VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTC #0397 0531515
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221515Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4902
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0248

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000397 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM NL
SUBJECT: BOT RESPONDS TO PARLIAMENT ON CIA FLIGHTS 
 
REF: 05 STATE 219905 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Foreign Minister Bot told Parliament he had 
no credible information on illegal CIA flights.  He repeated 
Secretary Rice's assurances regarding U.S. practices and said 
 
SIPDIS 
that he continues to emphasize to her the importance of human 
rights in the war on terror.  We expect this issue to arise 
again in Parliament.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Bot was called to Parliament, to answer a February 
15 article in national daily NRC Handelsbad, alleging the CIA 
had transported terrorist suspects through Dutch airspace and 
had landed at Dutch airports.  The article was based on a 
report by Human Rights Watch and Ministry of Transport flight 
data.  Bot appeared before Parliament on February 17 and 
followed up with a more detailed letter on February 21. 
 
GONL: no knowledge of illegal flights 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Bot stressed that the GONL had "no knowledge of CIA 
flights" carrying illegally detained terrorist suspects 
either crossing Dutch airspace or landing on Dutch territory. 
 "The government," he said,"has neither actively nor 
passively extended cooperation on such flights" and has no 
"concrete indications" of such flights. 
 
Reminding the U.S. to respect human rights 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) He repeated assurances given him by Secretary Rice 
that the United States respects international law with regard 
to the transfer of prisoners.  He said that he had repeatedly 
reminded the Secretary "both bilaterally and in a European 
context ... of the importance of respecting human rights in 
the combat against international terrorism." 
 
Light aircraft reporting requirements extremely limited 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Foreign Minister told parliament that the Human 
Rights Watch report provided scant detail, and the NRC 
Handelsbad article contained no new information.  Even if the 
aircraft were shown to have been chartered by the CIA, he 
said, this would by no means indicate that illegally detained 
prisoners were aboard.  He had no intention of researching 
past flights. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Netherlands, he said, has "always advocated the 
freest possible civil aviation regime for persons and goods." 
 The Chicago and Tokyo Conventions, which the GONL supports, 
require that light aircraft provide only a minimum of 
information to national aviation authorities.  This 
information is generally insufficient to allow authorities to 
determine whether a flight might be carrying illegally 
detained prisoners.  Moreover, as long as an aircraft is 
still in flight, the country of registration retains 
jurisdiction.  An aircraft making a technical landing - such 
as for refueling - remains outside Dutch jurisdiction. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Bot explained that, under Dutch and European Union 
law, authorities may conduct inspections related to 
immigration control, customs and airworthiness.  If concrete 
information were to raise suspicion of illegal prisoners, 
"appropriate measures" would be taken.  Bot closed by saying 
that the GONL would consult with other European Union member 
states, with an eye toward arriving at a common approach to 
the issue. 
 
Parliament likely to raise issue again 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: We fully expect this issue to be raised 
again in parliament. 
BLAKEMAN