US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2020

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002020 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
TERREP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2014 
TAGS: ASEC, NL, PTER 
SUBJECT: LETTER WARNING OF A PLOT TO ATTACK JEWS AND 
AMERICANS IN THE NETHERLANDS ALLEGED IN ANONYMOUS LETTER 
 
Classified By: RSO THE HAGUE JOHN HUCKE, REASONS 1.5 (C) AND (D) 
 
1. (SBU) RSO The Hague was contacted by the Security Officer 
for the Israeli Embassy who advised a letter reporting a 
threat had come to him.  He offered that the writer was 
informing on someone else. The letter was forwarded by fax. 
 
2. (SBU) the letter is in Dutch and was translated by the Sr. 
FSNI. The letter identifies a young Moroccan individual 
(Bilall Essarsi, Djakkartaterras 9, 4th floor, postal code 
1094 DA in Amsterdam, mobile (phone) number 06 26628115) in 
Amsterdam as someone who sought funding in order to buy 
weapons, hand grenades and time bombs to make an attack in 
the Netherlands, an attack on an important target where Jews 
and Americans work. The FSNI characterized the Dutch as that 
of a not well educated native speaker, certainly not a Dutch 
high school graduate. The FSNI felt the use of Dutch as 
consistent with the claimed identity of the writer as a 
Moroccan living in the Netherlands. 
 
3. (SBU) TEXT 
 
To Amsterdam Police 
Section: Intelligence Service 
Or to AIVD 
Very Confidential Information 
 
I am a representative of ALLA and spiritual caretaker of 
Moroccans in The Netherlands.  I am working for one of the 
Holy Mosques in the Netherlands. 
 
At the moment I am operating as a secret spiritual caretaker 
in the Dutch Society of Moroccans.  I am very well up to date 
about who wants to work under the terrorists in the 
Netherlands. 
 
Eight or nine days ago I was approached by a young Moroccan 
who said that he needed money in the amount of 6,000 Euros. 
I asked him what he was about to do with the money.  He said 
that currently he is preparing underground activities in The 
Netherlands.  Namely he needed the money to buy weapons, hand 
grenades and time-bombs.  He along with young Moroccans wants 
to commit an attack in The Netherlands.  I asked him whether 
he is a student or is working somewhere.  He said that he is 
a student.  Also he stated that he has lot of contacts with 
Moroccan youngsters who think like him and also wanted to 
become a member of Al-Qaeda.  Furthermore I asked him, where 
and what place he has selected for the attack. 
 
He did not want to say that.  He said, that he has a very 
important target in mind where Jews and Americans work.  He 
did not want to say anything else other than just the money. 
I told him that he would get an amount from me in September 
2004. 
 
He has left behind his name, address and telephone number. 
His name is Bilall Essarsi, living at Djakkartaterras 9, 4th 
floor, postal code 1094 DA in Amsterdam...Mobile number 06 
26628115. 
 
In the name of ALLA, I am a honest Muslim and Moroccan.  That 
is way I report this person to the police and the 
Intelligence service of The Netherlands. 
 
My advice will be that this person cannot freely move around 
in The Netherlands. 
 
ALLA hoe AKBAR 
 
To Israeli Ambassador 
Attention of Mosaad 
Buitenhof 47 
2513 AH The Hague 
 
Valuable information 
 
4, (SBU) After translating the letter the FSNI was directed 
to call the Regional Intelligence Division RID) and inform 
them that we had received a copy of a letter containing 
possible threat information.  He was directed not tell RID 
where we got the letter but did report that the letter had 
reportedly been delivered to the Amsterdam Police and the 
Dutch National Internal Security Service known by the Dutch 
acronym AIVD. The RID acknowledged there was an official 
police investigation into the letter and the allegation and 
assured us we would be advised when the matter was resolved. 
This is the standard police response, once an investigation 
begins the Police and privacy laws restrict the dissemination 
of law enforcement information. 
 
5. (SBU) During a follow up call to the Israeli Security 
Officer RSO learned that the letter came to the embassy today 
in the Dutch mail and the lack of a return address caused 
them to handle the letter as suspicious. Once it was examined 
and determined to not be a physical threat it was open and 
translated by a local employee. The envelope bore an 
Amsterdam postmark of 11 Aug. 04. The police were informed of 
the letter and a copy was faxed to the Regional Intelligence 
Division of The Hague Police. The Israeli Security Officer 
had opened the letter by the end, preserving the seal for 
possible DNA collection and the inside of the flap for 
fingerprint examination. The Police responded later in the 
afternoon and collected the original and the envelope. At 
that time the Police Officer advised the Israeli Security 
Officer that the person named in the letter was known to the 
Amsterdam Police as a "petty criminal". According to the same 
Police Officer the Police in Amsterdam were not aware of the 
letter when he queried them. 
6. (SBU) The creditability of the information and the motives 
of the anonymous source are unknown. The Israeli Security 
Officer was mildly surprised there was no mention of Israelis 
or the Israeli Embassy as a target even though a copy of the 
letter was sent to the Israeli Embassy. He wondered if this 
was an attempt to "get someone in trouble by falsely accusing 
them of plotting terror". While that is a possible motive the 
existence a good citizen or a person planning to seek a 
reward later can not be totally discounted. The writer did 
say he told the suspect he'd be given money in September, 
postponing involvement and suggesting a plot, if there truly 
is one, is not yet operational. The purported target is where 
"Jews and Americans work". The Israeli Security Officer 
stated he would have shared any similar letter regardless, 
but when he considered Jews and Americans as one target in 
the same location, only two locations came to mind, the 
American Embassy and the American School of The Hague which 
is attended by children from both the American and Israeli 
Embassies. 
 
7. (S/NF) A copy of the letter in Dutch along with the RSO 
Office translation were provided to ORCA for traces and 
reporting in their channels. RSO advised the TERREP report 
would be in State channels. ORCA advised they would contact 
the liaison service, AIVD, to insure that they in fact had 
been informed of the letter and to seek information. 
Information exchange in "intelligence channels" available to 
ORCA is much less restricted then information exchange to the 
RSO in Police channels. Unauthorized disclosure of "Police 
Information" can subject a Police Officer to personal legal 
sanction, civil and criminal. 
 
 
RUSSEL