NCTb
Encyclopedia
The Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding (the NCTb) is the Dutch
official counter-terrorism unit established in January 2005. It is, amongst other responsibilities, responsible for civil aviation. The NCTb is the responsibility of the Dutch Minister of Justice (the lead minister for counter-terrorism).
The NCTb analyses terrorism
threat and determines the domestic threat level in the Netherlands
four times every year, the four threat levels used being: Minimum, Limited, Substantial, and Critical. The unit's official website, www.nctb.nl, was launched in 2005 and gives up-to-date information about the national anti-terrorism coordinator's assessment of the level of threat. The website also provides information for the public, companies, and government officials as to what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. The threat level was raised from limited to substantial in April 2007 when the NCTb revealed that the Netherlands has been specifically mentioned in international terrorists' websites, and that the country has 2,500 to 3,000 potential Islamic radicals.
The unit is involved in the investigation of Northwest Airlines flight 253
, an attempted in-flight bomb attack that occurred on December 25, 2009. It concluded that the case originated at Lagos airport.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
official counter-terrorism unit established in January 2005. It is, amongst other responsibilities, responsible for civil aviation. The NCTb is the responsibility of the Dutch Minister of Justice (the lead minister for counter-terrorism).
The NCTb analyses terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
threat and determines the domestic threat level in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
four times every year, the four threat levels used being: Minimum, Limited, Substantial, and Critical. The unit's official website, www.nctb.nl, was launched in 2005 and gives up-to-date information about the national anti-terrorism coordinator's assessment of the level of threat. The website also provides information for the public, companies, and government officials as to what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. The threat level was raised from limited to substantial in April 2007 when the NCTb revealed that the Netherlands has been specifically mentioned in international terrorists' websites, and that the country has 2,500 to 3,000 potential Islamic radicals.
The unit is involved in the investigation of Northwest Airlines flight 253
Northwest Airlines Flight 253
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was an international passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, United States...
, an attempted in-flight bomb attack that occurred on December 25, 2009. It concluded that the case originated at Lagos airport.