Terrorist attacks foiled in Amsterdam

Terrorist attacks foiled in Amsterdam

www.dutchnews.nl

Six men and one woman have been arrested on suspicion of preparing to carry out terrorist attacks on shops in Amsterdam Zuidoost on Thursday.

At a press conference on Thursdy evening Bernard Welten, Amsterdam's police chief said that the arrests have reduced the threat of attacks but a risk remains.

(visit the link for the full news article)

It really surprises me that the police evacuated a few stores but not the offices above them or the general area (streets). Also they waited 12 hours after evacuating the stores, before releasing the information that there is a terrorist threat. Maybe it was not to cause any panic.

Another weird thing is that we have a National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (english.nctb.nl...) that remains totally silent in all this. Though it's his job to coordinate and communicate. Or raise a threat level. But nothing from him.

www.dutchnews.nl
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 12/3/2009 by FreezeM]

All of those detained by the police are Dutch with a Moroccan background and are aged between 19 and 64 years old.

Although some of them have a police record for violence none has a previous conviction for terrorism, the police commissioner said. He added that further arrests cannot be ruled out.

Police are still searching four addresses in Amsterdam in connection with the investigation.

Damn.... this stuff is happening too much.

I have a friend who lives a few minutes from the city, it worries me that something could happen even in Holland.


Edit: Ijust read it was Morrocans. The very same people who he told me cause a lot of trouble in Amsterdam at least. I'm not being racist here, just relaying something he said.

[edit on 12-3-2009 by mr-lizard]

reply to post by mr-lizard
Someone needs to recolonise Morocco and civilise its people. I was in Amsterdam, midnight wandering off the ferry back of the Central Station and to the camp site. Moroccan type guy tries to kick my legs so I slip, I think leg it and I ran away. Another day, me and friend walking around Dam, bunch of them, may have been like Kurdish/may have been North African pulled knife to my mates neck and he only asked for directions! The Dutch need to sort out this non friendly element to their tourist industry.

It is sad that this happened.

I wonder how this will fold out in the newspapers tomorrow...

Edited entire post since what I think is already said...

[edit on 12-3-2009 by Grey Magic]

Mods please delete this post since it has become obsolete...

[edit on 12-3-2009 by Grey Magic]

Is this discussion about the Moroccans in Holland or about the attack?
I suppose it's about the attack, so that is what i'm gonna talk about.

One thing that struck me, is that the police wanted to make clear that one of the suspects is family from one of the Madrid bombers. What do you guys make of this?

Quickly investigating how the governments acts, to me, it looks like it is something to scare the people now the focuss on terrorism threatens to weaken due to the economic crisis. They worked very sloppy on this one.

Like Freeze pointed out, they didn't evacuate the offices above the threatened area and people didn't now what was going on until 12 hours after the lockdown. Further, there were already people who were in the stores (personnel, not customers), while the police got warned during the night. Why did they gave those people time to be in the store anyway, just to pull them out after a while.
The warning came from an anonymous guy who called with a prepaid cellphone from Belgium. What's up with that? Did one of the planners regret his decision to plan this attack?

Give me your opionio on these points

Maybe the reason why the cops did a half-ass job was because they knew nothing was going down. Instead, they just put in place some loose precautionary measures to make the story appear juicier to the rabid media. It has gotten to the point where you have to question every story which splatters onto the headlines.

"Oh no! Not the RED-LIGHT Districts!!!! Dammit! Now they've gone TOO FAR!"

Wonder how many guys are thinking that tonight?

reply to post by sos37


You read my mind

Originally posted by sos37
"Oh no! Not the RED-LIGHT Districts!!!! Dammit! Now they've gone TOO FAR!"

Wonder how many guys are thinking that tonight?

What red light disctrict?

With Mayor Job Cohen's proposed resolution to get Amsterdam to clean up its act, the city will be ridding itself of the bulk of its infamous Red Light District in 2008, planning to reduce the racy district to only a few streets.

Party's over in Amsterdam

Back to topic.....
Today the news is that the stores will open again and nothing was found that proves any planned attack.

The Ikea store and other shops in Amsterdam-Zuidoost are to be allowed to open on Friday morning after the arrest of seven people on suspicion of preparing to carry out terrorist attacks in the area yesterday.

Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen told the media there is no longer a serious threat to safety. No explosives were found during police searches at the homes of those arrested who are expected to appear in court today.

Dutchnews.nl

This all reminds me of the 'tunnel scare' in 2001 where the police set up check points and even placed small tanks at tunnels. All based on a anonymous letter stating there would be an attack. Nothing happened. My conclusion back then was that it had been an exercise. Maybe one that even the police where not aware of. But I can see the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) sent such a letter to 'test' the responce.

This time everything is based on one phonecall from Belgium. In that call a lot of details where given. Including the names and addresses of the suspected 'terrorists'. The media speculated yesterday that someone involded in the planning of the attacks got remorseful and warned the authorities. But what if it turns out that there was no real threat at all? What motive does someone have then?

The motive could be some personal attack on the people that where arrested, similair to the Zestienhoven incident. Where someone called the police and said there was a attack planned on a plane that was about to take of. Turns out there was no threath other then that the woman he was in love with was on the plane, ready to go on holiday with another man! He just wanted to stop his loved one from leaving. Strange enough it worked. He was convicted but is together with that woman.

I doubt we'll ever know for sure. But as it appears now, with the information that has been made public, I'd say it's exercise/test.

[edit on 13/3/2009 by FreezeM]

Here're some more related news articles in English.

news.bbc.co.uk...
www.washingtonpost.com...
edition.cnn.com...

They haven't been updated with the latest news. Might happen later.

reply to post by FreezeM


The reason why those offices weren't evacuated was because the bombthread was directed specificly at those shops. No bombs were present in the shops themself. As far as I understand the terrorist wanted to smuggle the bombs in during the day and then set them off.

By sealing off those shops, it would be impossible for a terrorist to carry out the attack (at least on those shops).

But what surprised me was the time of the arrests, midday to evening. Why did the police wait so long to arrest them? Maybe they had the suspects under survaillance?

The NcTB is stuck in a tough place. The Dutch intelligence services have been known to be erm quite rivalery to eachother. MIVD refuses to share info with the AIVD, CID etc and vice versa. The NcTB is kinda stuck in between them.

hi,

and now they say the "caller" was on the phone for ten minutes gave names for suspects AND knew details from madrid.

now when you hear this, knowing that al the suspect wear cleared BUT the caller.. i would immediatly say CIA drill but why??(so the caller stays in the clear and can call again??)

for you who don;t know the Ajax stadium is in between the thread (45.000 people fit) and they are in the news for they have a jewish past. aiming on the supporters..coincidence?

now the threat was to make as much casualties as possible . could this be a drill just to see how fast response would be? maby to measure the panic,
for the people... to put it in a 45.000 people scale?

it just doesn;t feel right, specially because i live only 10 miles from it.

this was my first post...hope it is oke..

also looking for people in holland we need to united here aswell and fast!!

opinions please./

take care..

Originally posted by Speedjuh
Is this discussion about the Moroccans in Holland or about the attack?
I suppose it's about the attack, so that is what i'm gonna talk about.

One thing that struck me, is that the police wanted to make clear that one of the suspects is family from one of the Madrid bombers. What do you guys make of this?

Quickly investigating how the governments acts, to me, it looks like it is something to scare the people now the focuss on terrorism threatens to weaken due to the economic crisis. They worked very sloppy on this one.

Like Freeze pointed out, they didn't evacuate the offices above the threatened area and people didn't now what was going on until 12 hours after the lockdown. Further, there were already people who were in the stores (personnel, not customers), while the police got warned during the night. Why did they gave those people time to be in the store anyway, just to pull them out after a while.
The warning came from an anonymous guy who called with a prepaid cellphone from Belgium. What's up with that? Did one of the planners regret his decision to plan this attack?

Give me your opionio on these points

dont know if i did this right but....

The warning came from an anonymous guy who called with a prepaid cellphone from Belgium. What's up with that? Did one of the planners regret his decision to plan this attack?

Give me your opionio on these points

the call came from a women??? just now?? i posted something obve also..( learning sorry) but as usual lots off questions with no or "gray"answers..

i say... this is not the end of it.doesn;t feel right....but thats just me.

a view days later there was a drill in a train on fire in a tunnel... and the extra comment was.... the were fires on more than one place in the train.... it just stood out....who knows in the future.