BVD focuses on forces against integration
Some countries try to get a hold on ethnic minorities in the Netherlands or to control their political activities viamosques, political organisations, or intelligence services. In doing so, intentionally or not, they arouse politicalrivalries, thereby hindering the integration of ethnic minorities into Dutch society.
This view is expressed in the Annual Report for 2000 of the Internal Security Service (BVD), which Klaas de Vries, Minister for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, presented to the House of Representatives today. The "forces against integration" are an important concern for the Internal Security Service. Among them, the BVD includes indigenous Dutch extreme right-wing groups as well as anti-Western political and religious organisations.
Terrorism
The Annual Report says that the fight against terrorism is high on the international political agenda. Although the BVD sees no signs that the Netherlands will be a target of terrorist attacks in the near future, it urges alertness, because members of international terrorist networks are active in the Netherlands. In 2000, for instance, three members of the GSPC, a violent Algerian Islamic group, were arrested on suspicion of planning to disrupt the EURO 2000 football championship. The BVD's contribution to fighting terrorism is explained in the publication Terrorisme aan het begin van de 21e eeuw ("Terrorism at the beginning of the 21st Century"), presented with the Annual Report to the House of Representatives.
Violent activism
The BVD makes a distinction between terrorists and violent activists. The former aim to maim and kill; the latter aim principally to damage property. A common example of violent activism in the Netherlands is the animal rights movement. Violence has also been committed by Moluccan activists, although the BVD points out that Maluku Warchild, which claimed responsibility for several attacks, in fact consists of only one person.
Proliferation
The BVD notes that Iraq, Iran, Syria and North Korea, as well as India and Pakistan, all want to produce weapons of mass destruction. They are striving to develop or expand their capacity for producing ballistic missiles and nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. The BVD conducts investigations and provides information aimed at stopping Dutch businesses from getting involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Vulnerable ICT
Society is becoming more and more dependent on information and communications technology (ICT). But ICT is also vulnerable, as the spread of viruses shows. The BVD is mindful that vital infrastructure may be disrupted and sensitive data files penetrated more often. Another possible danger is the large-scale unauthorised eavesdropping of telecommunications, with which the BVD is closely concerned. The BVD is helping set up a public-private partnership to certify security products in line with international standards.