Annual Report 2004
In 2004 the Netherlands was hit by a terrorist attack: the murder of film-director Theo van Gogh. The possibility of an attack had been anticipated for some time, in view of the threat emanating from radical Islamist terrorism. The fact that an attack indeed took place has underlined the vulnerability of our society.
In order to reduce this vulnerability it is necessary to prevent radicalisation among Muslim communities and to identify and frustrate violent activities at an early stage. This is a task for each body responsible for security in this country. The AIVD, as an intelligence and security service, plays a special role in this respect. Its focus on radicalisation and terrorism was given the highest priority in 2004. This annual report gives and overview of the service’s efforts in this sphere and in its other areas of work. Operational details have not been included in the report. This information is provided to the parliamentary Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services.
In 2004 the performance of the AIVD was examined by the Administrative Evaluation Committee for the AIVD, which I set up for this purpose. The committee brought out its report in November, on the basis of which a number of improvements will be undertaken relating to, for example, control, information management and the service’s co-operation with other government services.
All in all, this means that the AIVD is faced with an extremely important challenge in the coming period: it has to combine the continuation of its important work - especially in the area of terrorism - with the implementation of changes and the realisation of a substantial growth.
I wish the service, which will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary this year, every success!
J.W. Remkes
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations