DUTCH STUDYING REQUEST TO SUPPORT IST

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002989

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR S/WCI, NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KAWC PTER PREF IZ NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH STUDYING REQUEST TO SUPPORT IST

REF: STATE 240444


1. (SBU) Embassy political counselor passed reftel demarche
to MFA Director for Gulf Affairs Adri van Loopik on November

10. Van Loopik was noncommittal and suggested that he and
his colleagues in the MFA Legal Division would need to study
the request. In a follow-up conversation with Olivia
Swaak-Goldman of the MFA's Legal Division on November 17,
Embassy legal officer learned that the Dutch would likely be
in a position to provide forensic support to the Iraqi
Special Tribunal (IST). She explained that the Dutch
Government's previous commitment to support forensic
investigations in Iraq would, in all likelihood, continue to
hold true. The MFA continued to study the request in order
to determine just where its support would be most helpful,
but she noted that Dutch support would be unlikely to go
beyond forensic assistance.


2. (SBU) Swaak-Goldman expected that the MFA would be able to
provide a firmer and more detailed response to reftel
demarche during the week of November 22.
SOBEL