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Netherlands calls for greater int'l cooperation fighting terrorism

Xinhua, January 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Netherlands called on Monday for greater international cooperation in multitrack approach to fight against the threat of terrorism at a meeting of delegates and global counter terrorism officials from more than 50 countries.

To prevent terrorist attacks "we have to work together in different fields", Bert Koenders, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, told journalists ahead of the joint session of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF) and the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, which took place in the Hague Monday.

According to the Dutch foreign minister sharing of intelligence information should spread in various levels among different players, including lists of suspected foreign fighters, their banking details, travel plans, the creation of a registry of weapon traders.

Governments and intelligence agencies across the world need to ensure that "there is a real-time exchange of information", said the Dutch foreign minister, acknowledging that a legal framework is already in place.

"We have made agreements we have to build trust," he said, calling on agencies to ensure that sharing of information includes "the precise names, the precise travel plans, the precise credit cards" in order to have an efficient screening of foreign fighters.

Exchange of information should also include monitoring social media and telecommunications intercepts as well as the use of PlayStations, according to the Dutch minister.

Several of the November 13 Paris attackers, who killed 130 people, were known to the authorities in various countries, which would have provided opportunities to stop them, but warning signs were ignored.

The Netherlands, which holds the rotating European Union presidency, aims at taking the lead in international discussions in order to promote the use of databases among national police authorities and the European and international police agencies Interpol and Europol.

The Netherlands is co-chair of the GCTF along with Turkey. The organisation was set up in 2011 on the initiative of the U.S. government as a meeting point for counterintelligence experts from around the world.

"Terrorism is a global phenomenon. We're not just talking about ISIL. There's also Jabhat al-Nusra, al Qaida, Boko Haram, al Shabaab, and many more," said Koenders at the opening of the conference. "The impact of these groups is not limited to the conflict zones stretching from Africa, via the Middle East to Asia. We feel the impact also here."

Among participants are the United Nations Under Secretary General Jeffrey Feltman, top government representatives, including Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, Nassar Bourita and deputy Minister of Interior Sebahattin Ozturk from Turkey, the U.S. Under Secretary for intelligence and analysis Francis Taylor and the Belgian minister of foreign affairs Didier Reynders.

Delegates from Europol, Interpol, the United Nations and the European Union also take part in the consultations.

Belgium's foreign fighters are reportedly the highest in Europe per capita among those traveling to join conflicts abroad such as in Syria and Iraq, while from the Netherlands more than 200 people are foreign fighters.

Figures published by the Dutch government on Sunday show that the "national terrorism" list in the Netherlands had doubled in a year to 39 Dutch citizens and three organisations linked to militants in Syria and Iraq.

"We keep referring to these people as 'foreign' terrorist fighters. The uncomfortable truth is that they are not foreign at all," said Koenders. "They are part of our societies."

In addition to information exchange (Share) the conference focuses on two other themes: Stop and Secure.

The "Stop" theme includes combating foreign terrorist fighters - people who join terrorist groups abroad, while "Secure" involves better protecting innocent citizens from terrorist violence and increasing resilience.

The outcome of this one day summit will be announced by the end of the day. Endit