Author: Joan Clements in Rotterdam
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: October 18, 2005
URL: http://telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/18/wneth18.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/10/18/ixworld.html
Seven suspected Muslim terrorists appeared
before a High Court judge in Rotterdam yesterday accused of plotting terrorist
acts.
The men, six of whom are of Moroccan origin,
were arrested on Friday in an operation to foil an alleged plot to attack
politicians.
Among those arrested during the sweep in three
cities was a 19-year-old Dutch-Moroccan, Samir Azzouz, who had been acquitted
of terrorist-related charges earlier this year.
Last night the police were said to have obtained
an eight-minute recorded farewell message in which Azzouz spoke of an "act"
he was about to commit.
Azzouz was accused in April of planning attacks
on Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, Rotterdam port and a nuclear reactor.
During Friday's operation police cordoned
off The Hague's government buildings and MPs were given special protection.
Officials said the suspects, aged from 18
to 30, were detained in The Hague, Amsterdam and Almere.
The raids were staged several weeks before
the first anniversary of the killing of Dutch film maker Theo Van Gogh by
an Islamic extremist.
Johan Remkes, the home affairs minister, said
the suspects had intended to attack the headquarters of the secret service
and target MPs Geert Wilders and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Muslim, is the author
of the book which inspired Theo Van Gogh's film about alleged abuse of Muslim
women. The film features an actress whose naked body is covered with extracts
from the Koran.
Van Gogh was murdered as he cycled through
Amsterdam on Nov 2 last year.
In a note skewered to his chest, Mohammed
Bouyeri, the 26-year-old killer who is serving a life sentence for the murder,
threatened a list of "infidels" would be slaughtered. The threat
drove Wilders and Hirsi Ali into hiding for several months. They now receive
around-the-clock police protection.
It is believed that the two politicians had
received new death threats recently.
Holland's hard line minister in charge of
state security, Rita Verdonk, introduced plans earlier this year to repatriate
several thousand immigrants.
The government has also introduced integration
laws requiring immigrants to take Dutch language and culture lessons. Imans
found guilty of promoting terrorism in mosques will be expelled.
One MP said yesterday: "We Dutch still
advocate freedom and tolerance but we will not have our country seen as a
soft touch by undesirables.
"Holland has a good standard of living,
our young people are highly educated and cultured.
"Immigrants wishing to settle here and
make a contribution are for the most part welcome but we will not be dragged
back into the brutal Middle Ages by terrorists."
