NCJ Number
47359
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
BELGIAN MEASURES AGAINST TERRORISM ARE OUTLINED; EXTRADITION PRACTICES AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
BELGIUM HAS HAD ALMOST NO EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH TERRORISM. THIS IS DUE TO THE SMALL ROLE OF BELGIUM IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, THE NEUTRALITY OF ITS OFFICIAL ATTITUDES, THE EFFECTIVE AND SERIOUS POLICING, THE ABSENCE OF POLITICAL HERITAGE SITUATIONS WITH TENSIONS OF CONFLICT POTENTIALS, AND THE STANDARD OF LIVING ISSUE (I.E., 'WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO LOSE.') HOWEVER, THEY HAVE TAKEN MEASURES TO PREVENT TERRORISM. SABENA, THE BELGIAN AIRLINES, HAS A FULL-SCALE ANTITERRORISM SECURITY PROGRAM, COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF OTHER MAJOR AIRLINES. THESE INCLUDE PREDEPARTURE SCREENING OF PASSENGERS ANND BAGGAGE, SECURITY FOR UNATTENDED PLANES, SPECIAL MEASURES FOR CHECKED BAGGAGE ON HIGH-RISK FLIGHTS, AND THE INSPECTION OF CARGO AND MAIL. LEGISLATION ON EXTRADITION IS BASED ON THE LAWS OF 1833, AND THE FRENCH-BELGIAN TREATY OF 1834 WHICH INCLUDES A NONEXTRADITION CLAUSE FOR POLITICAL OFFENDERS. IN PRESENT TIMES, EXTRADITION DEPENDS MAINLY ON VALUE JUDGEMENTS. A LAW IN 1973 MODIFIED LEGISLATION ON CIVIL AVIATION AND EXTRADITION. ITS AIMS WERE TO HARSHEN THE PENALTIES FOR ACTS OF SABOTAGE AGAINST PLANES, TO MAKE THE ILLICIT SEIZURE OF AN AIRPLANE A CRIME, AND TO COMPLETE THE EXTRADITION LAW BY INCLUDING ACTS OF SABOTAGE OF AIRCRAFTS AS AN EXTRADITABLE OFFENSE. THERE ARE ALSO MEASURES AGAINST HOSTAGE-TAKING AND LETTER BOMBS. CASES INVOLVING BELGIUM ARE CITED. THE BELGIAN MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR HAS DEVELOPED A BLUEBOOK ON TERRORISM, AND A SPECIALLY TRAINED ARMY UNIT IS ON PERMANENT STANDBY. SEVERAL BELGIAN CONFERENCES ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM ARE LISTED. THE AUTHOR STATES SOME OF HIS PERSONAL CONCERNS, WHICH INCLUDE THE PROBLEMS OF REPRESSIVE MACHINERIES AND ISSUES OF JURISDICTION. (BAC)