An independent oversight commission for the intelligence services has come to the conclusion that the military intelligence service MIVD played no role in the decision to attempt an evacuation by helicopter of two people near the Libyan city of Sirte.

The commission presented its findings to Defence Minister Hans Hillen, who sent the report to parliament on Thursday.

The captain of the HNLMS Tromp, at that time stationed off the Libyan coast, tried to obtain the latest intelligence from the MIVD, but his request went unnoticed as it was a Sunday and there were just a few people at the MIVD headquarters. 

When several hours later the MIVD finally reacted to the Tromp’s request for information the ministry of defence had already decided to launch the operation, which eventually was foiled when a group of about 30 armed men took the helicopter crew prisoners as soon as it landed near Sirte. 

The two would-be evacuees, a Dutch man and another European of unspecified nationality, were handed over to the Dutch embassy and left the country. The three Dutch soldiers were released after 12 days and have since returned to the Netherlands. 

(gsh)

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