DUTCH AMBASSADOR SEEKS OUT IRPO TO PREP FOR DG VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000064 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON FOR GAYLE; BERLIN FOR PAETZOLD BAKU FOR HAUGEN; ISTANBUL FOR ODLUM THE HAGUE FOR FALLS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/6/2017 TAGS: IR PHUM KNNP PGOV PREL SUBJECT: DUTCH AMBASSADOR SEEKS OUT IRPO TO PREP FOR DG VISIT REF: 11/06/2007 The Hague email to NEA/IR and IRPO RPO DUBAI 00000064 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Jillan Burns, Director, Iran Regional Presence Office, DoS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) 1.(C) Summary: Dutch Ambassador to the UAE Gilles Beschoor Plug and First Secretary Martijn Schottold IRPO November 6 that the Dutch MFA Director General Pieter De Gooijer will travel to Iran next week to raise the case of Iranian-Dutch human rights activist Abdullah al-Mansouri, on trial for terrorist activities in Iran. Ambassador Plug also asked about the US view of the recent Saudi uranium enrichment consortium proposal. Plug described Dutch-Iran relations as "normal European" and was not aware of any Iranian retaliation for against the embassy for Dutch NGO Hivos' Iran-related projects and Farsi broadcasting. End Summary. 2.(C) IRPO Director and Poloff met November 6 with newly arrived Dutch Ambassador to the UAE Gilles Beschoor Plug, at his request. Ambassador Plug was accompanied by Interior Ministry First Secretary Martijn Schot. Ambassador Plug requested the meeting in preparation for the upcoming one-day stop of Dutch MFA Director General Pieter De Gooijer in the UAE, in advance of a visit to Iran. De Gooijer's agenda in Iran -------------- 3.(C) According to the Ambassador, De Gooijer's top agenda item in Iran will be the case of a Dutch-Iranian human rights activist Abdullah al-Mansouri, who may be facing a death sentence on charges of terrorism and sedition. The Ambassador said the Dutch embassy is not certain if a sentence has been passed yet or not, as embassy officials were denied access to the trial on the grounds that al-Mansouri is an Iranian national. (Note: Al-Mansouri is the leader of the Ahwaz Liberation Organization (ALO),an Arab separatist group. He was arrested in Syria in May 2006 and extradited to Iran. Family members claimed that al-Mansouri was not allowed access to legal representation during trial and that he was sentenced to death. However, Iranian officials have reportedly assured the Netherlands that al-Mansouri has not been sentenced to death. End note.) 4.(C) IRPOffs discussed some of the tactics private individuals used that seemed most helpful in lobbying for the recent release of several detained Iranian-Americans. Most helpful seemed to have been a personal appeal to the Supreme Leader and advocacy by family members inside Iran. At the same time, IRPO noted the differences between those cases and the al-Mansouri case, in which he was charged with terrorism. IRPOffs said they were unaware of any recent cases involving Americans charged in relation to ethnic activism. The Ambassador took note of the comments on lobbying efforts and said he would convey them to the MFA. 5.(C) The Dutch diplomats did not mention any intention of De Gooijer to raise Afghanistan with Iranian officials. (ref: 11/06/07 email from Embassy The Hague to NEA/IR and IRPO). USG views of Saudi consortium proposal? -------------- RPO DUBAI 00000064 002.2 OF 002 6.(C) Ambassador Plug asked for USG views of the recent Saudi proposal of a nuclear enrichment consortium for Gulf countries. IRPOffs explained the proposal as it was described in press accounts, noting its differences from the Russian enrichment plan envisaged in the P5+1 package. IRPO noted that the Saudi proposal to locate the enrichment consortium in a third country -- possibly Switzerland, according to press accounts -- does not make clear whether the enrichment technology would be controlled by the third country, or if parties to the consortium would have access to the technology. Furthermore, the Saudi proposal does not clarify any procedures for the return or disposal of spent fuel. In any case, Iran, in its reaction to the Saudi proposal, rejected any proposal that did not include enrichment on Iranian soil. Dutch civil society activities -------------- 7.(C) IRPO asked the Ambassador if Iran exhibited any particular recrimination against the Dutch embassy in Tehran in response to Dutch democracy programs, such as government-funded Farsi broadcasting or NGO Hivos' civil society projects. The Ambassador replied that as far as he knew, Dutch diplomats did not face any particular harassment in Iran and described Dutch-Iran relations as "normal European," putting the UK in a different category. Neither Plug nor Schot were certain if the Dutch-sponsored Farsi broadcast was currently on the air and if so, from where it was broadcast. 8.(C) Comment: The Ambassador stressed that the primary role of the Netherlands' diplomatic presence in the UAE was commercial, but that recently they had been asked to focus more on political issues. First Secretary Schot appeared very well-versed in Iranian politics. The Ambassador agreed to seek a readout of De Gooijer's trip to Iran at IRPO's request. He mentioned he had hoped to arrange a meeting with IRPO with De Gooijer, but the DG's compressed schedule did not allow for it. BURNS