The Dutch navy was involved in the international effort to stop a potential weapons delivery to Syria, according to caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri Rosenthal.
The British Minister of Foreign Affairs William Hague says the ship in question, the MV Alaed, is on its way back to Russia. There are indications that the ship is loaded with weapons, including attack helicopters. It does not appear that the MV Alaed sailed into Dutch waters but Minister Rosenthal says the Netherlands played its role in the EU weapons embargo against the Syrian regime.
The MV Alaed is registered on Curaçao, one of the countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Via authorities on Curaçao, an attempt was made to inspect the ship. The crew did not submit to the request for inspection and the MV Alaed subsequently disappeared from radar, after the signaling system was turned off. “This led the insurance company to revoke the ship’s coverage,” according to Rosenthal.
There is no international weapons embargo against the Syrian regime, which means Russia is allowed to sell weapons to Syria. But the EU has implemented a weapons embargo, which prohibits insurance companies from providing coverage for ships carrying weapons to Syria. Uninsured ships are not allowed to enter most ports, which means they must either continue sailing in international waters or return to the port from which they departed.
Since the uprising began in Syria, in the first months of 2011, the United Nations estimates that at least 10,000 people have been killed. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government says it is fighting against terrorists and foreign elements, who are conspiring to undermine the legitimate government of the Syrian people. But the opposition and members of the international community have accused the regime of committing atrocities against civilians.
