Bad News from the Netherlands

Report: Failure of Police in Deadly Beach Riots

2009-12-10T12:11:00.001+02:00

The Institute of Safety and Crisis Management (COT) concludes in a new report that the preparations by the police and other various services for the Sunset Groove dance festival on the Hoek van Holland beach on 22 August were a failure. Intelligence information that the hard core of hooligans of the Rotterdam soccer team Feyenoord would disturb the festivities was ignored. As a result the police could only save itself by targeted shooting, killing one person and wounding six. Rotterdam Police Chief Aad Meijboom blamed the hooligans. Neither he nor Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb see a reason to resign.
www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2433652.ece/Rapport_politie_faalde_volledig_bij_strandrellen?service=Print

Amsterdam Public Transportation: Cross Not Allowed, Muslim Head Scarf Permitted

2009-12-09T11:39:00.001+02:00

Since the beginning of this year, the Amsterdam Public Transportation Company (GVB) has twice suspended a conductor because he was wearing a chain with a cross over his uniform. The company, however, does allow Muslim head scarves. The conductor has now taken his case to court.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5527188/__GVB_verbiedt_dragen_kruisje__.html

CTIVD: Minister Not Entitled to Authorize Taping of Journalist

2009-12-08T12:30:00.002+02:00

The Commission of Supervision of the Intelligence and Security Services (CTIVD) has concluded that Minister of the Interior Guusje ter Horst (Labor) wrongly authorized the AIVD intelligence service to tape the telephone conversations of Jolande van der Graaf and Joost de Haas of the Telegraaf. Two courts had already decided that Ter Horst had acted wrongly.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5493717/__Ter_Horst_ging_in_de_fout__.html?p=26,1

Many Collaborators Killed Without Process by Dutch After War

2009-12-07T12:33:00.001+02:00

The one hundred fifty thousand supporters of the Nazi Germans who were held in Dutch camps after the end of the Second World War, were underfed and maltreated by the Dutch authorities. This is the claim of historian and journalist Koos Groen in a new book. He claims that he has had access to secret files of the National Archives and the Ministry of Justice. He also claims that in 1944 in Limburg, a hundred collaborators were intentionally chased into a minefield where they all died. According to Groen, more than 1,000 people died in Dutch internment camps due to poor hygienic conditions and lack of medical care and food. These included old people people, children and babies. Women were systematically degraded and sexually intimidated.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5509747/___Mensenrechten_na_WO_II_opzij___.html

Seven Incidents of Violence in Three Days in Rotterdam

2009-12-06T11:52:00.001+02:00

An employee of a Rotterdam Metro station was attacked Sunday night. The perpetrator has not yet been apprehended. This was the seventh incident of violence in Rotterdam in three days. The RET company, which operates the Metro, says that the number of violent incidents in public transport is declining, but their nature has become more serious. The town has made available 34 million guilders annually to counter violence in public transport.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1324348.ece/Toezichthouder_Rotterdamse_metro_mishandeld

Liberals Criticize Propaganda for Polygamy in Elementary School Paper

2009-12-03T11:32:00.001+02:00

Parliamentarian Paul de Krom thinks that the school paper Samsam is promoting polygamy. This paper is distributed at many elementary schools. In a recent issue about Morocco a twelve year old explains why it’s good for a man to have two wives. De Krom says that it should have been pointed out that this practice is not approved of in the Netherlands.
www.spitsnieuws.nl/archives/binnenland/2009/11/propaganda_voor_polygamie_in_s.html

New Book: Did Father of Queen Support Coup d’Etat in Indonesia?

2009-12-02T10:06:00.001+02:00

A new book by the historian Harry Veenendaal and the journalist Jort Kelder claims that in 1950 Prince Bernhard, father of the current Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, was involved in the preparation of a coup d’etat in Indonesia. This is based on the diaries of the secretary of the court Gerrie van Maasdijk and reports of the military police which investigated rumors about a coup d’etat. The historian Cees Fasseur, who has published extensively about the royal family, claims that there is no proof of this.
www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2427015.ece/Coup_van_Bernhard_De_lezer_mag_kiezen

