Antillean Criminals a Particular Problem

Antillean offenders often continue their criminal activities till about the age of 45 and are over-represented in crime statistics. In other ethnic groups, the peak of criminal behavior is between puberty and young adulthood. Many Antilleans come from one-parent families with women at the head. These are the results of a study on criminality age and ethnicity by the Scientific Research and Documentation Center (WODC) if the ministry of justice. The WODC suggested that more effort be made in helping older Antilleans to find work. At present the authorities are focusing on reducing unemployment among youth.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/7/MISDAAD/article/detail/273710/2009/12/30/Criminele-Antilliaan-is-zorgenkind.dhtml

Frequent Repeat Criminals More Violent and Younger

Frequent repeat criminals are increasingly violent and are younger, with the main age group today being 21. In the past it was 33. This results from research by Jessica van Mantgem of IPOL, the International Information and Research Service of the police force. Young Moroccans, who represent only a few percent of the Dutch population, are about 25% of the frequent repeat criminals. Turkish youngsters are also over-represented. The number of Turkish suspects in general crime is also increasing, whereas in this category the number of Moroccans is stable. There is a decline of people from Surinam and drug addicts among the frequent repeat criminals, and women are now hardly found among them at all.
www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Nederland/254503/Veel-Marokkanen-en-Turken-onder-criminele-veelplegers.htm?print=true

Liberal Party Chairman: Cabinet Invisible after Terrorist Act

Ivo Opstelten, chairman of the Liberal Party and Mayor of Tilburg, thinks it is strange that not a single member of the Cabinet has appeared in public to provide explanations after the terror attempt to blow up an airplane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. Opstelten said this when he appeared on the TV program Buitenhof. According to him, leaders must be visible in crisis situations, even if only little information is available. In this way, they create confidence among the population.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1331699.ece/Opstelten_Kabinet_onzichtbaar_na_aanslagpoging

Personnel Criticizes Poor Security at Amsterdam Airport

After the Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up a plane going from Amsterdam to Detroit, security personnel have strongly criticized the state of security at the Amsterdam airport. According to them, the increased control at the airport after the terror attempt consists of adding extra staff who have no knowledge of security procedures. The flights to the United States are checked by amateurs who have training fit only for securing a shop. Three-quarters of the employees have less than a year’s experience. Some former employees claim that among the personnel there were people who had sympathy for Muslim terrorists. One said: “Among my colleagues were friends of the condemned terrorist Samir A.”
Furthermore: “During the attacks on September 11, 2001, there was loud rejoicing among Muslim security workers.” Until now employees have remained silent on this subject because they have signed documents swearing them to secrecy.
www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Nederland/254367/Zware-kritiek-op-amateuristische-beveiliging-Schiphol.htm
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5663003/__Kritiek_op_knullige_controle__.html?p=1,1

Terrorist Slips Through Security at Schiphol

On Friday, 25 December, terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from Nigeria, attempted to blow up an airplane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. He and two others were wounded when he tried to set off an explosion. The Dutch National Coordinator in the Fight against Terrorism (NCTb) has announced that Abdulmutallab was in transit from Lagos at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and had gone through the security check before the flight according to the regular procedures of the airport.
www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2445969.ece/NCTb_Terrorismeverdachte_volgens_procedures_gecontroleerd

At Least 80 Civilians Killed Since Beginning of Dutch Mission in Afghanistan

The Dutch Ministry of Defense has announced that at least 80 Afghan civilians have been killed, and 120 wounded, since the Dutch mission in Afghanistan began. Most of the victims were in the Uruzgan province. The TV program RTL News claims that the numbers are actually 110 dead and 90 wounded. Most civil deaths were at the Battle of Chora in June 2007. The ministry says that 30-40 civilians were killed and about 70 wounded. The prosecution in Arnhem concluded that the military remained acted according the law of war and orders.
www.nrc.nl/nieuwsthema/uruzgan/article2444830.ece/Missie_Afghanistan_zeker_80_burgers_gedood

Socialist Party: Does The Netherlands Contribute to Tensions with Venezuela?

