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The dilemmas of defense play out in the Netherlands. Why not ask the leaders of the Muslim community there to formulate what they believe would be an adequate defense against the specter of terrorist attacks? That could be an extremely enlightening exercise. From AP, with thanks to Nicolei.
After the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, Dutch intelligence claimed to have uncovered a series of Islamic terrorist plots, prompting many people here to wonder: "Are we next?"The terror fears have spawned a raft of harsh security measures - from forcing citizens over 13 to carry identity cards, to authorizing police to stop and search people with no apparent cause - that challenge the image of the Netherlands as one of the world's most progressive nations.
Some people are already talking about a serious erosion of civil liberties.
"The government is playing a game of panic football, where they move from one expansion of the law to another in reaction to the latest development," said Jessica Silversmith, a spokeswoman for the National Anti-Discrimination Bureau, a nongovernment organization.
While there is no equivalent to the U.S. Patriot Act in Europe, most countries have taken anti-terrorism steps that curtail civil liberties: Britain has held foreign suspects without charge, while Germany began religious profiling of suspects in the days after Sept. 11.
In France, with its history of attacks from Algerian dissidents, special judges have wiretapping powers similar to those granted to prosecutors under new Dutch laws.
But the new power of the law enforcement agencies seem an odd fit here in the Netherlands - a country with a let-live attitude that was the first to tolerate marijuana use and to legalize euthanasia and gay marriage.
Among other measures implemented in reaction to the threat of terror in the Netherlands are relaxing rules on wiretapping and monitoring Internet traffic, and tripling the amount of time suspects can be held without charge from three days to ten.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, 40 Muslims have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related activity - only two have been convicted of any crime. The latest arrests came in July, but the detentions were only disclosed this month.
Many Muslims claim the anti-terror laws - and the willingness of authorities to enforce them - are part of a wider problem of xenophobia that has gripped the nation in recent years.
Said Bouddouft, chairman of a support group for North African immigrants, said the security laws are a "cause for concern," citing several instances where Muslims seemed to have been victims of racial profiling.
Here is Daniel Pipes with a good piece on profiling, and why it is counterproductive to search for terrorists among the Pennsylvania Amish.
Posted by Robert at September 23, 2004 6:24 AM
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Is it so hard for the governments of europe to grasp (whether Dutch, Swiss, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, or frigging Croatian), that if we stop letting these bacteria fester in our lands The Terrorist Threat To Us All Would Be Substancially if not Completely Reduced.
Stop letting the enemy in, and stop the enemy within, helping the enemy without.
Posted by: Rikki![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 23, 2004 7:11 AM
The Dutch people are still steeped in the memories of the Nazi occupation of their country, and it contributes to their strong sence of security. Thousands where placed in German concentration camps and many still have those infamous numbers tatooed on them. The older generation can still see the German troops marching down their streets and breaking into their homes to take food or supplies at will. Even today, older Dutch people that are still traumatized by the horrors that where committed by the Nazis`, still hide food under floors or in other secret places in their homes as a child holds onto his security blanket.
This small and progressive country of around 15 million has fought to not only protect itself from never letting what the nazis` did to them again, but it still struggles to protect itself from nature itself ( the Atlantic ocean) for much of the Netherlands is reclaimed land from the sea because so much of the Netherlands is below sea level and is held by a incredible series of dams and dykes.
The Dutch have a lot to protect and preserve. The loss of Civil liberties in a time of war has to be there for the overall protection of the people of that country and they have nothing to fear as long as they are not part of the problem. Like our patriot act, it is a needed and powerful tool to fight terrorism.
Posted by: Mackie at September 23, 2004 11:06 AM
Many Muslims claim the anti-terror laws - and the willingness of authorities to enforce them - are part of a wider problem of xenophobia that has gripped the nation in recent years.
Said Bouddouft, chairman of a support group for North African immigrants, said the security laws are a "cause for concern," citing several instances where Muslims seemed to have been victims of racial profiling.
I'm sure the people of the Netherlands are saying the same thing that most Americans are saying If you don't like it GET THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY!!!
This Bullsh-t of ALL this Freedom in Europe is a Lie if you have ever lived there you would KNOW they have never had the same Rights of the USA and the Pariot Act is just fine we have not started interment camps like we had to in WW2 so that DOG DON'T HUNT!
The People the People of the Neatherlands are asking their Goverment to do what they pay them to do KEEP THEIR HEADS ON THEIR SHOLDERS NOT IN A BOX!! DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE LIB PRESS THAT IS HOW WE FOUGHT ON THE WRONG SIDE IN BOSINA & KOSOVO!!
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and ALL who Fight with her give them Strength,Wisdom and Courage to stay the course to Defeat the Islamic Terrorist and ALL who Support them Open the Eyes of the World to their Threat and give them Courage to Fight them Amen
at September 23, 2004 1:32 PM
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