Increase in Thefts in Schools

2009-12-01T12:19:00.001+02:00

During the school year 2008-2009, the number of thefts in high schools increased by 21%, as compared to 2007-2008. In particular, electronic equipment is stolen. Other favorite items are money, clothing and scooters. These are the findings of the Iris Registration of Incidents by the DSP group.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2925058.ece/Diefstal_op_scholen_neemt_toe.html

Minister of Interior: Police Salary Supplements Problematic

2009-11-30T09:57:00.001+02:00

Minister of the Interior Guusje ter Horst (Labor) has officially declared that she is “unpleasantly surprised” about the supplementary payments to the heads of the Dutch police. It was recently published that the top commanders of the police sometimes receive very high supplements for housing and for on call 24 hours a day. She has now starting discussions with the police supervisors on this matter.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5449121/__Ter_Horst_niet_blij_met_nota_s__.html

Labor Parliamentarian: We Should be Pessimistic about our Party

2009-11-29T12:13:00.001+02:00

Labor Parliamentarian Paul Tang has sketched a highly negative picture of his party on the website of the left wing think tank Waterland. He wrote that the party has been turned into an amalgamation of women, non-Western immigrants and university educated people. He added that it is not difficult to be pessimistic about the future of the party. Earlier his colleague Diederik Samsom called the situation of the party deplorable, in an e-mail which later became public.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5428482/___Pessimisme_over_toekomst_PvdA___.html?p=2,1

Liberals: Minister of Environment has Double Standards

2009-11-26T11:16:00.001+02:00

Parliamentarian Helma Neppérus (VVD) says that Minister of Environment Cramer (Labor) has double standards. In the past she allowed her name to be included in an advertisement which supported somebody who had stolen documents about nuclear energy plants. Now she has condemned as criminals people who hacked information on manipulations of data on global warming.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5416882/___Cramer_meet_met_twee_maten___.html

More Than a Thousand People Living in Polygamy

2009-11-25T11:12:00.001+02:00

In the Netherlands there are at least 1,374 men or women who are married to more than one partner. This was announced by Minister of Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin (Christian Democrats) in answer to questions by parliamentarian Paul de Krom (Liberals). Polygamy is forbidden in the Netherlands, but polygamous marriages performed abroad are recognized.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1317921.ece/Nederland_telt_1374_polygame_huwelijken

Most Dangerous Psychopaths Can Order Prostitutes

2009-11-24T12:07:00.001+02:00

The Pompe Foundation which deals with the most dangerous psychopaths, usually murderers who are condemned to remain in psychiatric wards for their whole life, provides them with prostitutes. This is not allowed by the ministry of justice. A new documentary movie “Longstay” deals with this issue, as well as those of psychopaths involved in drug abuse and watching porno films.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5372265/__Tbs-kliniek_regelt_seks_op_bestelling__.html?p=1,1

Amsterdam Wants to Create Panel of Prostitute Clients

2009-11-23T12:11:00.001+02:00

Job Cohen, the mayor of Amsterdam, says that clients of prostitutes are so far an unorganized group. Therefore an independent research bureau has been charged by the municipality to create a panel. These people should inform the municipality about women or minors who have been forced into prostitution. If the initiative is successful the municipality will also establish panels of prostitutes and residents of prostitute neighborhoods.

www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5378822/__Petitie_agenten__schijnveiligheid___.html

Police Petition: No Security in the Netherlands

2009-11-22T12:35:00.001+02:00

The Committee of Concerned Policemen will present a petition to Minister of the Interior Guusje ter Horst (Labor) asking to guarantee the safety of the Dutch population. The petition states that “we think that citizens have the right to be informed that the safety they think they enjoy is now only an illusion.” The policemen say that the possibility of guaranteeing an acceptable level of safety is decreasing continuously. They asked the minister to stop the cost reduction program.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1319018.ece/Amsterdam_richt_panel_van_hoerenlopers_op

Dutch Website Offers Guidance for Suicide

2009-11-19T13:02:00.001+02:00

The Dutch Organization for a Voluntary End of Life (NVVE) has launched a new website which shows how one can end his life by using certain medications. According to the organization this is one of the first sites worldwide which offers a number of methods to kill oneself. Assisting in suicide is punishable in the Netherlands. However, the organization says that the website only provides information. Anyone over the age of 16 can, with a small payment, access the site.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1315137.ece/Website_biedt_tips_voor_zelfdoding

