July 7, 2014
The head of the Hague-based International Centre for Counter-Terrorism has recommended that the Dutch security service provide more information to local authorities and civil servants, increasing transparency to build trust within families and with authorities. He discourages the use of “tough talk” from politicians and families for its potential to intensify matters. The recommendations come as mayors of eight Dutch cities and three Belgian cities meet with the Dutch counter-terrorism service to discuss how to deal with citizens returning from Syria.
Also in the news, the Mayor of the Hague, Jozias van Aartsen, announced that seven people from the city have been killed in Syria. 33 people have travelled to Syria from the city so far: of them six have returned, four have been arrested, three minors have been prevented from travel and three passports have been confiscated.
And the Volkskrant has updated coverage on the 15 year old girl from the Netherlands who was stopped in Germany last month on her way to Syria, reporting she was one of four or five minors from the country planning to make the trip together. She is currently being questioned – police spokesman Thomas Aling notes, “She is not in a cell and she is not a suspect. She is a witness and has been given a lawyer via the child protection council.”
