A special task force of experts was established to help the city of Utrecht tackle religious radicalization and polarization in the community
Counterterrorism
Sep 19 '16 09:40
Dutch intelligence service AIVD wants to restrict encryption on chat services like WhatsApp and Telegram as much as possible, head of the service Rob Bertholee said in an interview with the Volkskrant. According to him, being able to read suspected person's communication is essential for "protecting the legal order".
Sep 9 '16 08:14
The Dutch government is investing more money to help poor families, the elderly and partners of the chronically ill. The government is also pushing extra money into Defense, according to leaked Budget Day documents RTL Nieuws managed to get hold of.
Jul 27 '16 09:08
Over the past months information officers from 30 European intelligence services came together in the Netherlands on a weekly basis to share information about terrorists, the Volkskrant reports based on conversations with people around the Dutch cabinet.
May 19 '16 08:00
Early this year the police re-screened all 58 thousand asylum seekers who arrived in the Netherlands in 2015. All names were again checked for possible "hits" in the police's terrorism database and no extra information emerged, according to a letter from the Ministry of Security and Justice
Apr 29 '16 13:55
Amsterdam still does not have a well-trained, well-equipped counterterrorism unit, despite the fact that the Dutch capital seems to be at greatest risk of an attack, Het Parool reports based on information from insiders.
Apr 6 '16 09:03
Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice is improving the organization of equipping and arming the police's counterterrorism unit and other specialist police teams. Where possible, he wants to accelerate the ordering and delivery of equipment to the Special Intervention Service, he wrote in a letter to the Tweede Kamer.
Apr 5 '16 08:31
Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice is again facing criticism from opposition parties in Parliament, this time over a never-realized cooperation task force between the Netherlands and Turkey aimed at addressing jihadists and foreign rebel fighters in the Syrian civil war
Apr 1 '16 08:53
Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice decided to cancel a working visit to Washington this weekend so that he can work on questions Parliament posed him regarding the terrorist attacks in Brussels last week. He also wants to focus on preparing for the debate on the issue set to take place next week.
Feb 23 '16 11:11
The Dutch judiciary is increasingly getting more capabilities to act against jihadists. A ruling by the Rotterdam District Court on Thursday means that now not only fighters can be punished, but also individuals or groups that support or facilitate terrorist organizations in any way, such as sending them money
Nov 13 '15 09:35
Security and Justice Minister Ard van der Steur is currently in the United States on a two-day work visit to discuss counterterrorism and cyber security. He will also attend the bi-annual ministerial meeting between the US and the European Union while there.
Sep 24 '15 18:24
Dutch security services remain concerned by elements of an ultra-conservative orthodoxical Salafist movement in the Netherlands, the AIVD announced Thursday. Despite this, the agency along with counter-terrorism office NCTV said it saw no evidence of ISIS operatives using refugee status to sneak into the Netherlands and wreak havoc.
Mar 4 '15 19:22
The Netherlands and Belgium are strengthening cooperation in the field of defense, counterterrorism, security, embassy relations and energy, the Dutch cabinet revealed in a press release Wednesday.
Jan 13 '15 14:16
A new threat issued by a group claiming affiliation with ISIS names Amsterdam amongst several potential high-profile targets. Titled “Lone Wolves”, the Arabic-language piece seems to promote the use of dirty bombs with the statement, “You will feel it when Cesium-131 spreads down the streets and train stations of Russia, Boston, Dallas, Virginia and Amsterdam.”
Jan 9 '15 18:26
Prime Minister Mark Rutte tried to allay fears that the Netherlands is not prepared to deal with domestic terrorism following a meeting of the Dutch Cabinet on Friday. “While we cannot guarantee that no attacks will take place, the police, security offices and the [National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism] have done everything reasonable to prevent this,” he said at a press conference.
Jan 7 '15 15:02
Following an attack on the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte quickly notified the public that his country will support France as it deals with the fallout from the attack. Two armed, masked gunmen with rapid-fire weaponry and a rocket launcher initiated an assault on the office Wednesday leaving 12 dead, including two police officers, and at least nine injured.
