Dutch spies back in business

Radio Netherlands ^ | January 23 2004 | Hans de Vreij

[knighthawk]

For a period of eight years, the Netherlands was one of the few industrialised countries without a foreign intelligence service. But now, the Dutch are back in business, with a brand-new Foreign Intelligence Directorate (DIB) almost fully operational within the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD). Surprisingly, the news has been largely ignored by mainstream Dutch media.

In 1992, the government of Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers decided to dismantle the ‘Foreign Intelligence Service' (IDB), after internal feuds and scandals had seriously undermined the service's credibility, both at home and abroad. In addition, there was talk of poor management and overlaps with military intelligence. By 1994, the dismantlement of the IDB was complete. Some tasks were taken over by the national security agency or the military intelligence service; but in essence, non-military intelligence gathering abroad ground to a halt.

Negative "There wasn't much interest from politics - and even a more or less negative attitude towards intelligence in government and in parliament - in those days," says Cees Wiebes of the University of Amsterdam, a leading expert in the field.

But that attitude changed in the wake of the 1995 massacre in the Bosnian Muslim enclave of Srebrenica, where Bosnian-Serb forces overran Dutch UN peacekeeping troops and subsequently executed an estimated 7000 Muslim troops and civilians. The massacre drove home to The Hague that not having a foreign intelligence service could have serious consequences on the ground.

- listen to the interview, 7´10

"I think the government realised quite soon that certain sources had dried up," Cees Wiebes explains. "Information from foreign intelligence services was no longer available, because we did not have a service of our own any more".

Awkward incident The absence of an organisation like the old IDB and most of its agents and networks abroad later produced a remarkable incident. In the late 1990's, the British Secret Intelligence Service SIS, better known by its old acronym MI6, tried to recruit entire "Dutch" networks in unspecified countries in Eastern Europe through former IDB staff. The Dutch government was not amused: in 2000, the MI6 representative in The Hague was reportedly requested to leave the country.

The tasks of the new Foreign Intelligence Directorate are assigned every year by the Dutch Prime Minister, but haven't changed since the establishment of the AIVD/DIB in 2002. The public version of the task assignment covers six areas, ranging from international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction to "tensions and conflicts in certain countries or regions" and developments in the countries of origin of immigrants to the Netherlands. A secret annex specifies the activities involved.

SIGINT The most recent task assignment, published earlier this month, does contain a new element. The six focal points for the AIVD/DIB have now also been assigned to the military intelligence service MIVD, on top of its regular tasks. The two services must now work closely together and share "relevant information".

The first joint operation already began last autumn with the establishment of the ‘National SIGINT Organisation' through which the two main branches of the Dutch intelligence community will intensify their signal intelligence activities.

According to the AIVD website, the new Foreign Intelligence Directorate is headed by Kees Klompenhouwer, a former Dutch ambassador to Belgrade. Public documents put DIB staff at its Leidschendam headquarters at 70 last year, but the number is expected to grow to a little over 100 in the near future. Obviously it does not include the agents or informants abroad which the service may or may not have.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[facedown]

Surprisingly, the news has been largely ignored by mainstream Dutch media.

I don't find it surprising. The lamestream media hates any effort at self defense.

I hope the agency is recruiting some middle eastern types.