NETHERLANDS: DUTCH VERSION OF TAILHOOK NAVY

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000690 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS PGOV NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: DUTCH VERSION OF TAILHOOK NAVY SCANDAL? Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary. The Dutch Navy and Ministry of Defense are scrambling to address recent media reports alleging scandalous and possibly criminal behavior aboard Dutch naval vessels. One story involves allegations by a female crew member of sexual intimidation, assault, and drug abuse on board the HM Tjerk Hiddes; another concerns Dutch sailors in the Persian Gulf reenacting Abu Ghraib abuses as an "initiation ritual." Acting Prime Minister Zalm said the Dutch Cabinet was shocked by the allegations and called for an investigation of all armed forces. MOD State Secretary Cees van der Knaap ordered a full investigation by an independent committee. Parliamentary interest is high; at least one member has called for "significant change" in the culture of the armed services. End summary. The Incidents -------------- ¶2. (C) Over the past week, Dutch media have reported extensively on a series of allegations of sexual intimidation, assault and drug abuse on board the HM Tjerk Hiddes, a Dutch naval vessel on a four-month mission to the Persian Gulf. The allegations were brought to light by the AFMP military union following the dismissal of a female corporal, who claimed she and other female colleagues had been sexually assaulted on board the Tjerk Hiddes. The alleged victim also reported heavy alcohol and drug use among crew members. ¶3. (C) Separately, Dutch media also reported on an incident on board the HMS Amsterdam that occurred last year in which crew members reenacted scenes from photos taken at the Abu Ghraib prison. According to crew members, the reenactment was meant as an "initiation ritual." At least some of the sailors allegedly involved in the initiation reportedly were of Muslim origin. The HMS Amsterdam is currently serving in CTF-150. MOD Responds -------------- ¶4. (C) MOD State Secretary Cees van der Knaap ordered a full investigation by an independent committee consisting of two Queen's commissioners and the director of the Expertise Center of Forensic Psychiatry. Defense Minister Kamp said that he did not want to downplay the alleged incidents, and recognized that the armed forces must set an example. At the same time, however, Kamp also said the extent of the misconduct within the armed forces was "no worse than within other organizations." Kamp denied the existence of a "culture of cover-up" within the armed forces. Dutch Navy service commander Adm. Kelder -- who canceled a trip to Curacao to discuss Partnership of the Americas after reports of the incidents broke -- noted that with a navy of 11,000 persons, there are "undoubtedly some rotten apples among them." He said he would meet separately with the commanders of Dutch naval vessels to remind them of the need to abide by the rules of conduct aboard naval vessels. Labor Union Outrage -------------- ¶5. (C) AFMP Union President van den Burg accused Kamp as downplaying both incidents and the extent of the problem within the Dutch armed forces. He added that naval leadership had pressured him to forego going public on a number of other incidents. Van den Burg said the incidents reflect a "degeneration of norms and values" and pointed to increased pressure due to budget cuts. As a result, Dutch naval vessels are sailing with minimal crews, leading to tension and officers more inclined to "look the other way" with regard to conduct infractions, he said. Parliamentary Involvement -------------- ¶6. (C) Labor Party (PvdA) spokesperson Angelien Eijsink -- a possible Defense Minister candidate should the Labor Party win the national election in 2007 -- condemned the incidents but hoped they would ultimately lead to reform. She argues that the incidents aboard the Tjerk Hiddes are but the "tip of the iceberg," and said van der Knaap has completely ignored the issue and should have called for an independent investigation long ago. Eijsink noted that the MOD wrongly interprets the absence of complaints of sexual harassment or assault as evidence that no problems exist. On the contrary, Eijsink said, few female soldiers file complaints and would rather resign due to pressure and intimidation within the services. Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) While it is unclear how damaging the alleged incidents will be for the Dutch Navy in the long run, the Dutch military leadership is obviously taking them very seriously -- as evidenced by Adm. Kelder's canceled trip to Curacao. Recruitment for the Dutch navy is already the lowest of all Dutch armed forces, and could sink even lower if the negative media attention is not effectively dealt with. While most Parliamentarians appear momentarily satisfied that van der Knaap's call for an independent investigation is a good first step, Eijsink's comments that the political opposition -- and perhaps some members of the coalition parties as well -- will not let this issue drop, especially during an election year. ARNALL