Posted on 11/12/2004 9:48:34 AM PST by Ginifer
The Hague - As details of the investigation into the murder of controversial filmmaker Theo van Gogh emerge, everything seems to point to the fact that the alleged killer was part of a Dutch network of suspected Islamic terrorists with international connections.
Shortly after the November 2 murder of Van Gogh, police arrested Mohammed Bouyeri, 26, who is suspected of committing the murder because of his radical Islamic beliefs.
As details of the investigation into the slaying emerge it became clear that instead of being a lone actor, Bouyeri seems to have been a key figure in a suspected terror network, dubbed De Hofstad group by intelligence services.
The Dutch investigation revealed that Bouyeri, who has dual Moroccan and Dutch nationality, had links to another suspected extremist, Samir Azzouz.
Azzouz, 18, was arrested in June 2004 and provisionally charged with planning terror attacks in the Netherlands together with four other suspects also in custody.
Azzouz in turn had contacts with a Moroccan, Abdeladim Akoudad, held in Spain over last year's Cassablanca bombings which killed 45 people including 12 suicide bombers.
Akoudad is believed to be a member of the radical Islamic group Salafia Jihadia and is currently in prison suspected of helping prepare terrorist attacks and fund-raising for terrorist groups.
Preparing for violent action
Swiss and Spanish media also reported links between the Dutch group and Mohammed Achraf, an Algerian recently detained in Switzerland pending extradition to Spain.
Madrid believes Achraf headed an Islamic cell accused of plotting to blow up symbolic buildings in the Spanish capital.
The Swiss newspaper Le Temps reported that, based on classified Spanish intelligence service wiretap reports, Achraf and Bouyeri had "direct contact" in September.
In the Netherlands a storm of criticism erupted in the last few days as it became clear that intelligence services were monitoring Bouyeri as part of the entourage of the Hofstad group and Azzouz but considered him only a minor figure.
"The information about B (Bouyeri) that the intelligence services received did not alter the image they had of him that he was not a key figure in the network.
"Up until the attack on Van Gogh the intelligence services had no information that indicated that B was preparing a violent action," the Dutch interior and justice ministry said in a joint letter to parliament late on Wednesday.
Europe's about to get a wake up call on terrorism. The Dutch seem to be paying attention now but not the rest.
It's too late for the Islamic Republic of the Netherlands. They did it to themselves.
Cancer begs for chemotherapy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.