Utrecht: Half of Major Young Criminals are Moroccans

2009-11-18T13:00:00.001+02:00

On behalf of the public prosecution department of the Ministry of Justice, two scholars Ido Weijers and Marjolein Kampijon have undertaken a study of major young criminals in Utrecht. They found that more than 75% of such criminals are involved in violent crimes including physical attacks, threats and insults and vandalism. About 27% of them are of Dutch origin and approximately half are of Moroccan origin.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5324131/__Autochtoon_ernstigste_veelpleger__.html

Quarter of Employees Consider Workplace Unhygienic

2009-11-17T12:17:00.002+02:00

More than 27% of employees think that the place where they work is unhygienic. One reason is that in times of economic problems, employers cut back on cleaning costs. The problems are greatest in the field of education where more than 45% of the employees consider their place of employment not to be clean.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5341578/_Personeel_vindt_werkplek_vies_.ht...

Royal Palace Has Poor Security

2009-11-16T12:54:00.002+02:00

The national coordinator for the fight against terrorism has admitted that security of the Noordeinde Royal Palace in The Hague is insufficient. More security measures will be taken. This was announced after journalist Alberto Stegeman showed on television how he and a colleague entered the palace with imitation dynamite with no problems. The investigation by the military police thereafter was poorly executed. The faction leaders of four parties in Parliament have demanded clarifications from the two ministers in charge.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2915769.ece/Procedures_beveiliging_Noordeinde_onderzocht.html

Arson at Mosque

2009-11-16T12:52:00.001+02:00

A Molotov cocktail was thrown into the Al Quibla mosque in Zoetermeer. Firemen managed to contain the fire and the damage. Half a year ago a similar kind of attack occurred at the same mosque. The perpetrators have not been found. Police will increase surveillance of the building.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2915098.ece/Brandstichting_moskee_Zoetermeer.html

Forty Percent of Neighborhood Policemen May Leave Force

2009-11-15T12:58:00.002+02:00

Nine out of ten neighborhood policemen say that they don’t have enough time to be in their neighborhoods due to other responsibilities. Four out of ten doubt whether they will want to remain with the force, or are already sure that they will leave. This was the result of a study by the Socialist Party among 10,000 policemen. Four out of five policemen think they are judged only by how many tickets they write. Almost 75% think that people do not appreciate the work of the police.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5310353/___Wijkagent_te_weinig_in_buurt___.html?p=3,1

Major Losses Cause Cancellation of Maastricht Campus Building

2009-11-12T13:44:00.002+02:00

Servatius, a construction company, has canceled the construction of the prestigious new student campus near Maastricht University. Losses are already 60 million Euro and expected to rise. The project had been designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1315016.ece/Bouw_campus_Maastricht_definitief_gestaakt

Dutch Soldiers in Afghanistan Want Rehabilitation

2009-11-12T13:42:00.001+02:00

In 2008 a group of Dutch soldiers serving in Afghanistan refused an assignment they considered having undue risks without adequate preparation. The officers complained to the military police and the soldiers were punished for not obeying orders. Two sergeants are now requesting rehabilitation. One of them said that the captain in charge at the time had shouted: “My grandmother is German, I’m a Prussian leader. For me an order is an order. (he used the German expression “Befehl ist Befehl”) I don’t give a damn who of you is killed.” The sergeant has now told the Telegraaf paper that the captain was a weirdo who saw his soldiers as “cannon fodder.”

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5265203/__Militairen_Uruzgan_willen_eerherstel__.html

Disaster Simulation Goes Out of Control

2009-11-11T12:59:00.001+02:00

A major simulation of a mass disaster in the Euroborg stadium in Groningen got out of control and had to be stopped. Fifteen hundred people participated in the exercise in which recovery services trained them on how to handle great numbers of people during a disaster. When the group of people who had been assigned to be hooligans started throwing stones, the exercise had to be disrupted.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/5292847/__Rampoefening_loopt_uit_de_hand__.html

Trade Union Leaders: Labor Party is Losing Right of Existence

2009-11-11T12:58:00.001+02:00

Twenty-eight leaders of the FNV Bondgenoten trade union, who are also members of the Labor Party, have called on the party’s parliamentarians to fight against raising the retirement age from 65 to 67. They warned that the party is alienating its natural supporters.
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1314609.ece/FNV-leden_PvdA_verliest_bestaansrecht