Parliament Harry van Bommel (Socialist Party) has asked Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen (Christian Democrats) if there are American spy flights over Venezuela which originate from the Dutch Antilles island Curacao. He claims that for several weeks already an American Boeing plane, which takes off from Curacao, has been flying over Venezuela. He added that The Netherlands must solve the tensions with Venezuela and in no way support threats to that country.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/224/BINNENLAND/article/detail/272817/2009/12/21/SP-wil-opheldering-over-spionagevluchten.dhtml

Muslim Organization: Possible Child Abuse in Mosques outside The Hague

Farid Azarkan, the chairman of the Association of Moroccan Dutchmen (SMN), says that his organization has been informed by some of its members that there is a possibility that children are being beaten by teachers in mosques outside The Hague as well. The Justice Department is to investigate 49 cases of child abuse during Qur’an lessons in mosques in The Hague. Azarkan added that the number of mosques outside The Hague where this is happening is limited. The SMN said that it is unacceptable that there is corporal punishment of children.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5587497/__Ook_elders_lijfstraffen__.html

Venezuelan President Accuses The Netherlands of Aggression

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused The Netherlands of preparing, together with the United States, aggression against Venezuela. Chavez says that the US is storing arms on the Dutch Antilles, Aruba and Curacao, with the permission of The Netherlands. He called on the European Union to prevent an arms conflict. Chavez made these accusations before a Leftist forum at the Climate Conference in Copenhagen.
www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5597990/__Chvez__Nederland_agressief__.html

The Hague: Investigation of Child Abuse during Qur’an Courses

The Municipal Health Service (GGD) in The Hague has asked the police and the public prosecution to investigate possible child abuse during Qur’an courses in some mosques in the city. In April the Municipal Council accepted a motion to investigate reports of children being beaten during these lessons. In its investigation, a department of the GGD has found 49 indications of such abuse, which shows a pattern. Half of the cases concerned courses given under the auspices of the El Islam Mosque.
www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Nederland/253411/GGD-wil-onderzoek-mishandeling-tijdens-Koranles.htm

Rights to Firemen Services No Longer Equal for All Citizens

Minister of the Interior Guusje ter Horst (Labor) wants to save money on by canceling the national time limits for firemen to reach the scene of a fire. This will now be set individually by each of the 25 zones in the country. Cees van Beek, chairman of the volunteer firemen’s trade union says that this means that from now on all Dutchmen will not the same rights regarding firemen’s services.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5572930/__Brandweer_langer_onderweg__.html?p=2,1

Public Accounts Committee: Minister of Defense Insufficiently Informed

A new report of the Public Accounts Committee finds that the information the minister of defense receives regarding the preparedness of army units continues to be unreliable. Five of the eight military commanders who were interviewed say that the monthly reports the minister receives give “insufficient insight as to their capability to carry out tasks adequately.” Already in 2006 the Public Accounts Committee had reached a similar conclusion. At the time the ministry promised improvement, which is now also found as insufficient.
www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2434655.ece/Rekenkamer_info_van_leger_schiet_tekort

Amsterdam Metro: Six Years Delay, 1.7 Billion Euro Overrun

The Commission of Inquiry of the Amsterdam Municipality into the Metro North-South line has concluded that the municipality should have decided against its construction 2002. There was a political desire to push this project ahead and the technical, organizational and financial risks were considered secondary to that. Amsterdam lacked the competence to assess the risks and the project organization lacked experience and authority, while the officials in charge were incompetent. The city management failed to consult experts, nor did they meet their commitments to assess the major nuisance to the population. The cost of the metro will now be 3.1 billion Euro as against 1.4 billion budgeted. The metro is expected to be in operation in 2017, six years later than originally planned.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1327429.ece/Aanleg_Noord-Zuidlijn_fout_besluit

Aggression against Bus Drivers Unstoppable

There is a long list of towns where bus drivers have initiated actions after suffering aggression, intimidation or robberies in their buses. Last Friday 300 bus drivers of the Veolia Company in Limburg started a spontaneous strike after a number of violent robberies. The trade unions have received hundreds of complaints over the last several months and think that the limits of tolerance have been crossed. Also, almost all the political parties want to find ways to stop the violence. So far, all this hasn’t helped very much.
www.limburger.nl/article/20091211/ANPNIEUWS01/912119984/1176

At Least 6,000 Homeless Minors in the Netherlands

Federatie Opvang says that there are at least 6,000 homeless minors in the Netherlands. This organization, which deals with outreach to the homeless, states that this number concerns only those youngsters which have registered with them. They think that this is only the tip of the iceberg. They add that the Ministry for Youth and Family Affairs is not making progress with plans for how to deal with this problem, and that the number of homeless youngsters is increasing.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5528096/__Opvang_luidt_noodklok_over_zwerfjongeren__.html?p=14,1

