Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 9546 / 251,287

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/12
1996/11
1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/10 2001/11
2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/11 2002/12
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AMED AF ASEC AEMR AR APECO AM AJ AFIN AMGT AU AE ABLD AG AORC ASIG APER AMBASSADOR ASEAN AA AL ASUP AS ABUD AX AID AUC ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG ADANA AFFAIRS AND AN ADCO ARM AY ATRN AECL AADP ACOA APEC AGRICULTURE ACS ADPM ASCH AMEX ACAO ANET AODE ARF ACBAQ APCS AMG AQ AMCHAMS AO ATFN AROC AFGHANISTAN AFU AER ALOW AC AZ AVERY AGMT
BO BD BR BA BRUSSELS BL BM BEXP BH BTIO BIDEN BT BC BU BY BX BG BK BF BBSR BMGT BTIU BE BWC BB BILAT
CS CASC CA CVIS CY CO CI CH CU CONDOLEEZZA CR CSW CPAS CMGT CJUS CDG CE CG CBW COUNTER CN CKGR COUNTERTERRORISM CODEL CWC CJAN CIA CD CLINTON CT CARSON CONS CB CM CW CFED CLMT CROS CNARC CIDA CBSA CIC CEUDA CHR CITT CAC CACM CVR CAPC COPUOS CBC CDB CAN COE COUNTRY CLEARANCE CACS CF CL CIS CTM COM CV CICTE
DEA DR DA DOMESTIC DHS DAO DCM DEPT DTRA DPRK DEFENSE DE DJ DISENGAGEMENT DOD DEAX DOE DK DS
ETRD ELAB ECON EG EUN EAIR EAID EU ECIN ENRG EPET EFIN EAGR EINT EIND ENERG ELTN ETTC EINV ECPS EWWT ES EN EC ER EI EZ ET EK EINVECONSENVCSJA ECONOMICS EXTERNAL ELN ELECTIONS EMIN EINN EFINECONCS ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ENIV ECUN EFIS ENGR ENNP EUR EAP EEPET ETRDEINVTINTCS ENVI EFTA ETRO ESENV ECINECONCS ENVR ECONOMY ECONOMIC EUMEM EAIDS ETRA ETRN EUREM EFIM EIAR EXIM ERD EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL ECA ENGY ECONCS EINVETC ECONEFIN ESA ETC ETRDECONWTOCS EUNCH
FI FR FREEDOM FTAA FARC FAO FJ FMLN FBI FOR FTA FOREIGN FINANCE FO FISO FDA FAC FOI FM FINR
GOV GAERC GG GT GM GV GH GOI GA GTIP GR GZ GE GCC GY GANGS GL GLOBAL GERARD GF GAZA GTMO
HR HO HA HUMAN HU HILLARY HSTC HK HUMOR HEBRON HURI HYMPSK
IR IS IMO ID IZ ICAO IV IC IT IZPREL IRAQI IO IN IAEA ITPHUM ITPGOV ITALIAN IPR INRB ITALY ICRC INTERPOL IQ IWC ICTY INTELSAT IEFIN IA INR IRC IACI ITRA IL ICJ INTERNAL ISRAELI INMARSAT ITU ILC IBRD IMF ILO IDP ITF IBET IGAD IEA IAHRC ICTR IDA IIP INRA INRO IRAJ IF
JA JO JOSEPH JP JOHNNIE JM JUS JAMES
KISL KIRF KWBG KDEM KTFN KN KPAO KWMN KCIP KCRM KIPR KOMC KJUS KOLY KMDR KSCA KSTH KMPI KZ KG KNNP KICC KTIA KHLS KU KTDB KVPR KFRD KCOR KE KV KSUM KPAL KSEP KTIP KSTC KGIC KPKO KFLO KAWC KUNR KS KNPP KIDE KNEI KBIO KPRP KR KMCA KTEX KGIT KNSD KCFE KLIG KFLU KBCT KOMS KGHG KBTS KACT KCRS KGCC KDRG KWMM KAWK KHIV KSPR KRVC KRAD KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOCI KPAI KHSA KTLA KO KFSC KVIR KX KFTFN KHDP KPLS KSAF KMFO KRCM KCSY KSAC KPWR KTRD KID KWNM KMRS KICA KRIM KIRC KPOA KCHG KREC KWAC KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KFIN KNUC KPIN KPRV KBTR KERG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNUP KTER KDDG KPAK KNAR KREL KCOM KNNPMNUC KRFD KHUM KDEV KCFC KWWMN KTBT KWMNCS
LE LY LU LTTE LI LO LH LG LAB LA LOG LT
MARR MCAP MOPS MX MARAD MASS MIL MO MU MNUC MEPI MR MDC MPOS MEETINGS MD MTCRE MK MUCN MY MASC MRCRE ML MA MEPP MAR MAPP MP MT MAS MTS MLS MI MERCOSUR MC MV MEDIA MILI MEPN MG MW MIK MTCR MZ MOPPS MAPS MCC MASSMNUC MQADHAFI MTRE
NI NL NATO NO NAFTA NDP NIPP NP NS NPT NU NZ NATIONAL NPG NGO NG NK NA NSSP NRR NSG NSC NPA NORAD NT NW NAR NE NASA NSF
OPDC OIIP OPRC OEXC OVIP OAS OREP OTRA OSCE OSAC OPIC ODIP OFDP OIE OECD OPCW OVP OPAD OFDA OIC OSCI OMIG OBSP ON OCS OCII OTR OFFICIALS
PGOV PREL PHUM PK PINR PE PTER PHSA PINS PROP PREF POL PARM PSOE PAK PBTS PAO PM PF PNAT POLITICS PARMS PBIO PSI POLINT POLITICAL PARTIES PL PA PO PGOVLO PORG PGOVE PLN PINF PRELP PAS PPA PRGOV PUNE PG PALESTINIAN POLICY PROG PDEM PREFA PDOV PCI PRAM PTBS PSA POSTS PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PGIV PHUMPGOV PCUL PSEPC PREO PAHO PEPR PINT PU PECON POGOV PINL PKFK PMIL PY PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PMAR PHUMPREL PHUS PRL PGOC PNR PGGV PROV PTERE PGOF PHUMBA PEL POV
QA
RS RICE RUPREL RU RIGHTS RO RW RSP RP REACTION REPORT RCMP RSO RF RFE ROBERT REGION
SOCI SARS SMIG SCUL SENV SNAR SW SA SP SY SENVKGHG SU SF SAN SZ SR SO SHUM SYR SAARC SL SI SNARCS SWE SN SPCE SNARIZ SCRS SC SIPDIS STEINBERG SG SIPRS SH SOFA SANC SK ST SEVN
TBIO TRSY TRGY TSPL TU TX TI TS TO TH TIP TP TW TC TPHY TERRORISM TURKEY TSPA TD TZ TFIN TNGD TINT THPY TBID TF TK TR TT
UZ UK UP UNGA UN USEU US UNSC UNHCR USTR UNMIK USUN UNESCO UNHRC UY UNO UG UNDC UAE UNAUS UNDESCO UNEP UNCHC UNFICYP UNCHR USNC UNIDROIT UNCSD UNDP UNC UNODC USOAS UNPUOS UNCND UV UNCHS UNVIE UE USAID
VT VE VTPREL VZ VM VI VN
WHO WTRO WITH WTRQ WBG WI WTO WHA WMD WMO WIPO WHTI WFP WB WWARD WA WEU WZ
XF XM XR XA XK XH XL XS XG XW XY XE XT XD XZ XV XX XTAG XQ XB XC
YM YI YMCS YE
ZR ZI ZANU ZU ZO ZP ZB ZL ZK ZF ZN ZA ZOELLICK ZJ

