info about military transports in Netherlands
wereldcrisis - 21.02.2003 11:37
Action targets against American military transports in the Netherlands
Translated from  http://www.wereldcrisis.nl/mod.php?mod=userpage&menu=48&page_id=48
Action targets against American military transports in the Netherlands
Wednesday, February 19th, 2003
Translated from http://www.wereldcrisis.nl/mod.php?mod=userpage&menu=48&page_id=48
Last weekend, while tens of thousands marched against the war in the streets of Amsterdam, the Dutch government secretly gave the green light for American military transports through the country. The transports bring military equipment from other European countries to Rotterdam, where it will be shipped to the Gulf. Transports occur by train, ship, and airplanes.
Trains
There are a number of tracks that go into the Netherlands from Germany: At Nieuweschans, Enschede, Babberik (Zevenaar), Groesbeek, Venlo and Bocholtz. It is at this moment only clear that trains ride from Venlo to Rotterdam. In the first week (the weeks starting February 17th) about 25 transports are expected. In any case, the transports should occur over a number of weeks, according to the ministry of Defense.
Ports
The port in Rotterdam will in any case be used for transport by ship to the Gulf region. The transfer of the military equipment from the trains should happen at the Firma Steinweg Handelsveem, Professor Gerbrandyweg 17 the the Botlek (Rozenburg). In the Eemshaven (a harbor), an American military ship was already spotted weeks ago, but it is not clear exactly what the ship came for. It is, however, clear that the Ministry of Defense had talks with the local authorities in Eemsmond. A part of the Eemshaven is kept free, ships have not been spotted there yet. The Vlissingen harbor was used for transporting the Dutch Patriots to Turkey. It is not known whether this port has yet been used for American military transports.
A group tries to watch the ports and find out what ships could possibly be used for the military transports.
Airports
The airports Schiphol and Eindhoven were selected for military air transports. Schiphol seems already for a while to have been used for the transport of tents to Saudi Arabia (possibly for refugee camps). Director of the Eindhoven Airport, B. de Boer, says in the newspaper of Eindhoven that the Americans requested, if need be, to use the airport for stopover landings.
On Tuesday February 18th the report came that American troops were flown to the Gulf via the Schiphol airport. About 12:20 an airplane from Northwest Airlines landed with 300 American soldiers. It later took off for the Middle East. The Schiphol and the Marechaussee (military police) would not tell exactly where it was going.
River transports
The ANP reported Tuesday 18th that the American army also transports military equipment via the Rhine and Waal rivers. Monday 17th a containership and a roll-on-roll-off ship coming from Germany and with Rotterdam as destination were seen pass with very heavy loads. Rijkwaterstaat expects even more transports in the coming weeks. Dutch and German ships take care of the transporting. The Korps Landelijke Politiedienst is aware of the transportation scheme. Furthermore has the Westerschelde at least once been used for a military transport from Antwerp.
Security
A thorough manual for security and other rules to be applied for military transports exists on the MTMC website http://www.mtmc.army.mil/frontDoor/0,1383,OID=28--446-447--447,00.html; for train transport: http://www.mtmc.army.mil/CONTENT/1491/mftrp10.pdf)
MTMC
All american transport of military equipment is coordinated by the Military Traffic Management Command. The European Headquarters is in Capelle aan den Ijssel (Lylantse Plein 1)
NATO depots
There are still a number of functional NATO materiél depots in the Netherlands:
Vriezenveen (near Almelo) and Eijgelshoven (near Heerlen). At the Vriezenveen depot higher than normal activity has been spotted. Rumors were also circulating about Coevorden, where a NATO depot for a while has been officially out of use.
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