Dutch misinformed about Belgium attack

A series of blunders by Belgium's security and intelligence agencies have come to light since the Brussels attacks that killed 32 people.

The Dutch interior minister says he made another error in informing parliament US intelligence warned authorities about two Belgian brothers a week before they launched the Brussels attacks.

A series of blunders by Belgium's security and intelligence agencies have come to light since the attacks that killed 32 and wounded hundreds last week.

They have also exposed weaknesses in communication between intelligence agencies across Europe.

For the Dutch, it is the second mistake in as many days by Interior Minister Ard van der Steur, who was forced on Tuesday to send a correction of his first letter addressed to parliament about the intelligence received on Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui.

In another missive on Wednesday, van der Steur wrote that contrary to what he had said on Tuesday, it was not the FBI that warned two brothers were being sought by Belgian authorities.

The information actually came from the New York Police Department's Intelligence Division and was forwarded by the Dutch embassy liaison in Washington, the minister wrote.

US investigators are helping their European partners unravel the network behind the attacks.

But legislators are demanding to know why Dutch agencies did not act on US intelligence received on March 16 that Ibrahim was sought by the Belgian authorities for "his criminal background", while Khalid was wanted for "terrorism, extremism and recruitment".

Ibrahim was not on international wanted lists when he was put on a flight from Turkey to Amsterdam on July 14, 2015 and disappeared, the minister said on Tuesday.

He was violating conditions of parole in Belgium and avoided potential arrest by requesting Turkey deport him to the closest neighbouring country, the Netherlands, rather than being sent home. Khalid had been missing since October.

The Brussels attacks, claimed by Islamic State, were carried out by the same network as the Paris attacks in November, in which 131 people died.

Van der Steur said during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday night the Netherlands had "done all that could have been done" with the information it received.


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Source: AAP



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