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 05THEHAGUE3008, NETHERLANDS/EXTREMISM: MOHAMMAD B'S NEIGHBORHOOD

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #05THEHAGUE3008.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05THEHAGUE3008 | 2005-11-04 10:10 | 2011-01-20 21:09 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy The Hague

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 003008

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE

    E.O. 12958 N/A
    TAGS: PREL PHUM PINR PTER SOCI SCUL KISL NL KPAO
    SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EXTREMISM: MOHAMMAD B'S NEIGHBORHOOD

    THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE
    ACCORDINGLY.

    1.(SBU) SUMMARY: Overtoomseveld is a Moroccan neighborhood
    in Western Amsterdam, made notorious on November 2, 2004
    when native son Mohammed Bouyeri murdered filmmaker Theo van
    Gogh on an Amsterdam street in broad daylight. One year
    later, it remains a largely segregated community, in many
    ways more Arab than Dutch. Over the last year, Embassy and
    Consulate officials visited this economically depressed
    neighborhood several times and established contacts with
    local Muslim and non-Muslim residents, at least one of whom
    knew Bouyeri prior to the murder. Despite local police and
    community outreach programs, Dutch authorities worry that
    Muslim minority youth in segregated neighborhoods like
    Overtoomseveld remain prime targets for recruitment by
    Islamic extremist groups because of their alienation from
    broader Dutch society and limited economic opportunities.
    END SUMMARY.

    WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
    ---------------------------

    2.(SBU) Overtoomseveld in West Amsterdam is a neighborhood
    of approximately 8,000 residents. It lies just outside
    Amsterdam's ring motorway, but only a ten-minute bike-ride
    from the down-town area. In contrast to the 18th and 19th
    century buildings on the other side of the ring, housing in
    Overtoomseveld consists primarily of concrete, prefabricated
    apartment blocs built during the 1960's and 70's
    to provide housing for low-income Dutch families.

    3.(SBU) Until the 1980s the neighborhood was almost
    exclusively white, working-class Dutch. According to
    local contacts, however, about 80 percent of the residents
    of Overtoomseveld today are non-indigenous Dutch
    (allochtonen) of Moroccan or other Arab descent. As
    Moroccan immigrants gradually moved in, many white families
    with the economic means to do so moved to single-family
    houses in other parts of the city or in the more distant
    suburbs.

    4.(SBU) The Muslim character of Overtoomseveld is
    immediately apparent to the casual visitor. Women are more
    visible on balconies (usually with small children) than on
    the street, and nearly all wear headscarves. Arabic
    language shop-window signs and graffiti -- much of it anti-
    American -- are common.

    THE DISH AND THE MINARET
    ------------------------

    5.(SBU) Although fairly tidy by U.S. standards,
    Overtoomseveld is considered run-down by the immaculate
    Dutch. There is more litter and graffiti than in other
    parts of the city, and properties, usually owned by absentee
    landlords, show signs of neglect such as broken windows and
    stoops. Within Amsterdam's Moroccan community, it is common
    for large extended families to share small rental
    apartments, creating additional strains on the poorly
    constructed structures. The government subsidizes most of
    the council housing in the neighborhood, and is a
    significant source of income through the provision of
    unemployment, rent support and social welfare benefits.

    6.(SBU) The large number of satellite dishes, used to beam
    in Arabic stations such as al Jazeera, have earned
    Overtoomseveld the derogatory sobriquet of a dish city in
    Dutch. Satellite television is cheaper than Dutch cable and
    provides a direct link to the home cultures of many
    immigrants, but many non-immigrant Dutch criticize the
    prevalence of satellite broadcasting as insulating immigrant
    communities from mainstream Dutch culture and encouraging
    segregation.

    7.(SBU) The neighborhood's one Moroccan mosque plays a
    critical role in satisfying residents' spiritual and
    cultural needs. When Emboff visited the mosque during the
    middle of the afternoon, there were about 20 middle-aged men
    inside. One English speaker graciously offered a tour
    around the mosque. The mosque has a food store and
    classrooms for the 100 children aged 6-12 attending Arabic
    and Koran classes on weekends. Like elsewhere in the
    Netherlands, the imam speaks little Dutch and was imported
    from Morocco. On Fridays, the mosque has an overflow
    capacity and worshippers spill into the streets for prayers.
    The imam has a cordial relationship with local police --
    there is a police station next door -- and has cooperated
    with police requests to disperse worshippers quickly after
    prayers to avoid congestion.

