC AJ AMGT AGMT AFIN APER ABUD ATRN AEMR ACOA AEC AO AX AMED ADCO AODE AFFAIRS AC AL ASIG ABLD AA AFU ASUP AROC ATFN
BM BR BRUSSELS BL BK BA BO BILAT BTIO BEXP BH BE BX BU BIDEN BY BG BF BB BC BBSR
CH CE CA CASC CU CLINTON CO CI CVIS CDG CIA CACM CDB CS CBW CD CV CMGT CJAN CG CF CN CAN COUNTER CIS CM CONDOLEEZZA COE CR CY CTM COUNTRY CLEARANCE CPAS CWC CT CKGR CB CACS COM CJUS CARSON COUNTERTERRORISM
DA DJ DEAX DR DHS DOE DEA DK DISENGAGEMENT DS DOD
EUN EG EAID ENRG ETTC EFIN ECON ETRD EPET EINV EMIN ECIP ECPS EINDETRD EAGR EU EN EZ ELAB ER ET ES EUC EI EAIR EIND EWWT ELTN EREL ECIN EFIS EINT EC ENVR ECA EXTERNAL EINVETC ENIV EINN ENGR EUR ESA ENERG EK ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN
FR FJ FINR FAO FTAA FREEDOM FI FARC FBI FMLN
GM GG GV GH GA GE GT GR GTIP GOI GCC GAZA GZ GTMO
HILLARY HA HU HR HUMAN HO HYMPSK HURI HK
IR IS IZ INRB IAEA IN IT ID IO IV ICTY IQ ICAO INTERPOL IPR IRAJ INRA INRO IC IIP ITPHUM IWC ISRAELI IRAQI ICRC IMO IF ILC IEFIN INTELSAT IL IA IBRD IMF ITALY ITALIAN
JAMES JO JA JOSEPH JP JOHNNIE JUS
KCOR KDEM KNNP KU KWBG KPAL KN KS KZ KAWK KISL KPAO KCRM KJUS KSEC KIPR KGHG KIFR KTFN KDRG KV KSUM KWAC KAWC KDEMAF KFIN KGIC KTIP KOMC KHLS KSPR KGCC KPIN KG KBIO KHIV KSCA KE KFRD KPKO KNUC KMDR KPLS KOLY KUNR KIRF KIRC KACT KRAD KCOM KMCA KHDP KVPR KDEV KWMN KTIA KPRP KCIP KCFE KOCI KTDB KMRS KLIG KBCT KICC KGIT KSTC KPAK KNEI KSEP KPOA KFLU KNUP KNNPMNUC KO KTER KHUM KRFD KBTR KDDG KWWMN KFLO KSAF KBTS KPRV KMPI KNPP KNAR KWMM KERG KTBT KCRS KRVC KR KPWR KMIG
LE LY LG LH LU LI LO LOG LT
MOPS MZ MO MNUC MASS MARR MY MEPP MCAP MA MR ML MX MIL MTCRE MPOS MOPPS MTCR MAPP MU MG MASC MCC MK MTRE MP MDC MAR MEPI MRCRE MI MT MQADHAFI MD MAPS MUCN
NATO NI NZ NG NU NO NL NIPP NPT NE NS NAR NPG NK NSG NA NT NASA NGO NP NATIONAL
OTR OVIP OVP OREP ODIP OPDC OPRC OIIP OFFICIALS OSAC OAS OEXC OFDP OTRA OSCE OPIC OECD OPCW OSCI
PREL PTER PGOV PO PHUM PINS PARM PK PINR PINT PBTS PROP PE PL PREF POGOV PINL POL PBIO PSOE PHSA PKFK PGOF PARMS PA PM PMIL PTERE PF PALESTINIAN PY PGGV PNR POV PAK PAO PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PNAT PROV PEL PGOVE POLINT POLITICS PEPR PSI PU POLITICAL PARTIES PECON
QA
RS RU RO RW REGION RP RIGHTS RICE ROBERT RF RFE
SNAR SA SY SOCI STEINBERG SP SENV SCUL SF SO SR SG SW SU SL SMIG SN SHUM SZ SYR ST SANC SC SAN SIPRS SK SH SI
TI TU TC TRGY TX TS TBIO TW TSPA TH TIP TR TT TERRORISM TO TFIN TD TSPL TZ TPHY TK TNGD
UNSC UP UK USEU UG UNMIK UV UZ UY UN US UNGA UNO USUN UE UNESCO UAE UNEP USTR UNHCR UNDP UNHRC USAID UNCHS UNAUS
VT VE VTPREL VZ VN VM
WTRO WTO WA WI WMO WTRQ WHO WWARD WB WBG
XF XA XG XT XM XR XS XL XK XH XY XC XZ XW XD
YM YE YI
ZU ZI ZP ZR ZB ZF ZK ZANU ZOELLICK ZA

