Pols demand security budget cut investigation

Parliament wants the Court of Auditors to investigate what the eventual consequences are of the cuts to the secret service, AIVD. The D66 and CDA filed a motion for this, the ANP reports. Parliament pointed out that the budget, and multi-annual figures from the AIVD were amended several times, which does not make the results of this for the AIVD clear. Minister Ronald Plasterk defended the cuts to the AIVD earlier this week, shortly after promising the service €25 million extra from next year. This money would have to go towards "operational forces". He said that jihadists and returnees from war areas form a serious threat to this country. The money does not mean that Plasterk has changed his mind about the €34 million cuts planned for the AIVD, however. He also promises that the cuts are for efficiency measures, and they will not hamper the overall operational process for the security service. Last year, cuts to the AIVD was halved from €68 to €34 millin after several ex-AIVD employees blew the whistle on the cuts. A recent AIVD report detailed how the service is losing sight of escalating jihadism in The Netherlands. The report warns that the current threat of an attack from the jihadist movement is "bigger than ever."