    THE PROBLEM OF YOUTH
    --------------------

    8.(SBU) During non-school hours, groups of young men and
    boys hang out on the neighborhood's streets and stoops with
    little to do. As a result, incidents of petty crime and
    vandalism are high. During a recent visit by Emboffs,
    several groups of young boys were gathered outside two
    neighborhood internet cafes. According to local contacts,
    one of these cafes -- across from a police station -- had
    earlier been used by members of the extremist Hofstad
    group, including Bouyeri. Local police regularly drop in
    on these cafes and report seeing Arabic websites being
    accessed; few have the language skills, however, to
    determine what sort of information is being shared.

    9.(SBU) Neighborhood youth are also active graffiti artists;
    when the Consul General and emboffs toured the neighborhood
    in late September, graffiti on apartment buildings included
    obscenities against President Bush, adoration for Saddam
    Hussein and several HAMAS-related displays. According to
    police contacts, local police are now trained to monitor
    amounts and types of graffiti as signs of radicalism.

    10.(SBU) In 1998, riots between Moroccan youth and Dutch
    police in several cities soured already bad relations
    between the two groups. In response, a number of community
    initiatives were launched, such as the establishment of
    police Youth Coordinators in various neighborhoods to
    enhance dialogue between the police and Moroccan youth.
    While the focus of these efforts originally was to reduce
    petty crime, it has now shifted to combating radicalization.
    The neighborhood watch group, Neighborhood Fathers, is
    another organization established to reduce crime that has
    now taken on a counter-extremism focus.

    REACHING OUT TO RADICALS
    ------------------------

    11.(SBU) According to Amsterdam West Youth Coordinator Tom
    Smakman, Overtoomseveld is not the toughest neighborhood in
    Amsterdam, but it is the most likely to produce radicals.
    Smakman claimed this was because of the density of the
    population and the level of poverty among its residents:
    People know that there are a lot of frustrated youths in
    this neighborhood. He stressed that police are less
    worried about what takes place on the streets -- which they
    can monitor -- than about what goes on behind closed doors.
    According to Smakman, radical views are more widespread than
    ever among local youth, many of whom consider Bouyeri a
    hero. Many youth, however, will not express their feelings
    openly in public or in the presence of their parents, who
    largely reject such views. However, Smakeman added, We
    don't know what happens when the drapes are shut.

    12.(SBU) Smakman speaks from experience, having come into
    contact with Mohammed Bouyeri and other Hofstad group
    members through his efforts to reach out to community
    groups. Bouyeri, for example, was temporarily on the
    editorial staff of a Dutch/Turkish/Arabic neighborhood
    newspaper co-sponsored by local police and a neighborhood
    organization to promote employment among local youth.
    According to Smakman, Bouyeri was known for his columns
    encouraging youth to empower themselves to achieve success
    in Dutch society. Smakman noted that Bouyeri's
    transformation from integration proponent to extremist
    murderer was surprisingly sudden, but there were signs --
    such as when Bouyeri refused to shake the hand of his longtime
    friend one day without explanation.

    13.(SBU) Another Hofstad suspect now awaiting trial, Yusef
    Etoumi, participated in 2000 in a three-week summer program
    for high-risk Dutch-Moroccan youth to perform service
    projects in Morocco. The program, entitled And Now
    Something Positive, was another initiative launched to
    improve inter-community relations following the 1998 riots
    and is sponsored by several Dutch companies. Smakman, who
    took part in the trip as a chaperone, remembered Etoumi as a
    quiet kid, not a criminal boy who engaged in soft drug
    use.

    COMMENT
    -------

    14.(SBU) Overtoomseveld lived up to its radical reputation
    two weeks ago when additional arrests of several alleged
    Hofstad Group members were made there. Despite many
    community programs and active involvement by the police and
    residents over the last few years, young people, especially
    young men, in this neighborhood continue to feel excluded
    from society and trapped in segregated communities that
    provide no solid social identity. Dutch authorities worry
    that such youth are vulnerable to the allure of an Islamic
    extremist message that promises to give them a sense of
    belonging and empowerment. One year after the murder of van
    Gogh, however, the Dutch government still has no good plan
    for preventing the emergence of new Mohammed Bouyeris from
    the same mean streets. END COMMENT.
    BLAKEMAN

`