NATO: AIRLIFT TO THE AU IN DARFUR -- DUTCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001559 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2015 TAGS: MARR SU NL NATO SUBJECT: NATO: AIRLIFT TO THE AU IN DARFUR -- DUTCH RESPONSE REF: STATE 103310 Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ANDREW SCHOFER FOR REA SONS 1.4 (B AND D) ¶1. (C) PolMilOff made reftel demarche to MFA Security Policy Operations Office Director Rob Gabrielse on June 3. Gabrielse called the demarche timely as "things were moving quickly" within the EU. He said Dutch MFA Director-General for Security Policy Maurits Jochems had spoken with his UK counterpart Hugh Powell on this issue and the Dutch were concerned about NATO-EU competition. The Dutch position is that NATO should take the lead on strategic airlift for Darfur. ¶2. (C) Gabrielse noted that the European Airlift Coordination Cell (EACC) in Eindhoven, Netherlands, has offered its services to both the EU and NATO for this mission, and that there was discussion of coordination between the EACC and the NATO Allied Movement Coordination Centre. The Netherlands will not support an EU lead if NATO does not agree to it. Gabrielse said DSACEUR was sending mixed signals, and that some within the EU are claiming that DSACEUR could accept a combination of efforts between Eindhoven and AMCC with a possible EU lead. The GONL doubts this and wants to see such a determination in writing. Concerning GONL efforts, there is no concrete Dutch offer of airlift assets to date because the RNLAF must fit this mission in with its commitments to support Dutch operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The RNLAF would prefer to respond to a specific schedule of lift requirements. Gabrielse's initial reaction to reftel request that the Dutch use contract airlift for strategic purposes was favorable, but he said the GONL would have to look into this further. ¶3. (C) According to Gabrielse, the French are pushing the view within the EU that until recently it was not clear what NATO offers were extant, while EU offers were more clear. His impression is that NATO is a little behind. The Dutch bottom line is a preference for airlift coordination by NATO; however, if there is a consensus deal that all parties can accept, then the Netherlands will go along with it. Gabrielse said the main goal is to support AMIS. PolMilOff noted the time and effort invested in getting NATO-EU cooperation right in Bosnia and said it was important to do the same with Darfur. Gabrielse fully agreed. DG Jochems will be in Washington on June 6 for meetings at State and DOD and would be fully prepared to discuss Sudan at that time, according to Gabrielse. SOBEL