OPERATION BALKAN VICE IV: THE NETHERLANDS

1. (S) PolOffs and Deputy Legal Counselor made ref A demarche
to MFA Western Balkans Director Klaas van der Tempel on June


30. Van der Tempel said the GONL supported OHR's work
against such individuals. Concerning freezing the assets of
the individuals named in ref A, van der Tempel said that
while the Netherlands would support such an action, the aim
was to address this on an EU-wide basis. Previously, the
Dutch have argued that it would be difficult, if not
impossible, for them to impose such a freeze outside the EU
context (ref B). Thus, while van der Tempel said the Dutch
would support such a freeze, it would be in the context of
"complicated" discussions in the EU's Working Party of
Foreign Relations Counselors (RELEX). He suggested the USG
engage with the Dutch Permanent Representation to the EU, and
named Stefan van Wersh as the key POC. Van der Tempel
thought an visa ban would be less complicated, but again said
the decision would need to be made on an EU-wide basis.



2. (S) Economic Counselor and EconOff also delivered reftel
points to the Dutch Ministry of Finance, which will pass them
to the Dutch Central Bank, banking directors and the Dutch
financial intelligence unit. MinFin officials also said that
the GONL will follow the EU lead (which they said was
planning a parallel move) concerning designation of these
individuals.



3. (S) Comment: The Dutch have long been strong supporters
of the ICTY and the need to apprehend indictees, particularly
those whom van der Tempel called "the Big Three": Karadzic,
Mladic and Gotovina. Van der Tempel went out of his way to
emphasize the tough Dutch position, shared only by the UK, on
Croatian EU candidacy. In light of Dutch assumption of the
EU Presidency on July 1, their role in forming an EU
consensus for financial measures against PIFWC supporters
could be important, though the task would remain difficult.
End comment.
SOBEL