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Dutch authorities fear World Cup terrorism threat | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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AMSTERDAM (AP) – Netherlands security officials say they are taking the threat to football fans seriously after a terrorism suspect arrested in Iraq claimed he considered attacking Dutch or Danish fans at the World Cup in South Africa.

But the Dutch anti-terrorism office and football authorities say they aren’t yet planning any new security measures in response.

Judith Sluiter of the Netherlands anti-terrorism coordination office says the comments made by Abdullah Azam Saleh al-Qahtani were in line with her agency’s view that Dutch citizens are at more risk of terrorism abroad than they are at home.

Al-Qahtani said in a prison interview he considered attacking the Dutch and Danish teams or fans to avenge perceived insults to Islam.