Don't be scared, be vigilant, says counterterror boss after raising Dutch threat level

According to the National Coordinator for Counter-terrorism and Security (NCTV) Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, people do not have to fear a possible attack now that the terrorist threat level has increased. “We can go anywhere,” he said in the talk show Op1, but citizens must be alert.

According to him, the reason for raising the threat level from 3 (significant) to 4 (substantial), the second highest level, is a summation. It is a combination of the war between Israel and Hamas, the Quran burnings in several countries, and calls for attacks by jihadist organizations. Aalbersberg said on Op1 that since October, Germany, Belgium, and France, among others, have had attacks “by loners or arrests that have prevented attacks with networks in the Netherlands.”

According to the NCTV, this does not mean that people will now see soldiers on the street. However, local authorities must, together with the police and the Public Prosecution Service (OM), determine for each event what additional measures need to be taken.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague are doing just that.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb stressed that the NCTV report had no specific information for Rotterdam. The increase in the threat level is still in line with the visible and invisible measures Rotterdam previously implemented and the extra alertness since October 7. “We are and remain alert,” Aboutaleb’s spokesperson said.

The same applies to Amsterdam and The Hauge. “We understand that this may raise concerns and questions,” said a spokesperson for Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema. She said the mayor, police, and OM remain alert as always and are constantly assessing where and how any additional measures are necessary. That includes the threat outlined in the Netherlands Terrorism Threat Assessment. A spokesperson for The Hague mayor Jan van Zanen said the same.