ONDCP DIRECTOR'S MAY 7-8 VISIT TO THE NETHERLANDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 000949 SIPDIS SIPDIS ONDCP FOR CHARLOTTE SISSON JUSTICE FOR OIA JUDI FRIEDMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2017 TAGS: SNAR PREL PGOV KJUS KCRM PINR NL SUBJECT: ONDCP DIRECTOR'S MAY 7-8 VISIT TO THE NETHERLANDS Classified By: Global Issues Chief Susan Garro for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d ) ¶1. (C) Summary. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director John Walters visited The Hague May 7-8. In meetings with the Foreign, Justice, and Health Ministries, Walters thanked the Dutch for their cooperation on a range of counter-narcotics issues from improved police-to-police cooperation to joint research into the health implications of drug use. He also solicited Dutch thoughts on ways to combine forces to assist Colombia and address increased drug trafficking through Venezuela. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Walters met with Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, and the Health Ministry's Director of International Affairs, Annemiek van Bolhuis. (Note: Health Minister Ab Klink had been scheduled to meet Walters, but called in sick. End Note.) Walters also received positive press coverage from interviews with Volkskrant, the most influential daily morning newspaper in the Netherlands, and from the Associated Press (AP). In the interviews, Walters stressed that the U.S. and the Netherlands have a lot in common in how we stop drug trafficking and treat drug addiction. Walters was joined in his meetings by Ambassador Arnall, ONDCP Chief of Staff Steve Katsurinis, Deputy Supply Reduction Director James O'Gara, Press Secretary Jennifer deVallance, Policy Analyst Charlotte Sisson, and Embassy Global Issues Officer. Justice: "Very Good" Cooperation -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Director Walters began his meeting with Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin by thanking him for counter-narcotics cooperation, citing improved law enforcement cooperation against synthetic drugs, cocaine and chemical precursors in particular. He expressed hope that the successful partnership would continue, and suggested that future cooperation could be focused on supply reduction, to compliment the progress to date on demand reduction. ¶4. (SBU) Hirsch Ballin echoed Walters's appreciation for the improved cooperation and expressed interest in deepening law enforcement cooperation through the Agreed Steps mechanism. (Note: The Agreed Steps are a bilaterally-agreed upon roadmap for increasing judicial cooperation and information exchanges between authorities in the U.S. and the Netherlands. End Note.) Walters asked Hirsch Ballin about Dutch cooperation with the Chinese government to track chemical precursor shipments. Hirsch Ballin stated that the cooperation is limited to administrative customs cooperation, calling judicial relations with China "complicated." Arie Ijzerman, Director of International Judicial Affairs, added that the absence of a formal mutual legal assistance treaty restricts the possibilities for cooperating with China. ¶5. (C) Walters next raised shifting trends in cocaine transport from the Caribbean and Venezuela. The difficulty in stemming air shipments of cocaine from and through Venezuela is a major threat, and one that could possibly be addressed by countries, like the Netherlands, that have better relations with Venezuela, stated Walters. Hirsch Ballin acknowledged the difficulty of the situation in Venezuela, noting the proximity of Venezuela to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. He also raised the harmful side effects of drug transportation on the Caribbean region, citing human trafficking in particular. Hirsch Ballin stated that increased controls on flights to Schiphol from the Antilles had resulted in a marked improvement in cutting air shipments of drugs from the Antilles, but that flights from Suriname were more complicated. Hirsch Ballin said that he was happy to see the United States increase its cooperation with Suriname, adding that U.S. assistance will help bolster Dutch aid to the country. ¶6. (SBU) Walters turned to relations with Colombia, citing progress in establishing rule of law and improving human rights, and expressed interest in seeing broader international support for Colombia. Walters asked Hirsch THE HAGUE 00000949 002 OF 003 Ballin why cocaine, such a problem within the EU, is sometimes seen as an inconsequential issue. Hirsch Ballin responded that cooperation with Colombia is largely a question for the Foreign Ministry, but he promised to take up the issue with his Aruban and Antillean colleagues who might be able to provide further insight into regional assistance. ¶7. (SBU) Walters ended the meeting by asking Hirsch Ballin if he had any concerns with growing legal cooperation between the U.S. and the Netherlands. Walters stated that cooperation was excellent, but that he was aware there sometimes were frictions, alluding to