NETHERLANDS: UPDATING ALLIES ON U.S. GLOBAL

S E C R E T THE HAGUE 002047 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2014 TAGS: PARM PREL KPAO NL NATO SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: UPDATING ALLIES ON U.S. GLOBAL DEFENSE POSTURE REVIEW REF: A. STATE 174698 ¶B. STATE 153029 (NOTAL) Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ANDREW SCHOFER FOR REA SONS 1.4 (B AND D) (S) PolMilOff delivered ref A points to Dutch MFA A/Director Security and Defense Policy Eric Strating on August 13. DATT also shared ref A points with MOD Operations Director Air Commodore Pieter Cobelens on August 13. Neither had any immediate substantive reaction to this demarche; Starting said it "seems like a logical step." Post continues to seek a GONL reaction to points it delivered to MFA Security Policy Bureau on July 14 concerning possible expansion of the U.S. Forward Operation Locations (FOLs) in the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao) and Aruba. Strating said he would undertake to provide mission with feedback on this specific issue. RUSSEL