UN Security Council receives report about Weapons of Mass Destruction in The Netherlands

New York - Brussels, January 27 2003 - Coinciding with the much anticipated U.N. report on weapons inspections in Iraq, this morning an international group of Citizens Inspectors faxed a startling report to all members of the U.N. Security Council in New York. The report gives very clear evidence of the secret and illegal deployment of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in The Netherlands. It condemns the blatant use of double standards by the UN Security Council concerning WMD. The council's 15 member nations will hold closed-door discussions on the U.N. report on Iraq next Wednesday and will discuss the next steps. The citizens inspectors, being part of a global movement for U.N. treaties banning all WMD, hope for the U.N. Security Council members to realize fully how their credibility is once again at stake.

The inspectors, affiliated with the NGO For Mother Earth, are today also particularly alerted by the fact that the U.S. seems to be thinking about the unthinkable: It is preparing for the possible use of nuclear weapons against Iraq.

On January 18th 2003 the international team of weapons inspectors was denied access to the NATO airforce base (AFB) of Volkel in the Netherlands which is suspected to harbor a stockpile of illegal US weapons of mass destruction. The Dutch authorities ruled that weapons inspectors coming within 5 meters of the military fence are to be arrested immediately. 104 citizens inspectors who persisted in attempts to accomplish their mission were arrested and treated as criminals, according to one of the spokespersons. The report gives overwhelming evidence of non-cooperation and the repression by Dutch authorities concerning the illegal stockpile of WMD on its territory.
According to unconfirmed reports eleven US B-61 tactical nuclear bombs are deployed at this Dutch airforce base. None of the military personnel would cooperate or answer any of the questions of the inspectors, stating they had received the order not to talk to any civilian. Also, the Dutch police officers complied with the order of secrecy. However at times they also admitted they did not have any knowledge nor access themselves to this sensitive and classified information.

After the arrest the inspectors were handled as cattle in a freezing warehouse inside the NATO base being searched, photographed and stripped of pens, notepads, portables, food, etc. "We are being treated as criminals" declared Pol D'Huyvetter one of the inspectors. "A similar attitude towards the UN inspectors in Iraq would immediately generate massive bombings by the US and the UK. We have to report and condemn the use of double standards towards Weapons of Mass Destruction by the UN Security Council. For the security of humanity we urge the UN General Assembly to reform and stop the council being hijacked by the national interests of the US and the other permanent members".

In the past both members of Parliament and citizen groups in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK have been denied any official information about these WMD which are in breach with international humanitarian law as well as with Article I and Article II of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. On July 8th 1996 the International Court of Justice of The Hague ruled that the use or threat to use nuclear weapons is generally contrary to the rules of international law. The Court also confirmed unanimously that there exists a legal obligation for the US, UK, France, Russia and China to negotiate a global disarmament treaty banning all nuclear weapons. According to investigations of citizens groups similar WMD are deployed in NATO member states Belgium (AFB Kleine Brogel), Germany (AFB Büchel), Italy (AFB Aviano and AFB Ghedi Torre), UK (AFB Lakenheath) and Turkey (AFB Inçirlik). The use of double standards by the US is clearly illustrated in Turkey where US planes are today preparing to take off to bomb Iraq because of its possible production and possession of WMD. Magali Fontanel, a French inspector declared: "this situation is ludicrous. Of course we need inspectors to search for accurate information concerning WMD in Iraq. However it is unjust not to have the same transparency nor disarmament program when we talk about WMD in the democratic states. By use of such double standards the US and UK loses all credibility when it threatens Iraq with war and a change of regime. Will we now threaten the Netherlands with a massive bombing campaign? There is therefore no justification to go to war against Iraq".

Download Inspection Report (400k, .pdf)

Press Release 18/1/2003

Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels (formerly For Mother Earth) is a member of Friends of the Earth International