press and Parliamentary questioning on alleged "illegal" operations conducted by DEA in the Netherlands. (Note: DEA maintains that the operations in question were conducted in full compliance of an MLAT and in complete cooperation with the Dutch. End Note.) Hirsch Ballin grinned and said, "Frictions are the exception to very good cooperation. We don't have to discuss this here, we are very happy with the cooperation." MFA: Afghanistan, Colombia, Venezuela -------------- ¶8. (C) Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen began his meeting with Walters by explaining that Dutch political consensus on Uruzgan mandates that a balanced, and tribally neutral, approach be taken toward poppy eradication. He acknowledged the growth of poppy production in Uruzgan and said that it was "absolutely necessary to end poppy cultivation and create another future for Afghan farmers." Verhagen stated that one region of Afghanistan can not be allowed to continue growing poppy, citing Colombia as an example where pockets of drug cultivation have split the local population from the government. He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach that involves provision of alternative livelihoods, interdiction of drug smuggling, and eradication of poppy crops. ¶9. (C) Walters agreed with Verhagen, and discussed how best to take a balanced approach. Verhagen returned to his analogy with Colombia, citing President Uribe's efforts to visit every district in Colombia. He stated that Karzai needs to get out into the country more, and that supporters of Afghan reconstruction needed to know that Karzai is committed to the full range of reconstruction goals. Verhagen stated that part of Uruzgan's security problems stem from the absence of police, and that stability would improve markedly if police were sent with eradication forces and then stayed behind afterwards. ¶10. (C) Walters reiterated the points he made to Hirsch Ballin on increasing EU efforts to help Colombia, and Verhagen promised to look into what would be possible. Walters then turned to Venezuela and the possibility that EU governments might be better positioned to promote counter-narcotics cooperation from Venezuela. Verhagen agreed, but cautioned that official corruption often prevents foreign governments from following up on leads and that he didn't want to push too hard for cooperation, thereby giving Chavez too much credit. ¶11. (SBU) Walters ended the meeting by thanking Verhagen for Dutch efforts to cut Ecstasy exports to the United States, citing Dutch efforts as contributing to a supply- and demand-driven success. He also thanked Verhagen for Dutch contributions to JIATF South, their support in the CND, the posting of a surface vessel and two MPA aircraft in the Caribbean, and for the forward operating location in Curacao. Health Ministry -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Due to the Health Minister's illness, Walters focused on the ongoing cooperative research between Dutch and U.S. scientists on the significant negative physiological and psychological health impacts of cannabis use. Marcel de Kort, Senior Policy Advisor, stated that the Health Ministry was researching how to conduct a study on the long-term effects of high THC cannabis use. He noted ethical Qrns about providing high THC marijuana to patients over a long THE HAGUE 00000949 003 OF 003 period of time as a major impediment to conducting such a study. De Kort acknowledged that cannabis is an addictive substance and that drug abuse treatment admissions had increased in line with the increase of THC content in marijuana, but said that it couldn't be determined if the higher THC caused the increased need for treatment. He noted that while a rise in emergency room admissions and ambulance calls for drug-related health problems closely followed the rise in THC content of Dutch cannabis, most such services were provided for foreigners visiting Amsterdam, who likely weren't accustomed to the higher THC marijuana. Van Bolhuis addressed the current government's plan to improve the quality of treatment available to drug addicts, to enforce stricter zoning laws on marijuana shops, and to implement the EU smoking ban in the hospitality sector. According to van Bolhuis, the EU smoking ban applies only to tobacco smoke, so the Dutch are currently discussing how to handle "coffeeshops," where cannabis is smoked, under the smoking ban. ¶13. (SBU) Walters raised international efforts to stem the abuse of athletic doping substances. Van Bolhuis repeatedly resisted linking doping substances to drug abuse prevention, citing the Dutch desire to keep doping concerns focused strictly on doping in sports only. For van Bolhuis, doping has to meet two criteria: the substance has to enhance the performance of the person, and it has to be detrimental to the person's health. Since most narcotic substances don't meet the first criteria, she felt that doping substances shouldn't be included in international counter-narcotic conventions. ¶14. (U) ONDCP Staff cleared this cable. ARNALL