IRAQ: DUTCH PROVIDE MILITARY CARGO AIRCRAFT FOR

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000014 SIPDIS ROME FOR FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID IZ JO NL WFP SUBJECT: IRAQ: DUTCH PROVIDE MILITARY CARGO AIRCRAFT FOR UN/WFP OPERATIONS REF: THE HAGUE 3060 ¶1. The Netherlands will deploy one Dutch Air Force Fokker "60" transport aircraft and a 20-man crew to the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS),part of the World Food Program (WFP). The plane and crew will be based in Amman for use in operations in Iraq. It will be available February 1 to August 1, 2004 and will ferry humanitarian supplies and staff to Basra, Erbil, and Baghdad. The Dutch offer follows a similar arrangement whereby Belgium provided a transport aircraft for a period of six months. (Note: Separately, the Dutch military has approximately 1100 personnel serving in Iraq as part of the UK-led Multi-national Division SE. End Note.) ¶2. In a December 19 letter to parliament informing members of the cabinet's decision, Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation Agnes Van Ardenne and MOD Henk Kamp state that the GONL values a stronger role for the UN in Iraq. The letter notes that the UN's drawdown in Iraq has severely hampered humanitarian operations, and that through the aircraft loan, the Netherlands hopes to strengthen the program and provide better access to Iraq for UN staff. While the Dutch will coordinate with the UN security coordinator, the Dutch will have responsibility for the flightroutes and the aircraft. RUSSEL