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 06THEHAGUE2282, NETHERLANDS/SCENESETTER: FOREIGN MINISTER BOT'S

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06THEHAGUE2282.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06THEHAGUE2282 | 2006-10-20 11:11 | 2011-01-22 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy The Hague

`

    VZCZCXRO5629
    OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
    DE RUEHTC #2282/01 2931153
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 201153Z OCT 06
    FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7172
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC PRIORITY
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 THE HAGUE 002282

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    FOR SECRETARY RICE FROM AMBASSADOR ARNALL; PLEASE ALSO PASS
    TO EUR, L, AND P

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2016
    TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV PHUM NL
    SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/SCENESETTER: FOREIGN MINISTER BOT'S
    10/23 WASHINGTON VISIT

    Classified By: Ambassador Roland Arnall, reasons 1.4 (b,d)

    MADAM SECRETARY:

    ¶1. (C) Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot's upcoming visit to
    Washington DC comes just one month before national elections.
    It therefore provides an excellent opportunity to move some
    difficult issues forward in a way that helps ensure that the
    next Dutch government, whatever its configuration, comes into
    office on a positive note with regard to the bilateral
    relationship. Although we have had, and will continue to
    have, differences with the Dutch on a variety of issues, they
    remain one of our staunchest allies in continental Europe,
    willing to put their credibility, resources, and even troops
    on the line again and again to support transatlantic
    objectives. Bot's support was critical in the Dutch
    decisions to deploy troops to Afghanistan, to participate in
    UNIFIL, and to provide significant assistance to Darfur. He
    has also been an outspoken advocate of tougher measures to
    restrain North Korean and Iranian nuclear ambitions, and is a
    strong supporter of our goals for the 2006 NATO summit.

    ¶2. (C) The current government's close ties to the U.S. have
    not been without cost to the coalition government or to Bot
    personally. Parliamentary and public concerns about
    Guantanamo/Detainee issues, in particular, have put Bot in
    the uncomfortable position of having to defend the bilateral
    relationship in Parliament while carrying out explicit
    parliamentary instructions to criticize U.S. policies at
    every opportunity. John Bellinger's successful visit here
    October 10-11 helped shift our bilateral discussions in a
    more positive direction, and Bot has expressed strong
    interest in continuing the dialogue; we need to move quickly
    to exploit this opening to support our broader efforts to
    influence Dutch and European opinion.

    ¶3. (C) In addition to his meeting with you, Bot has meetings
    with Sen. Chuck Hagel, Deputy NSA Crouch, and Deputy
    Secretary of Defense England on Oct. 23. He will also give a

    SIPDIS
    press conference and attend a dinner hosted by the American
    Enterprise Institute on transatlantic relations. On Oct. 24,
    Bot will meet with Deputy NSA Eliott Abrams, deliver a speech
    at Georgetown University on Saving Democracy in a World of
    Change, and attend a lunch at the Dutch ambassador's
    residence on Afghanistan. While Afghanistan,
    Guantanamo/Detainee issues, and the upcoming Riga summit will
    be the main items on his agenda, Bot will also be interested
    in hearing about your recent visit to the Middle East. This
    cable contains brief summaries of the current state of play
    of these and several other issues -- North Korea/Iran,
    Venezuela, Sudan, the Human Rights Council, Joint Strike
    Fighter, and Law Enforcement cooperation -- as viewed from
    The Hague.

