Identifier	Created	Classification	Origin
03THEHAGUE1777	2003-07-11 15:06:00	UNCLASSIFIED	Embassy The Hague

Cable title:

TELEPHONIC BOMB THREAT FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS IN

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

					  UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001777 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TERREP 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/IP/EUR, DS/ICI/CI, 
DS/IP/FPO,DS/DSS/OSAC 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PTER NL
SUBJECT:  TELEPHONIC BOMB THREAT FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS IN 
ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS ON 07/11/03

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