BELGIUM:2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001957

SIPDIS

STATE PASS EUR/WE, S/CT RHONDA SHORE AND NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM:2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

REF: STATE 120019



1. Embassy point of contact is Aaron Jensen. Email:
JensenAW@state.gov



2. Begin text of report.

Belgium

Belgium continued to strengthen its response to the threat of
terrorism, with the new institutions it developed over the
past several years working to coordinate the Belgian government's
effort to use and share information to combat terrorism, maintain
vigilance on persons and groups of concern, and actively work to
prevent terrorist financing. A major operation leading to the
arrest of 14 suspected terrorists, in December 2008, showed the
Belgian governments will and capacity to take action as necessary.
In 2006, under Belgium's 2003 antiterrorism law, members of the
Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C),a far left
militant Turkish group, were convicted for membership in a terror
organization and for providing material support to a terrorist
group. The Belgian Court of Appeals upheld the DHKP/C convictions
and imposed stiffer sentences in November 2006. In April 2007,
Belgium's Supreme Court cited technical grounds in quashing
the Court of Appeals ruling; at year's end the case was being
retried in the Antwerp Appellate Court.

On October 15, hearings began in the case of Bilal Soughir and
five other men suspected of recruiting and training terrorists for
suicide attacks in Iraq, including Muriel Degauque, a Belgian
national who, in 2005, blew herself up in a failed bomb attack in
Iraq. Federal authorities planned ongoing reviews of court rulings
to gauge what acts and groups could be prosecuted successfully under
the 2003 legislation and what types of sentences could be imposed.
On January 10, 2008, the verdicts ranged between 10 years for the
leader Bilal Soughir, three others received 5 years and lesser
sentences were give to two others. All of the verdicts were reduced
on appeal in Summer 2008 by roughly half of the original sentence.

Belgian police and security agencies have taken advantage of
legislation enacted in recent years to improve information
collection on of alleged extremists. and suspected terrorists.
Belgium's Coordinating Body for Threat Analysis (OCAM/OCAD) is
becoming fully operational. OCAM facilitates the exchange of
information among all governmental counterterrorism bodies and
develops common threat analyses on the basis of such information
exchanges. OCAM operates under the joint authority of the Justice
and Interior Ministers and includes representatives from the
external and internal services, the Federal Police, Customs, and
the Ministries of Transport, Finance, and Foreign Affairs.

Belgian authorities have the ability to create a national list of
terrorist entities, separate from UN and EU lists, coordinated by
OCAM, including financiers and suspected financiers of terrorism.
This information allows Belgian authorities to develop and apply a
national capacity to freeze assets (in addition to UN- and EU-
mandated asset freezes that Belgium already implements). In
addition, Belgian cooperation on security programs such as the
Container Security Initiative (CSI),Megaports, and export
controls has been generally excellent.

Belgian emergency action plans are reviewed and updated to
prepare for and respond to potential attacks, including
bioterrorism. On a local level, authorities institute drills of
rapid alert systems, and review critical infrastructure support and
civil protection and medical assistance procedures. Federal and
local authorities have participated in a EUCOM WMD Consequence
Management exercise, furthering U.S.-Belgian cooperation in this
area. Police and private sector working groups target terrorists,
the financing of terrorism, and terrorist use of the Internet.
Belgium increased its a significant military contribution to the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, where
it deploys a force of about 400 troops as well as 4 F-16s. The main
force protects Kabul airport, and some personnel are deployed at at
the German-led Provisional Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Konduz.
Belgium contributed approximately $33 million euros toward Afghan
reconstruction and promised to boost its support for reconstruction
and development, totaling approximately 45 million euros, to be
disbursed over the next four years. Assistance to Iraq included
expanded participation in the Jordan International Police Training
Center in Amman (which subsequently closed in September),training
for Iraqi diplomats and magistrates in Belgium, and training for
Iraqi servicemen in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with Germany.

Belgian authorities remained concened about potential terror
activities involving groups from Algeria and North Africa, and have
investigated groups such as the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group
(GICM),the DHKP/C, a far right group with links to neo-Nazi groups,
and a cell suspected of training members for attacks in Iraq.
The KGK/PKK is a known presence, with television production studios in
Denderleeuw, BelgiumBrussels . The KGK/PKK continued to exploit
Belgium to raise illicit financing for violence in Turkey and its
camps in northern Iraq .

Belgium continued to take action in response to EU and UN Security
Council actions to freeze suspected terrorist assets and to study
steps to improve its ability to combat and control terrorist
financing. Based upon a mutual evaluation review by the Financial
Action Task Force (FATF) in June 2005, Belgium was working to
implement FATF's recommendations. In December, 2007 Belgian
officials arrested 14 persons that threatened to attack unspecified
Belgian targets led to an increased level of alert and the closing
of trash cans at major tourist locations. Belgian media and public
opinion were quite critical of the perceived over-reaction. However,
in December 2008, the year long investigation that followed these
threats led to the arrest of 14 suspected terrorists, one of which
was prepared to launch a suicide attack on an unspecified location.
The operation may have vindicated the Belgian National Police for
their 2007 alert and proved that Belgium was able and willing to
investigate and take action against suspected terrorists on its soil.

End Report text.

BUSH
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