More and More Violent Shooting Incidents in Netherlands

The number of shooting incidents in the Netherlands is increasing and they are becoming more violent. This was said by Willem Woelders of the Council of Police Commissioners to the RTL News. RTL News found that in the first 6 months of this year according to their own research, 36 people were killed within 166 shooting incidents. Woelders said that the increased use of weapons may be the result of the open borders in Europe and the availability of weapons through the internet.
www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1012/Binnenland/article/detail/2823631/2011/07/30/Meer-en-heftigere-schietincidenten.dhtml

New Deaths in Bacteria Infected Hospital

Two more people carrying the antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella bacteria have died in the Maasstad hospital in Rotterdam. The hospital is investigating what the role of the bacteria is in the deaths. There are also 8 new cases of carriers of this bacteria. The number of former patients who are potential carriers of the bacteria has increased by 143 since last week to 1,947. All of these people have received tests via mail. It cannot be excluded that the number of potentially infected people will increase.

www.mednet.nl/nieuws/id5297-opnieuw-twee-doden-in-maasstad-ziekenhuis.html

Amsterdam: Moroccan Youngsters Evolved into Criminal Group

Over the past two years, 59 members of a Moroccan youth group in the Amsterdam Diamond neighborhood have been arrested 263 times for theft, assault, robberies and threats. Together they received more than 27 years of jail time. This was stated by Amsterdam Mayor, Eberhard van der Laan while answering questions from the VVD Liberal Party. He explained that these youngsters caused mainly hindrance in the past but through the course of years, have turned into a criminal group.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10258888/__Handen_vol_aan_Diamantbuurt__.html?sn=binnenland,buitenland

Violence after Dutch-Belgium Soccer Game

A group of Belgium supporters caused riots during a soccer game of the Belgian club Brugge against Roda JC, in the Dutch town of Kerkrade. Thirty Belgian fans invaded the field during the game, which had to be stopped for some time. After the match, the rioters threw bottles, stones, parts of the pavement and traffic signs at the police. One policeman was wounded.
www.nieuws.nl/652469

Suriname Asks U.N. to Condemn The Netherlands

The Suriname government has recalled its temporary Chargé d’Affaires in the Netherlands. Foreign Minister Winston Lackin of the country has said that the Netherlands have committed a severe breach of diplomatic rules. The Dutch police searched his house which was rented from a man who appears on a list of drug criminals. The Minister said that although the diplomat had identified himself immediately, nevertheless, he was forced to lie down on a couch in the presence of his wife and children. Suriname has asked the U.N. to condemn the Netherlands. The Netherlands has in the meantime apologized both orally and in writing.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10249303/__Diplomaat_Suriname_terug__.html?sn=binnenland,buitenland

Aggression at Amsterdam Airport Increases

At the Amsterdam airport Schiphol, the number of passengers who lose their self control is increasing. This leads to more and more verbal or physical harassment of personnel. There are almost daily major cursing incidents and also sometimes beatings of personnel. The Dutch airline KLM has decided to remove the last names from their staff’s badges to avoid angry people harassing them in their private lives.
www.beveiligingnieuws.nl/nieuws/13261/KLM_schrapt_achternamen_vanwege_agressie.html

Rotterdam Hospital – Under Special Surveillance

The inspectorate for health has put the Rotterdam Maasstad Hospital under special surveillance. The inspectorate has no confidence that the management of the hospital is taking the necessary measures against the spread of the resistant Klebsiella bacteria. It says that experts in the hospital sometimes give contradictory instructions about the isolation of infected patients. An external supervisor will have to be appointed by the hospital to improve conditions. In the meantime, the leader of the Freedom Party, Geert Wilders has attacked the chairman of the board of the hospital because he is the highest earning board member of any hospital in the Netherlands.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10227441/__Maasstad_onder_toezicht__.html?p=13,1

Rotterdam Hospital – Twenty-Five Patients Who Died had Bacteria

In the Rotterdam Maasstad Hospital, 25 patients who died were infected with a multi-resistant bacteria. A commission headed by a professor from Leiden University is investigating to what extent the bacteria has contributed to their deaths. The number of people who have been infected by the bacteria in the hospital is now 70. The problem has existed since September 2010.
www.rijnmond.nl/Homepage/Nieuws?view=%2FNews%2FDefault%2F2011%2Fjuli%2FWeer%20doden%20in%20Maasstad%20Ziekenhuis

Former Justice Minister Criticizes Party Colleagues

Former Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, a Christian Democrat has criticized his party colleague, Minister of Integration Piet Hein Donner in an interview he gave. He said that Donner is not a minister of all Dutchmen, as he considers that a large part of the problems in the Netherlands are caused by foreign residents and in particular, Muslims. He also criticized his party leader Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen, who said that the Dutch concern about immigrants is justified. Hirsch Ballin said that he himself would like to become a minister again.
www.depers.nl/binnenland/583030/Donner-vindt-vreemde-probleem.html

Utrecht Mayor Attacks Police and Justice Ministry

The Mayor of Utrecht, Aleid Wolfsen has criticized the police and Justice Ministry officials. He said that they made major mistakes which led to the departure of a homosexual couple from a neighborhood in the town, after they were harassed there. Wolfsen said that it was due to his initiative that the official prosecution admitted his mistakes.
www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/377576

Broadcast Tower Collapses after Fire

The broadcast tower at Hoogersmilde collapsed after a fire there. It consisted of an 80 meter concrete construction and on top of it was a 200 meter steel tower. A second broadcast tower at IJsselstein, in another part of the country also burned on the same day. Radio and TV transmissions in parts of the Netherlands were disrupted. An area around the collapsed tower has been evacuated.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/2806604/2011/07/15/Problemen-met-uitzenden-na-instorten-zendmast.dhtml

