VZCZCXRO3517
OO RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHTC #0079/01 0341633
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031633Z FEB 09 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2485
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 4122

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000079 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y.  EDITS TP PARA 6 AND PARA 8 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV NL
SUBJECT: Iraq phantom haunts Dutch government 
 
THE HAGUE 00000079  001.6 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Long resistant to calls for a parliamentary 
inquiry into the Dutch government's support for the U.S. 
intervention in Iraq, Prime Minister Balkenende surprisingly 
proposed the establishment of an independent investigation by a 
blue-ribbon panel on February 2.  This will buy time and may clarify 
some outstanding questions, but it is unlikely to silence the 
opposition's quest to demonstrate the Netherlands supported the war 
in Iraq on faulty grounds.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The Problem: For years, the leftwing opposition in the Dutch 
parliament has pressed for a parliamentary inquiry into the 
government's arguments for extending political support to the 
U.S.-led military intervention in Iraq in March 2003, which it 
opposed.  Subsequent disclosures in the U.S. and Britain media 
strengthened the opposition's conviction the Netherlands had 
supported this war on faulty grounds or the government had not told 
it the whole truth. 
 
¶3. (U) PM Balkenende consistently defended his government's position 
in countless parliamentary debates maintaining the government had 
fully informed parliament and there were no secrets about the 
reasons for the Dutch government's support.  He had repeatedly 
pointed to Iraq's failure to comply with a series of UNSC 
resolutions (and not the possible presence of WMD).  Classified 
intelligence reports were supposed to have had little impact on the 
government's decisionmaking. 
 
¶4. (SBU) New press disclosures re-inforced the impression the 
government was hiding something.  For example, in a January 29, 2009 
interview, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage claimed 
the U.S. had requested Dutch military support in Iraq and Dutch 
political support had helped secure the appointment of former Dutch 
Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to NATO Secretary General and 
had persuaded Armitage to intervene personally to avoid sanctions 
against the Netherlands because of its response to trafficking in 
persons issues.  Although Balkenende denied all the allegations, 
pressure, even from within his own party (the Christian Democrats - 
CDA), to respond was growing and his credibility was increasingly 
called into question. 
 
¶6. (U) The Solution: On February 2, Balkenende proposed establishing 
an independent committee to look into the question of Dutch 
decision-making leading up to the Cabinet's decision to support the 
U.S. in Iraq.  The committee will be headed by Willibrord Davids, 
former President of the Dutch Supreme Court (who is free to choose 
his own committee but has been asked to include Ministers of State 
(senior statesmen)).  Announcing "we have nothing to hide," the PM 
said the committee would have full access to all government 
information and said it would be able to address all of parliament's 
questions and concerns.  The committee is to have its report ready 
by November 1. 
 
¶7. (U) The Response: The coalition parties welcomed the PM's 
proposal.  Since they have a majority in parliament, the committee 
will be set up as the PM suggested.  The opposition, however, felt 
parliament was being sidelined and still insisted on its own 
inquiry.  Balkenende was accused of "delaying tactics." 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: Balkenende is opposed to a parliamentary inquiry 
because he wants to avoid having doubt cast on the cabinet decision 
to support the intervention in Iraq.  An inquiry suggests that 
decision was not taken for the right reasons.  A parliamentary 
inquiry would also require the PM and other key players to testify 
under oath and in public.  This independent committee proposal 
Qunder oath and in public.  This independent committee proposal 
clearly buys the PM time, and he hopes interest in Iraq will fade in 
the meantime.  In the best-case scenario, the committee's report 
will answer all outstanding questions, but it is unlikely the 
committee's report will persuade the opposition to give up.  The 
opposition wants someone in the government to admit the Netherlands 
never should have supported the U.S. in Iraq - and to apologize. 
This is not something the government will do.  So, the opposition 
will probably call for a parliamentary inquiry after the report is 
issued.  The same process happened when the Dutch involvement in 
Srebrenica in 1995 was investigated - multiple studies followed by a 
parliamentary inquiry which did not turn up any new evidence.  That 
process, however, brought down the government - a result unlikely in 
this case. 
 
THE HAGUE 00000079  002.6 OF 002 
 
 
End Comment. 
 
Gallagher