    Overview
    --------

    ¶4. (C) Bot's visit to Washington comes against the backdrop
    of the November 22 national elections, in which Bot's
    governing Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA) has recently
    pulled from behind to run neck-in-neck with the opposition
    Labor Party (PvdA). Regardless of which party gains the most
    seats in the next parliament, the next Dutch government --
    like all previous Dutch governments -- will be a coalition,
    probably containing at least one of the current government's
    two center-right parties (CDA and VVD), either governing
    together or individually in partnership with the PvdA. For
    that reason alone, it is clear that many of the current
    government's policies will continue. In the heat of a hotly
    contested campaign, however, opposition candidates will
    continue to exploit perceived weaknesses in the
    Bot/Balkenende foreign policy for political gain, and Bot
    will feel compelled to respond -- sometimes in ways that
    appear unnecessarily critical of the U.S. While we enjoy
    excellent working relations with the Dutch on a wide range of
    issues around the world -- including, most obviously, in
    Afghanistan -- we should not underestimate the level of
    public frustration with U.S. policies or the current
    government's hyper-sensitivity to criticism from a volatile
    and divided electorate.

    ¶5. (C) Bot could retain the Foreign Minister portfolio in any
    future coalition government in which CDA is a partner.
    Although Bot wants the job, however, he faces stiff
    competition, including from within his own party, as Maxim

    THE HAGUE 00002282 002 OF 004

    Verhagen, the CDA's leader in parliament, is also a prime
    contender. Bot is actively using visits such as this one to
    demonstrate his value to his party and the general
    electorate. By choosing not to stand for parliament
    personally, he may also hope to remain somewhat above
    politics in order to make himself more attractive to
    potential coalition partners. Even if it turns out to be a
    last hurrah, a successful visit to the U.S. at this moment
    is important to Bot personally, to the Balkenende government,
    and for the bilateral relationship in general.

    Afghanistan
    -----------

    ¶6. (C) Despite a contentious parliamentary debate last winter
    and low public support, the Dutch deployment to Uruzgan as
    part of NATO's ISAF III mission has not emerged as a
    difficult election issue for the current government -- at
    least not yet. In retrospect, the lengthy debate, in which
    the PvdA ultimately voted in favor of the deployment despite
    serious reservations, effectively neutralized most serious
    critics of the mission early and locked all the major parties
    into supportive positions. In an effort to destroy this
    consensus, opposition parties to the left of Labor, notably
    GreenLeft and the Socialist Party, have argued noisily that
    the GONL has failed in its promise to maintain a clear line
    between ISAF and OEF operations, and that the focus of the
    mission has shifted from reconstruction -- which the public
    largely supports -- to a far more controversial combat
    mission. So far, however, PvdA politicians have not taken
    the bait, and the GONL has effectively countered these
    charges by stressing that a secure environment is necessary
    for any effective reconstruction effort, and that Dutch
    military forces are fully prepared to deal with the
    challenges they face.

    ¶7. (C) Meanwhile, the Dutch have performed well in the field,
    engaging and killing the enemy. That said, the Dutch
    continue to place a higher emphasis on hearts and minds
    reconstruction efforts than on the hunt for terrorists --
    combat missions have been largely reactive instead of
    proactive. They are set to take over regional command in the
    south in November. The Dutch have not suffered any
    casualties as a result of enemy fire -- an F-16 crash and
    apparent suicide are the only casualties thus far. Some
    speculate a high casualty count might put Afghanistan back in
    play for the elections. FM Bot should be congratulated and
    encouraged for the Dutch deployment and performance in
    Uruzgan as they continue to punch above their weight. Bot
    most likely will raise increased security along the Pakistani
    border.

