world. "It ranks third after the US and the UK in terms of fees earned by consultants, and the sector is still growing" (Faith wins 9). Holland's main areas of traditional expertise are hydraulic engineering, agriculture and transport. These skills, developed over centuries of land reclamation at home and trading around the world, have earned the Dutch a long standing respect and a demand for their expertise in areas such as the Middle East.Another key aspect to the Netherlands' international success is the country's position, which ensures that its economy is built on trade with other countries. "The country ranks among the world's top 10 exporters and is the fifth largest exporter in the EU" (Location is key 12). The countries around the Netherlands account for the vast majority of Dutch exports, namely her neighboring country, Germany. The Middle East, however, accounts for a good portion of the country's remaining exports. "In 1996 Dutch exports to Asia totaled just over $10,000 million. Of these, 21.3 percent ended up in the Middle East" (Location is key 12). A major interest to the Dutch economy is Iraq. It is a large country with a large population and a lot of oil. "Dutch companies are interested in Iraq, but only when the bans [UN sanctions] are lifted" (Location is key 12). Because of this keen interest in Iraq and the country's immense respect among international affairs, the Netherlands has teemed up with the UK and presented a proposal to the UN Security Council to replace the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) with a new weapons inspections body (IRAQ 17). The new body, called the UN Commission for Investigation, Inspection & Monitoring, would oblige Iraq to allow inspection teams immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to all areas, facilities, equipment, records and means of transportation (IRAQ 17). In exchange for this, the new plan would eliminate the $5,250 million limit on the amount of oil Iraq...
