Annual Report 2005

The AIVD is also concerned about conspiratorial activities in the Netherlands. More countries are involved in such activities, which include espionage and active interference with migrant communities, Dutch politics and business. In addition, the AIVD reports that in 2005 ‘countries of concern’ continued their attempts to procure materials and expertise for the use of weapons of mass destruction, and that in doing so they sometimes co-operated with each other. Countries involved in such activities are, for example, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran.

This is the global impression provided by the AIVD’s Annual Report for 2005, which Minister Remkes, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, sent to Parliament on April 28th, 2006.

The most serious terrorist threat emanates from local autonomous jihadist networks. On 14 October 2005 seven young Muslims – most of whom grew up in the Netherlands – were arrested on suspicion of plotting attacks on politicians and on the AIVD office. With respect to the terrorist threat there has also been an increase in the role played by the Internet, not only in terms of radicalisation, but also in relation to the actual preparation for attacks. The AIVD has therefore considerably intensified its focus on the Internet.

As concerns the threat emanating from espionage, the AIVD reports that both the number of foreign intelligence activities and the scope of these activities have expanded in the past few years. Intelligence activities include efforts to thwart dissidents or opponents and to strengthen loyalty among migrant communities, but also large-scale hacking of computer systems used by government bodies and scientific institutions. The AIVD regards this as a considerable risk to national security. Raising awareness of the risks involved in espionage is an important first step towards greater resistance against these risks. Since the end of the Cold War this awareness has considerably faded.

Another still relevant and important subject is the prevention of procurement and proliferation of materials and expertise for weapons of mass destruction. The AIVD reports that in 2005 ‘countries of concern’ continued their clandestine attempts to procure expertise and goods that may be used for weapons of mass destruction. In doing so these countries sometimes co-operate with each other. Such countries are, for example, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran.

Here, too, the AIVD has attempted to increase awareness of the risks involved, by means of providing government bodies, organisations in the business sector and research institutions with relevant information. In a number of cases the AIVD submitted official reports to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and specific information to certain companies, which prevented that export licences were issued for technological products in the Netherlands.

Since the murder of Pim Fortuyn physical security has become a matter of continuous concern. The AIVD plays an important role in the national system for safety and security, as it investigates concrete threats and analyses potential threats. The AIVD provides the National Safety and Security Co-ordinator with threat reports and threat assessments. In 2005 about 400 of these reports and assessments were provided. They concerned threats posed to politicians, buildings, diplomatic persons and property, but also to events like Sail 2005 and to services such as public transport.