    Detainees/Guantanamo
    --------------------

    ¶8. (C) This is perhaps the most difficult issue in our
    bilateral relationship right now. All major parties,
    including the CDA, condemned the recent revelations of secret
    prisons and continue to demand that Guantanamo Bay be closed
    -- without offering credible alternatives. Bot has been at
    the center of this particular storm, repeatedly called to
    testify before Parliament to defend the bilateral
    relationship in the face of the widely-shared perception that
    the U.S. is not abiding by international law -- an especially
    sensitive issue for the Dutch, who are proud of The Hague's
    traditional role as the preeminent center of international
    law -- and ignoring the concerns of allies. Bot has received
    explicit instructions from Parliament to raise detainee
    issues bilaterally and in international fora including the EU
    GAERC and NATO NAC; he has done so with a vigor bordering on
    obsession. That said, a recent visit to The Hague by John
    Bellinger and other senior officials appears to have made
    modest inroads into Bot's thinking. and he now supports
    continuing a serious dialogue to find legally viable, long
    term solutions to the detainee issue, including revisiting
    portions of the Geneva Conventions. Since Bot expects to
    speak publicly about the issue during his visit, it would be
    useful to re-emphasize in your meeting with him that the
    Military Commissions Act provides every detainee in
    Guantanamo some means of judicial review and that the secret
    prisons remain subject to Congressional oversight and U.S.
    law.

    NATO/Riga Summit
    ----------------

    THE HAGUE 00002282 003 OF 004

    ¶9. (C) The GONL for the most part agrees with our Riga Summit
    goals, including especially the need to demonstrate progress
    in Afghanistan. The Dutch have been supporters of our global
    partnership initiative, although they have previously
    expressed concern that building stronger ties with security
    providers might create first- and second-class partnerships
    at the expense of security consumers. The Dutch strongly
    support a single tool box from which all interested parties
    might seek to enhance ties with NATO. They are conscious of
    other Allied concerns -- notably France -- regarding the use
    of global terminology. They advise at Riga an understated
    and fact-oriented approach to NATO's role as a global player
    to garner French support for initiative.

    ¶10. (C) The Dutch also are with us when it comes to the nuts
    and bolts for Riga -- it's the whither NATO question that
    causes consternation. They support various military
    capability enhancement initiatives, including the C-17
    consortium, the special operations center, and the Middle
    East training center, and eventually supported Intensified
    Dialogue (ID) for Georgia. That said, the Dutch are
    concerned about the direction of NATO and remain leery of
    enlargement plans. While the MFA working level has been
    supportive of Croatia's membership aspirations, Bot and
    Political Director Pieter de Gooijer believe the EU and NATO
    are expanding too quickly. They have called for an Allied
    existential discussion to determine NATO's path, both at Riga
    and at subsequent summits in 2008 and 2009. Following the
    President's recent announcement, Bot's visit provides an
    excellent opportunity to make a pitch for Croatian NATO
    membership at the 2008 summit.

    Lebanon/Middle East Peace Process
    ---------------------------------

    ¶11. (C) The Dutch are contributing a 150-person frigate as
    part of the maritime component of UNIFIL. But MFA Head of
    Middle Eastern Affairs Henriette van Lynden-Leijten told
    Ambassador Arnall October 17 the Dutch are taking a
    step-by-step approach to the Middle East, especially
    regarding Syria and Lebanon, to determine where the Dutch
    might have value added. This involves a review of possible
    options, including better cooperation with the Middle East
    Quartet, more meetings with moderate Arab states, and better
    definitions of end goals. She added, however, that Dutch
    influence over Syria has been clouded by a contentious
    custody case involving two Dutch-Syrian children currently
    encamped at the Dutch embassy in Damascus. Otherwise, van
    Lynden-Leijten said Bot has excellent relations in the Middle
    East, and will no doubt ask for a readout on the Secretary's
    recent trip to the region. Bot should be encouraged to take
    a greater role, especially with regard to influencing the EU.

    North Korea/Iran
    ----------------

    ¶12. (C) The GONL -- and Bot in particular -- share our deep
    concern over nuclear developments in North Korea and Iran.
    Bot publicly labeled North Korea's nuclear test
    irresponsibly provocative and totally senseless, and
    called for Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks. He
    also said the use of force would be counterproductive, given
    the large population in nearby Seoul, and suggested China was
    crucial in getting North Korea to return to the table. While
    the Dutch continue to push for a diplomatic resolution, they
    worry about the message the international community is
    sending to Iran and its nuclear program. Although publicly
    supportive of the EU-3's efforts to engage Iran, in private
    he has frequently expressed frustration at being left out of
    the process. Recently, he called publicly for the UN
    Security Council to become directly involved given the
    apparent lack of progress on the EU track. The Dutch have
    offered on several occasions to play a more active role on
    the margins of the six-party talks and in dealing with Iran,
    suggesting that any and all diplomatic pressure would be
    helpful in persuading these states to abandon their current
    courses. Bot should be encouraged to continue to press EU
    members to engage on North Korea and Iran.

