VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTC #2014/01 3300700
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260700Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0734
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1713
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002014 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM/DTCC (BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR/JSTITZIEL) 
STATE ALSO FOR EUR/WE (TSMITH) 
COMMERCE OEA 
COMMERCE ALSO FOR USFCS/OIO (JBREIDENSTINE/PBUCHER) 
USDOC FOR USFCS/MAC/EUR/OWE/ (DCALVERT) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC NL
SUBJECT:  NETHERLANDS/BLUE LANTERN CHECK ON APPLICATION 610001190 
 
REF:  STATE 148187 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE HANDLE 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Emboffs met November 20 with F.W. Wichhart, Managing 
Director of Reomie, to conduct reftel pre-license check and related 
site visit for the re-transfer of armored vehicle parts from the 
Netherlands to Columbia.  The license application covered: 
 
-- 23 Cooling System Kit parts used on M113A2 armored personnel 
carriers 
-- 23 External Fuel Tank parts used on M113A2 armored personnel 
carriers 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Wichhart said Reomie was founded in Osterbeek in 1944 to 
salvage jeeps and jeep parts from the battlefields of Operation 
Market Garden.  The company later purchased surplus trucks from the 
U.S. and Dutch armies and converted them to civilian use.  Reomie 
then expanded to large-lot purchases from Germany, Belgium, the 
Netherlands, and the U.S. -- including from the Defense 
Reutilization and Marketing Service, Wichhart noted.  He added that 
Reomie had a large truck exporting business to the Philippines 
during the 1960's and 70's, selling a few thousand trucks for 
logging and sugar cane production until the peso devaluation made 
the company's products too expensive.  Once much larger, Reomie now 
has 13 employees, roughly $3 million in sales per year, and was 
established at its current address in Ooij about 40 years ago, 
Wichhart said.  Reomie's core business is vintage military vehicle 
salvage focusing on M151 Willys jeeps and M35 2.5 ton "Deuce and a 
half" trucks. The company refurbishes but does not manufacture its 
parts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Post also submits the following answers in response to 
reftel request. 
 
--  According to Wichhart, the Cooling Systems Kits were obtained 
three to four years ago from Germany and the External Fuel Tanks 
obtained about two years ago from a dealer in Holland. 
 
--  The proposed transaction was initiated by Ken Everson, President 
of International Parts Supply Corp.  Wichhart said Everson sought 
reftel parts from Reomie's listing in the ILS.  According to 
Wichhart, ILS is an online system for inventory and sales.  Wichhart 
confirmed that Everson had purchased parts from Reomie in the past. 
 
--  Wichhart showed Emboffs boxes labeled as containing Cooling 
Systems Kits manufactured by FMC Corporation of San Jose, 
California.  Post estimates that there were roughly 200 boxes stored 
in a large warehouse on the Reomie premises.  The warehouse had 
regular doors and locks and the premises were surrounded by a 10 
foot fence. 
 
--  Wichhart noted that he obtained the authorization to export U.S. 
origin parts from Dutch Customs, adding that it was Reomie "standard 
practice" to do so for such parts and also those deemed by Dutch 
Customs to be "Strategic Goods," or goods requiring a Dutch export 
license.  When asked about whether he obtained permission from the 
State Department, Wichhart reiterated that he had "proper export 
licenses to the U.S." and authorization from Dutch Customs, adding 
that Customs had found his export procedures "100 percent OK" in an 
audit finalized November 19.  Wichhart did not refer to, or seem to 
recognize, U.S. export control regulations, and was also unaware 
that International Parts Supply Corp intended to ship the parts 
onward to Columbia and added that he "has no visibility or control 
over subsequent exports". 
 
--  On record keeping, Wichhart said every item was entered into 
ILS.  Based on its identifying information, ILS determined whether 
the good was strategic or not, flagging it accordingly for 
compliance with Dutch export control requirements. 
 
--  Wichhart said reftel order would be filled from inventory. 
Emboffs were also shown a stock of at least six M113 engines. 
 
--  Wichhart is the owner and decision-maker at Reomie.  His wife is 
the other principal, serving as Director, book-keeper, and export 
control compliance officer.  Wichhart noted that the business, and 
the time he would devote to it, was "winding down." 
--  Wichhart noted the majority of his customers were World War II 
Jeep collectors located throughout Western and Central Europe. 
Wichhart said that had not acquired strategic goods for several 
years as surplus sources were rapidly diminishing. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Emboff interactions with Wichhart were cordial and 
professional.  Wichhart was extremely cooperative and receptive to 
Emboff queries, and offered to continue consultations if Post had 
further questions. 
 
GALLAGHER