Toespraak Commandant der Strijdkrachten bij de NCT CBRNe & eXplosive Europe Conference

Toespraak | 24-02-2016

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

as we are gathered here today, the threat level in this country is 'substantial'. Mainly because of the stream of jihadists, travelling to and from Daesh training camps in Syria and Iraq.

This means that there is a real risk of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands. But the picture of a complex and real threat does not only apply here, it applies throughout the world. Just think of the Tamil Tigers, Boko Haram, or Islamist groups in Chechnya. It means terrorists attacks can occur any time, any place, anywhere.

So the big question is what can we do, and what should we do? The best way to keep our people safe, is to prevent terrorist attacks from occurring. To stay ahead of the game. Be proactive.

By using warning mechanisms, indicators, intelligence… As Sun Tzu stated centuries ago: 'If you know your enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.'

It is with good reason that police are working around the clock with criminal investigation and intelligence services to collect information. So they can counter terrorism, and keep our societies safe.

It is also why military personnel use biometrics and forensic techniques. So they can map out networks that use improvised explosive devices, IEDs, and try to prevent attacks from happening, to get – what we call – 'left of the boom'.

But as we all know, intelligence does not guarantee that a terrorist attack will not occur. And simply spending billions defending our airports, bus stations, schools, buildings, subways, and neighbourhoods is also no solution.

 It will only make terrorist attacks shift toward less defended targets. Which will make our societies no safer after all. That is exactly why WE, civil and military responders, are desperately needed.

After all, it is us --‐ policemen and women, firefighters, first--‐aid workers, decision makers, CBRN and EOD personnel --‐who protect the wellbeing of our citizens and their property, 24/7.

It is us who have to ensure people's safety. It is us who have to stand in the frontline. United. As a team. Respecting each other's roles, and able to use each other’s strengths.

 It is why I would like to ask you here today: Are we ready? Are we ready for a possible attack? Are we able to respond rapidly and adequately?

These are questions we should continue asking ourselves. Every day. To make sure we respond the best way, at the right time.

Let me give you a scenario. A scenario you are going to examine tomorrow…

What if a pilot of a passenger airliner – which is about to arrive at Schiphol Airport – calls air traffic control, and reports that all passengers on board have become seriously ill?

 The pilot does not think it could be due to food poisoning, since passengers in both business and economy class are severely ill. He wonders whether there could be a problem with the plane’s ventilation system.

The pilot also mentions the fact that many passengers on board are carrying teddy bears, given to them by some charity organization near the airport of departure.

So now what? The classic response would be to call the emergency services, and transport the passengers to a civil hospital for further treatment.

 But what if passengers have been deliberately poisoned? In other words: what if we are dealing with a biological attack? Then it would not be very smart to send these passengers to the nearest hospital.

It could turn this situation – still contained at the moment – into a fully--‐fledged catastrophe. Just imagine the chaos, and the fear it would cause among the population.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I realize this is a very dark scenario. A worst--‐case scenario, if you like. One that is unlikely to occur. Because what are the odds? It is still more likely that terrorists will carry out a bomb attack in our streets, or start shooting in a pub with a Kalashnikov.

However, if we can think of such a scenario, a terrorist could do so as well. It means we cannot rule out a chemical or biological attack. After all, over the years, terrorists have demonstrated an unrelenting capacity to evolve their tactics and attack methods.

 And they have used chemical agents before. This was of course demonstrated all too clearly in the Tokyo subway system in 1995. But there are more examples as well. Examples not restricted to crazed Japanese cults.

The UN, for instance, has confirmed that sarin and other chemical weapons have been used in the Syria conflict since 2013. Militants may have used crude chemical weapons in Iraq. And Daesh is now believed to be using chlorine gas in roadside IEDs.

So the technology and the means are obviously out there, and are already being used. Now, how could this affect us? How does this affect us?

Until now, the main methods of delivering chemical agents worldwide were through ventilation systems of buildings, containers that were left open, bombs, mines and other explosive devices.

And I consider the last group, the explosive devices, particularly worrying for our societies. IEDs – often referred to as a 'poor man's weapon' – are extremely difficult to defend ourselves against.

 It is with sadness that I remember my time in Afghanistan, when men and women under my command were killed by these devices, and many others were injured. Badly, severely maimed, disabled, for the rest of their lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen, IEDs do not discriminate between an old person, a soldier or a child. They can hurt anyone. And we also know that they are no longer used solely in mission areas. On the contrary.

Almost every day, the media report on a bombing somewhere in the world. But unless it's a particularly shocking incident, it only merits a brief mention in the news column, or an afterthought on the evening news. Sadly, this means it is just business as usual.

But the harsh reality is that these attacks are on the rise and it’s happening on our watch. According to Petter Nesser, senior research fellow with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, 65 percent of jihadi plots in Europe --‐ after 2008 --‐ involved IEDs in some shape or form.

Luckily, the majority of these plots were disrupted at an early stage. Some, however, were not. In the terrorist attacks in France last year, both in January and November, jihadis used suicide vests. The same method was used in the suicide attack in a tourist center in Istanbul, killing ten German tourists.

