jihadist

Five persons recently officially regained their Dutch nationality, according to a decision published in the Staatscourant on Monday. These persons' Dutch nationality was previously revoked because they joined terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq, NOS reports.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice and Security could not confirm to NU.nl that the five persons involved are or were indeed jihadists. 

There is a very real concern in the Netherlands regarding potential terror attacks, particularly from ISIS recruits and jihadists, right-wing extremists, and radical activists, according to Dutch counter-terror office NCTV. Because of this, the terror threat level in the country remains high, with holding at 4 out of a maximum of 5 in the terrorism threat assessment published by the NCTV on Monday.

Dutch intelligence service AIVD warns of radical influences in education in its annual report for 2018. According to the service, "radical Islamic boosters" play an increasingly emphatic role in the education offer for young Muslims in the Netherlands. In the long term, this could undermine the democratic legal order, the AIVD said, NOS reports.

The prison library in Vught, which also serves the prison's terrorist department, contains several radical Islam books that glorify the armed jihad, suicide bombings and the humiliation of Jews and Christians, the Telegraaf reports based on a book list in its possession.

The book list was given to the newspaper by a prisoner. The fact that the books are available in the Vught prison is striking, as the deradicalization of detainees in the terrorist department is a spearhead for the prison. 

The Netherlands was well aware of human rights violations committed by Syrian rebel movement Jabhat al-Shamiya when the country started offering them logistical support, Nieuwsuur and Trouw report based on emails sent between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and human rights organization Amnesty International in the summer of 2016. Despite this knowledge, the Dutch government decided to send Jabhat al-Shamiya logistical supplies in 2017.

In 2015 a large number of jihadists were arrested and convicted in Europe for the execution or preparation of terrorist crimes. Many of them will be released from custody in 2023, and can then pose a threat again, according to think tank Globsec. The think tank did research on 197 convicted jihadists in 11 European countries, including the Netherlands, RTL Nieuws reports.

The El Tawheed mosque in Amsterdam-West provided shelter to Muslim extremists, some of whom later joined terrorist organization ISIS, the Telegraaf reports based on a photo. Police sources told the newspaper that the photo shows a director of the mosque with four extremists.

Around 175 Dutch children are currently in the former ISIS area in Syria and Iraq, according to the latest figures from general intelligence and security agency AIVD. That is much higher than the around 80 Dutch kids reported to be in the terrorist conflict area last year.

"We are busy collecting information every day. Our image is become increasingly complete and it is the completing of that image that leads to the number of 175", AIVD director Rob Bertholee said to broadcaster BNR. 

The question of whether or not to bring the children of Dutch rebel fighters in the Syrian civil war back to the Netherlands, has the government parties divided. Doing so was proposed by the D66 and ChristenUnie, but the VVD is vehemently against it. What fourth government party, the CDA, thinks about this, is not yet clear, NOS reports.

"Before you know it, the parents will come too", VVD parliamentarian Barbara Visser said on Twitter. "The VVD chooses for the safety and freedom of the children in the Netherlands!"

A third of all European foreign rebel fighters in the Syrian Civil War have now returned to their country of birth, according to American think tank Soufan Center. Around 50 jihadists returned to the Netherlands, RTL Nieuws reports.

According to Soufan Center, the returning fighters pose a great danger to the society return to. They don't have a great chance of leading a normal life and stay sensitive to calls from former combatants. 

Minister Stef Blok of Security and Justice revoked the Dutch nationality of four jihadists. According to him, the four jihadists joined a terrorist organization abroad, NOS reports. 

The four jihadists were also declared unwelcome foreigners, which means they can no longer legally return to the Netherlands or to other Schengen countries, according to the broadcaster. They jihadists lost their Dutch citizenship with immediate effect, though a court will review the decision at a later date.