Wikileaks: The Dutch catch potential terrorists, 2004

From Wikileaks, July 29, 2004:

DCM and RSO responded to the office of the Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Public Safety, at his request, to join with the Israeli Security Officer, in a briefing on a security incident from the previous evening. The security incident was a filming of sensitive locations including Dutch provincial and national government building and the US and Israeli Embassies, among others. It was later determined that our source received the report the previous evening but that the incident was several hours earlier in the day.

The incident came to light when the Dutch Royal Military Police Security Detail for the Israeli Defense Attach noticed an passenger filming the area in front of the Israeli Embassy from inside a vehicle stopped across the street. The MPs followed the suspicious vehicle, a black Peugeot 205 (NFI) and when the driver was observed using his cell phone, not hands free while driving, they stopped him for the traffic violation. The two occupants were determined to be a Dutch citizen and a Saudi citizen. The MPs reviewed the filming done by the subject even though they lacked any clear legal authority to do so. The review revealed they had filmed for approximately one kilometer on 3 streets. They began at the provincial government building around the corner and continued towards our location filming the Omani Embassy, Turkish Embassy, The Hague's only Synagogue, the French Embassy (immediately adjacent to us) along the way, our building and continued almost a half kilometer to the Israeli Embassy and the Dutch Parliament building across the street.

The subject's line of approach gave him an angled view of our only pedestrian entrance and our rear gate vehicle entrance. This line of travel took then along the south side (long side) of the building and gave them a similarly angled but fairly complete view of the front of our building. Finding no reason to hold the subjects the MPs released them after returning their video camera.

The Coordinator refused our requests for names, DOBs and tag numbers citing the fact that an active Police investigation was ongoing and that he did not have authority to release that information. He did indicate that he anticipated arrests in the next day or two.

July 30:

The two subjects have been closely monitored and were arrested separately, one this morning and the other this afternoon, both without incident. Two, as yet unidentified, associates were also arrested. LEGATT reports the Police are searching two houses and two vehicle as of 1710 hours. One house is the residence of the subject XXXXXXXXXXXX, the ownership/occupancy of the other hose is currently unknown. It is know that the subjects were followed to this location yesterday. One vehicle is presumably the Black Peugeot 205, NL Tag TY 73 HK, used in this incident. Police advise that an Uzi SMG was found at the other residence. The Prosecutor has authorized continued detention of all of the subjects based on the recovery of a firearm.