    Venezuela and Latin America
    ---------------------------

    ¶13. (C) As Venezuela's neighbor -- the Netherlands Antilles
    and Aruba sit just off the Venezuelan coast -- the Dutch are

    THE HAGUE 00002282 004 OF 004

    understandably worried about Chavez' intentions, but also go
    to great lengths to avoid provoking him. For example, the
    Dutch were unwilling to lobby on behalf of Guatemala for the
    UN Security Council or otherwise draw attention to their
    intention to vote against Venezuela. They have significant
    interests in Venezuela, including a new Shell exploration
    concession and a major subcontract on new light frigates.
    While the Dutch posture toward Venezuela is less forward
    leaning than we would like - and while Bot has at times made
    statements we consider unhelpful - the Dutch have been
    leaders within the EU on other regional issues. Dutch
    participation in Colombian paramilitary reintegration, coca
    eradication efforts, Nicaraguan election monitoring, and
    other regional initiatives has been superb. On Cuba and
    other Latin American issues, they have been a useful
    counterbalance to traditional Spanish sway within the EU.

    Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
    --------------------------

    ¶14. (C) The Dutch Parliament is expected on October 24 to
    approve the GONL's signing of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
    Production, Sustainment, and Follow-on Development (PSFD)
    Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A solid majority in
    Parliament supports the GONL's continued participation in
    JSF, while the Dutch press views MOU signature as a foregone
    conclusion. The MOU signing ceremony hosted by Deputy
    Secretary of Defense England is planned for November 14 in

    SIPDIS
    the Pentagon. Dutch State Secretary of Defense van der Knaap
    and Foreign Trade Minister van Gennip are expected to
    represent the GONL. The Dutch and Italian governments are
    considering a joint signing ceremony, although this has not
    yet been confirmed.

    Sudan
    -----

    ¶15. (C) Dutch financial contributions to Sudan relief,
    development and peacekeeping, exceed all but our own, on a
    per capita basis. We have worked extremely closely with the
    MFA and Development Minister Ardenne (Bot's close colleague)
    on Darfur and southern Sudan. The Dutch have been close
    allies on several other regional initiatives, including
    efforts to deal with the Lords' Resistance Army in Uganda,
    promote reconciliation and intelligence cooperation in the
    Great Lakes, train peacekeepers, and develop effective
    HIV/AIDS programs. Van Ardenne, rather than Bot, takes the
    lead on these issues.

    Human Rights Council
    --------------------

    ¶16. (C) Bot would like the U.S. to run for the HRC in 2007.
    The Dutch worked very closely with our mission in Geneva this
    fall and were among our closest EU allies during the
    Israel/Lebanon debates - this despite severe criticism at
    home, both of Bot and Israel. He is committed to HRC reform,
    and frustrated by the course of events so far, but believes
    like-minded nations can best protect their interests and
    effect change by remaining involved.

    Law Enforcement Issues
    ----------------------

    ¶17. (SBU) Attorney General Gonzales will visit The Hague a
    few days after your meeting with Bot. Gonzales will open a
    bilateral conference on cyber crime that the Embassy is
    co-sponsoring with the Dutch Justice Ministry. The
    conference will spur our bilateral cooperation on high-tech
    crime, which is emerging as a priority for the law
    enforcement communities in both countries. Law enforcement
    cooperation is good and getting better. While bureaucratic
    and privacy restrictions continue to hamper some direct
    police-to-police cooperation, we have made significant
    advances in the last two years. In particular, Dutch efforts
    to stem the flow of ecstasy to the United States have
    resulted in dramatic declines in the volume of Dutch-linked
    ecstasy seized in the U.S. since 2000. Cooperation with DEA
    on narcotics, and the FBI on cyber crime and
    counter-terrorism investigations, is excellent.
    ARNALL

`