This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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