#7 To add insult to injury:
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Today was the first pro-forma trial day of Mohammed Bouyeri, the terrorist who slaughtered Theo van Gogh on 2 November.
* The assassination was planned; ten witnesses claim they have seen surveillances by the terrorist on different location on van Goghâs regular route to his office.
* The night before the attack, 1 November, two other members of the Hofstad terror group met Mohammed Bouyeri (Jason W. and Ismael A).
* AIVD taped phone conversations of the, now detained, Hofstad cell members. They recorded them saying: âWe have conform the authentic Islamic way, slaughtered the lam. This will be the punishment for each person that will offend Allah or his prophet. O you, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, tomorrow if Allah wants it, itâs your turn.â In the same phone conversation the caller claimed to belong to the group of Mohammed Bouyeri "the brigade of the Islamic Jihad". The phone conversation was made from the address in Den Haag (Antheunisstraat), where a week after the murder Jason W. en Ismail A. where arrested. The AIVD has still 20 hours of tapes, but did not have the time yet, to process them.
* The prosecutor only questioned Mohammed Bouyeri right after his arrest. At that time he did not wanted to cooperate. No further attempts where made.
* An AIVD (Dutch inteligence service) transcript of a conversation of Mohammed Bouyeri, was found in the house of Mohammed Bouyeri (See also: The Secret Service Mole story).
* Achmed H. (26), who lived at the same address as Mohammed Bouyeri, worked in a building opposite to where Theo van Gogh lived. He also has no albi for the time around the murder. Witnesses declare that they have seen him, together with two others, near the crime scene.
* The prosecutor knew on 2 november of the threats made against Wilders and Hirsi Ali, but waited to inform other services that handle the securiy (DKDB) of Wilders and Hirsi Ali. He says he first wanted to do some research and forwarded the information on 3 november. Strangly enough, Aboutaleb and burgomaster Cohen received protection that same day, but Wilders and Hirsi Ali only days later.
* The pro-forma trial date for the Hofstad terrorist trial in set on 7 february.
* The public prosecutor asked 3 months delay to finish his investigation.
The Charges
1. Murder on Theo van Gogh with terrorist intentions
2. Attempted murder of 8 police officers with terrorist intentions
3. Attempted murder on 2 bystanders with terrorist intentions
4. Making death threats to Ayaan Hirsi Ali with terrorist intentions
5. Obstructing Ayaan Hirsi Ali to attend a parliamentary meeting with terrorist intentions.
6. Membership of a criminal organisation with terrorist intentions
7. Conspiracy to murder with terrorist intentions
8. Illegal possession of firearm and ammunition
The arrest
Regarding the murder on Theo van Gogh, they have 53 eyewitnesses. Only some minor details where not reported earlier. New was that he gave more details on how the arrest took place.
After the slaughter Mohammed Bouyeri calmly walked through the park. When he wanted to leave the park, he walked into a police car. He walked to the car. The police officers in the car stayed passive. When Mohammed Bouyeri is only a few meters away from the car, he starts shooting on them. In panic the police car tries to flee, but crashes into a wall. Mohammed follows them calmly and continues shooting and hits one officer in the chest (he was wearing a bullet proof vest). When other police cars arrive, he shoots at these cars too. In all cars bullet holes where found.
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All this from a Dutch blogger who's following the trial. [hat tip: Roger Simon] |
The Rotterdam international film festival has pulled the last contentious work by Dutch film-maker Theo Van Gogh at the eleventh hour, amid fears that the screening might trigger further acts of religious violence. The short film, Submission Part One, was due to form the centrepiece of a debate on freedom of speech on Sunday night. It will now not be shown.