And two years before that, two terrorists used pressure cookers in the attack on the Boston marathon. Killing six people, and injuring two hundred eighty men, women and children.

And what about the Norwegian far--‐right terrorist Anders Breivik, who murdered sixty--‐nine people in a summer camp, after killing eight people by detonating a bomb in the government quarter in Oslo? It showed us that it is not only jihadis who pose a threat to our societies.

 In fact today, anyone can learn how to make a bomb in a few steps, using ingredients that are readily available in local stores. People learn about it on the internet, and through the transfer of information by terrorist groups.

Perhaps you remember the English--‐language magazine 'Inspire': a glossy magazine published by Al Qaida. It featured articles such as 'Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom'. It was an easy--‐to--‐read manual on how to make a bomb using ingredients found in a kitchen. The article also provided tips and tricks for maximum impact --‐ meaning maximum casualties.

Now, just imagine what would happen if terrorists start to combine these explosives with chemical agents…? It will make IEDs true 'dirty bombs'!

It is why we --‐ as custodians of our societies --‐ should always be able to act fast and decisively. Whenever an incident occurs.

Until now, we – in the Netherlands – have been spared from such a horrific attack. Therefore there is no natural driving force for us to stay alert. This is why we constantly need to force ourselves to stay aware of what we are doing, as well as what we are not doing. Separately, and in our cooperation with others.

A good example of existing and long--‐lasting cooperation in the public domain is the role of the Netherlands Defence EOD Command, that responds to more than two thousand reports of explosives found in the Netherlands every year. These reports include World War Two conventional ammunition, IEDs, and occasionally World War One chemical projectiles, brought home from Belgium or France by Dutch tourists.

Another example of how we respond to possible threats, is the fact that our Dutch military units now have a mandated role to play in civilian CBRNE defence. Which means that police and firefighters now actually call in our CBRN unit for its knowledge and capabilities.

I remember the first time police and military cooperated in the CBRN field. It was a few years ago. A retired scientist left his brother a will, in which he wrote that there were some chemicals in the basement, which his brother shouldn’t move.

We know now that they were chemicals such as mustard agent and chlorine. But we didn’t know that at the time. That is why the police asked our CBRN unit to assist in getting the chemicals out of the basement safely. And so they did.

A good example of our cooperation. And we have been intensifying our cooperation ever since. Nowadays, our CBRN Centre, for instance, has permanent liaison officers, from the police, the fire department, the medical services, the Netherlands Forensic Institute, the Environment Ministry, and the Netherlands organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).

They all participate in the CBRN center to strengthen relations, to train together, and to develop our procedures together. A big step forward. Enabling a rapid and joint response. Enabling us to operate as a team of experts. Enabling us to quickly use each other’s expertise.

But there are more examples that prove we try to stay alert. I see an increased mutual acceptance and willingness among emergency responders to draw on each other’s experiences, to join forces and to cooperate.

Let me give you another example. Last year, a man caused a fire in the British Embassy in The Hague. The firefighters arrived on the scene quickly. But when they entered the building, the man who had started the fire was still standing inside. Looking at them.

The firefighters suddenly thought: what if this man is a terrorist? Willing to detonate himself? A life--‐threatening situation. A situation that would probably have required a different response. Different actions.

It made the fire--‐team of The Hague reconsider their procedures. They even requested a workshop on terrorism, which was provided by CBRNE First responders from the police, in cooperation with our Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel.

A great initiative. After all, we tend to look at events, assess situations, on the basis of our own experiences. Learning to see things differently broadens our minds, makes us more conscious. That is why I think we should look for more ways to learn from each other.

Not only to see things from a different perspective. But also to get to know each other better. To understand each other’s cultures, and to talk the same language.

The term 'alert time', for instance --‐ the period of time before you’re ready for action --‐ has a different meaning for firefighters than it does for military personnel. To a firefighter, 'alert time' is the space of time from the warning, to the moment he drives away in his fire truck.

For a soldier, it is the space of time from the warning, to the moment his unit is present at the barrack buildings. Perhaps a seemingly irrelevant example, but it can make a difference when tight cooperation between services is needed.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the urgency of the challenges we are facing is clear. It requires that we know how and where to find each other, across nations and organizations. It requires that we learn from each other’s way of addressing the threats and that we share information on best practices.

It requires that we organize joint interagency trainings and exercises, and share our doctrines. It requires that we jointly answer questions like: What vulnerabilities and weaknesses can be identified? Which assumptions can be challenged? What works? And what does not?

This conference presents a unique opportunity to find these answers. Because this conference provides the platform to bridge information gaps, to share information on new technological developments, to generate ideas from which action plans can be developed, and to share knowledge.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the potency of terror lies not in the act… but in the aftermath. The act is death and destruction, horrendous in itself. The aftermath – our common response --‐ is what matters. Together we need to be ready. Together we need to respond rapidly and appropriately.

So let’s explore possible solutions. Let’s share insights and experiences. So that we can anticipate any emergency, and any potential evil--‐minded terrorist attack. For the sake of our societies, and for the sake of its citizens.

Thank you. --‐0--‐0--‐0--‐