Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
03THEHAGUE1777 | 2003-07-11 15:06:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy The Hague |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. |
UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001777 |
1.(SBU) SUMMARY. On July 11, 2003, at approximately 1300 hours an embassy telephone operator at the U.S. Embassy The Hague received a telephonic bomb threat from a male individual stating he was a member of the activist group called RA-RA and stated that maybe we will blow up the American Express in Rotterdam, today or tomorrow. 2.(SBU) The conversation went as follows: Caller: Stated asked if the operator spoke Dutch, when he replied in the affirmative the caller said quote don't take this personally, this is agency (group) Ra- RA (at this point the operator began recording)- I am against discrimination and economic warfare, you must take this seriously - we thought about bombing the American Express in Rotterdam today or tomorrow, unquote. The caller immediately hung up. 3.(SBU) The RSO notified The Hague Police who in turn notified the Rotterdam Police. Rotterdam Police were to notify American Express. Unlike the 07/09 call which announced a detonation in 30 minutes and due to the indefinite nature of the threat, quote we thought about bombing unquote, and the very similar hoax call of 07/09 we did not directly notify the Security Chief at American Express in the Netherlands. The Hague Intel Unit responded and obtained a copy of the embassy's recording. The Hague Police promised to advise of developments in their investigation. 4. (SBU) Our Sr. FSNI described the caller as a native Dutch speaker who is well spoken and well educated, without an identifiable regional accent. Our FSNI opined that there was a high crank quotient to this call and doubts the callers alleged connection to RA-RA. Our former long time telephone operator, now in HR, thought the caller was one of our regular crank/disgruntled callers after reviewing the recording. 5.(SBU) RA-RA, the Revolutionary Anti-Racism Alliance, is an ultra leftist group first organized to protest South African apartheid and racist sentiment in the Netherlands. This group was violently opposed to restrictions on granting refugee status. Although the organization has been inactive for approximately three years in the Netherlands, they have used arson and bombs in the past. END SUMMARY BAILY |