Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03THEHAGUE1997
2003-08-07 15:53:00
SECRET
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

DUTCH ON INTERDICTION OF MISSILE RELATED CHEMICAL

Tags:  PARM PREL MNUC ETTC BE NL MTCRE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T THE HAGUE 001997

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6 X5, X6
TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC ETTC BE NL MTCRE
SUBJECT: DUTCH ON INTERDICTION OF MISSILE RELATED CHEMICAL
(S)

REF: A. STATE 228758

B. BRUSSELS 3874

C. STATE 226538

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MARY DALY FOR REASONS
1.5 (B AND D)

(S) PolMilOff made ref A demarche to Dutch MFA
Nonproliferation Director Paul Wilke and Dutch MEA Policy
Advisor Diana Gosens on August 7. Wilke and Gosens said that
the GONL would not be initiating a formal investigation into
this matter because MEG is not subject to any Dutch licensing
controls. Gosens subsequently emphasized with PolMilOff that
the Dutch position was that this was not an illegal export.
That said, Dutch Customs had visited the exporter Brenntag's
offices in Dordrecht, Netherlands and copied files which they
will share with Belgian colleagues. Gosens said she had also
spoken with Brenntag which claims the end user is the Syrian
Ministry of Industry. Gosens claimed that had the Dutch
government been aware of USG concerns while the shipment was
on Dutch territory, and given that the end user was the
Government of Syria, it was likely the GONL would have held
up the shipment under a catch all provision. She said she
had conveyed this message to her Belgian MFA colleague Paul
Huynen. At this point, the Dutch view this matter as being
in the hands of their Belgian colleagues.
RUSSEL