Report: Failure of Police in Deadly Beach Riots

The Institute of Safety and Crisis Management (COT) concludes in a new report that the preparations by the police and other various services for the Sunset Groove dance festival on the Hoek van Holland beach on 22 August were a failure. Intelligence information that the hard core of hooligans of the Rotterdam soccer team Feyenoord would disturb the festivities was ignored. As a result the police could only save itself by targeted shooting, killing one person and wounding six. Rotterdam Police Chief Aad Meijboom blamed the hooligans. Neither he nor Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb see a reason to resign.
www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2433652.ece/Rapport_politie_faalde_volledig_bij_strandrellen?service=Print

Amsterdam Public Transportation: Cross Not Allowed, Muslim Head Scarf Permitted

Since the beginning of this year, the Amsterdam Public Transportation Company (GVB) has twice suspended a conductor because he was wearing a chain with a cross over his uniform. The company, however, does allow Muslim head scarves. The conductor has now taken his case to court.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5527188/__GVB_verbiedt_dragen_kruisje__.html

CTIVD: Minister Not Entitled to Authorize Taping of Journalist

The Commission of Supervision of the Intelligence and Security Services (CTIVD) has concluded that Minister of the Interior Guusje ter Horst (Labor) wrongly authorized the AIVD intelligence service to tape the telephone conversations of Jolande van der Graaf and Joost de Haas of the Telegraaf. Two courts had already decided that Ter Horst had acted wrongly.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5493717/__Ter_Horst_ging_in_de_fout__.html?p=26,1

Many Collaborators Killed Without Process by Dutch After War

The one hundred fifty thousand supporters of the Nazi Germans who were held in Dutch camps after the end of the Second World War, were underfed and maltreated by the Dutch authorities. This is the claim of historian and journalist Koos Groen in a new book. He claims that he has had access to secret files of the National Archives and the Ministry of Justice. He also claims that in 1944 in Limburg, a hundred collaborators were intentionally chased into a minefield where they all died. According to Groen, more than 1,000 people died in Dutch internment camps due to poor hygienic conditions and lack of medical care and food. These included old people people, children and babies. Women were systematically degraded and sexually intimidated.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5509747/___Mensenrechten_na_WO_II_opzij___.html

Seven Incidents of Violence in Three Days in Rotterdam

An employee of a Rotterdam Metro station was attacked Sunday night. The perpetrator has not yet been apprehended. This was the seventh incident of violence in Rotterdam in three days. The RET company, which operates the Metro, says that the number of violent incidents in public transport is declining, but their nature has become more serious. The town has made available 34 million guilders annually to counter violence in public transport.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1324348.ece/Toezichthouder_Rotterdamse_metro_mishandeld

Liberals Criticize Propaganda for Polygamy in Elementary School Paper

Parliamentarian Paul de Krom thinks that the school paper Samsam is promoting polygamy. This paper is distributed at many elementary schools. In a recent issue about Morocco a twelve year old explains why it’s good for a man to have two wives. De Krom says that it should have been pointed out that this practice is not approved of in the Netherlands.
www.spitsnieuws.nl/archives/binnenland/2009/11/propaganda_voor_polygamie_in_s.html

New Book: Did Father of Queen Support Coup d’Etat in Indonesia?

A new book by the historian Harry Veenendaal and the journalist Jort Kelder claims that in 1950 Prince Bernhard, father of the current Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, was involved in the preparation of a coup d’etat in Indonesia. This is based on the diaries of the secretary of the court Gerrie van Maasdijk and reports of the military police which investigated rumors about a coup d’etat. The historian Cees Fasseur, who has published extensively about the royal family, claims that there is no proof of this.
www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2427015.ece/Coup_van_Bernhard_De_lezer_mag_kiezen

Increase in Thefts in Schools

During the school year 2008-2009, the number of thefts in high schools increased by 21%, as compared to 2007-2008. In particular, electronic equipment is stolen. Other favorite items are money, clothing and scooters. These are the findings of the Iris Registration of Incidents by the DSP group.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2925058.ece/Diefstal_op_scholen_neemt_toe.html