Amsterdam University Hospital Inundated with Mice

The hospital of the Amsterdam Free University has become inundated with mice. In various departments of the hospital, mice have been seen. There are digging activities underway for the expansion of the university which leads the mice to search for shelter elsewhere. They mainly concentrate on the offices near the outpatients department.
www.spitsnieuws.nl/archives/binnenland/2011/07/muizen-teisteren-ziekenhuis

Rotterdam Hospital May Have Infected Almost 2,000 Patients

The Maasstad Hospital in Rotterdam may have infected more than 1,800 former patients with the multi-resistant Klebsiella bacteria. For 63 people, it has been confirmed that they carry the bacteria, but they are not all showing signs of illness. The General Director of the hospital, Paul Smits has said that the correct procedures have been applied to contain the epidemic but that in the execution, mistakes have been made. Another investigation is still underway as to the influence of the bacteria on the death of 21 patients who were infected with it.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10185407/__Mogelijk_1804_besmettingen__.html?sn=binnenland,buitenland

Stadium Roof Collapses, 1 Killed

The roof of the stadium of the soccer club Twente in Enschede collapsed during construction work. One person was killed, 14 people were injured - 10 of whom were hospitalized.

www.foxnews.com/world/2011/07/07/police-people-trapped-after-stadium-roof-collapse/

Organization of Islamic Conference Attacks Dutch Islamophobia

The Organization of Islamic Conference is the umbrella organization for 57 Muslim countries. It has expressed its criticism about the continuing attacks on Islam in the Netherlands. The organization also says that various Dutch politicians have made hateful and provocative remarks about Islam. OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has warned PVV Leader Geert Wilders in a separate declaration, that his “insulting remarks about Islam” can no longer be tolerated. Ihsanoglu said that if the Netherlands doesn’t stop the hate campaign by Wilders, this may affect its relations with the Muslim world.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10147488/__OIC_hekelt_Nederland__.html

Court President: Retiring Judge’s Criticisms Unacceptable

The President of the Amsterdam Court, Leendert Verheij said that it is unacceptable that retiring Judge Tom Schalken complained about “scandalous treatment” by the Amsterdam court. Schalken retired out of protest against how he was treated by his colleagues in the trial of Geert Wilders in which he was called up as a witness. Verheij said that Schalken should have realized that also after retirement, a judge should understand that he has obligations about his behavior.
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/07/02/president-hof-kritiek-schalken-onaanvaardbaar/

Trade Union: Dutch Transport Companies Exploit Polish Drivers

The Trade Union FNV Bondgenoten accused Dutch transport companies of najor exploitation of their Polish drivers. Trade Union Manager Edwin Atema said that while Dutch drivers are paid 13 Euro per hour, Polish drivers receive 3 Euro per hour for the same work. He said that Dutch trucks are registered with fictitious companies abroad in order to pay the workers low salaries.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/2461550/2011/07/04/FNV-Poolse-chauffeurs-worden-uitgebuit.dhtml

Dutch State Responsible for Death of Three Muslims in Srebrenica

Appeal Court judges in the Netherlands have ruled that the Dutch state was responsible for the death of three Muslim men after the fall of Srebrenica to Bosnian Serb troops. The court decided that the Dutch U.N. soldiers in the safe area knew that these three men were at great risk of death if they were forced to leave the compound. The Dutch government has always tried to put the responsibility on the United Nations. The court said that while the Dutch troops were initially operating under U.N. orders, after the fall of Srebrenica the Dutch government intervened and thus it could be held responsible for the death of the three men.
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/05/dutch-state-responsible-srebrenica-deaths/print

Wilders on Al-Qaeda’s Hit List

The National Coordinator for the Fight against Terrorism (NCTb) is investigating information about a hit list of extremists linked to Al-Qaeda. On the list appear the leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, Geert Wilders as well as the former Dutch Parliamentarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who now lives in the United States. On a Muslim internet forum, a call is made to kill “the pigs who have attacked Islam” with explosive materials by mail. The main people and businesses which appear on the list are Americans involved in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/07/04/wilders-op-dodenlijst-al-qaeda/

Amsterdam Judge Accuses Court in Wilders Trial and Retires

Justice Tom Schalken of the Amsterdam Tribunal has voluntarily retired. He stated that the court in the Wilders trial had treated him in a “scandalous way.” He added: “I have been sacrificed to the hunger of public opinion. I became the scapegoat for Wilders and his lawyers.” Schalken said furthermore, that the judges sitting in the court “kneeled before the media.” Schalken had been accused during the trial of having tried to influence a witness, the Arabist Hans Jansen, during an informal dinner with mutual friends. He said that he was heard for five hours during the trial by the court, while the national detective service already had concluded that there was no attempt to influence Jansen.
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/07/02/raadsheer-schalken-neemt-ontslag-na-schandalige-behandeling-tijdens-zaak-wilders/

Mosques Refuse to Cooperate with Study on Child Abuse

The Verwey-Jonker Institute was asked this year to undertake a study on teaching in mosques. The reason for this assignment was suspicion about the use of violence during courses for children. Mosques in Tilburg and Amsterdam refused to cooperate and could not be forced. The institute returned the assignment. A new study on child abuse outside school and home has been assigned to the municipal health care, GGD. However, the GGD in Amsterdam and Tilburg refuse to undertake the study.
www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1041/Amsterdam/article/detail/2459727/2011/06/29/Weigermoskeeen-blijven-buiten-schot.dhtml