Bloed, Bodem, Eer en Trouw

Bloed, Bodem, Eer en Trouw (BBET; "Blood, Soil, Honour and Loyalty") is a Flemish neo-Nazi group, created in 2004 from a splinter of the Flemish branch of the international Nazi skinhead organization Blood & Honour.

Activities

The group rose to public prominence in September 2006, after 17 members, including 11 soldiers, were arrested under the December 2003 anti-terrorist laws and laws against racism, anti-semitism and negationism. According to Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx and Interior Minister Patrick Dewael, the suspects were preparing terrorist attacks in order to "destabilize" Belgium. [cite news |url=http://www.lalibre.be/article.phtml?id=10&subid=90&art_id=305025 |title=De nouvelles découvertes |publisher=La Libre Belgique |date=2006-09-08 |language=French] [cite news |url=http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/belgique/2006/09/12/article__12_neonazis_en_chambre_du_conseil.shtml |title=Mandats d'arrêts confirmés pour les néo-nazis |publisher=Le Soir |date=2006-09-13 |language=French]

150 police agents searched five military barracks in Leopoldsburg and Peer, in the Limburg province near the Dutch border, in the Brussels Royal Military School and in Zedelgem. Police also searched 18 private residences in Flanders. They found military weapons, ammunition, explosives, and a homemade bomb large enough to "blow up a car". Led by Thomas Boutens, the group trained itself on military grounds. It also trained in interrogation and counter-interrogation techniques, as well as in becoming clandestine. [cite news |title=Un 'terror game' avant les attentats |publisher=Le Soir |date=2006-09-12 |page=6 |language=French]

The group was engaged in arms dealing, and one of the suspects worked in the Kleine Brogel military base where United States nuclear weapons are stocked. Thomas Boutens was developing international links, in particular with the Dutch far right movement National Alliance. [cite news |url=http://permanent.nouvelobs.com/europe/20060908.OBS1014.html |title=Un groupe terroriste néonazi démantelé |publisher=Le Nouvel Observateur |date=2006-09-08 |language=French] [cite news |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3214,36-810816,0.html |title=La Belgique démantèle un groupe néonazi préparant des attentats |publisher=Le Monde |date=2006-09-07 |language=French] [cite news |url=http://www.rtl.be/page/rtlinfo/articles/societearticle/227.aspx?articleid=63636 |title=Des militaires néonazis voulaient commettre des attentats |publisher=RTL Belgique |date=2006-09-08 |language=French] [cite news |url=http://www.afp.com/francais/news/stories/060908071234.ynnt5b6h.html |title=Des militaires néonazis voulaient déstabiliser la Belgique par des attentats |publisher=AFP |date=2006-09-08, 07h12 |language=French] [cite news |url=http://www.afp.com/francais/news/stories/060908120104.sp6snnny.html |title=La Belgique découvre, stupéfaite, un complot néonazi au sein de son armée |publisher=AFP |date=2006-09-08, 12h01 |language=French] [cite news |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3214,36-810996@51-810817,0.html |title=Un réseau terroriste de militaires néonazis démantelé en Belgique |publisher=Le Monde |date=2006-09-08 |language=French] [ cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5325198.stm |title=Belgium police hold 17 in 'plot' |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-09-07]

Robert S. Griffin, a member of the United States neo-Nazi group National Alliance took part on July 3, 2004 in activities organized by Blood & Honour Vlaanderen (Dutch language branch of Blood & Honour) and the BBET. He wrote in a report that he was "happy to see that the Flemish organizations had allies such as the Vlaams Belang party." [cite news |url=http://www.lalibre.be/article.phtml?id=10&subid=90&art_id=305010 |title=Un Belang devenu trop respectable ? |publisher=La Libre Belgique |date=2006-09-08 |language=French] The Belgian justice department noted though they have found no connection between BBET and any political party. [De Standaard, 2006-09-09 ]

Flemish TV channel VTM claimed (citing justice sources) that the group was preparing to assassinate Filip Dewinter, an important figure of the far right Vlaams Belang party, in a false flag attack that would have been blamed on the Islamist movement. Taking advantage of the ensuing confusion, the group would then murder Dyab Abou Jahjah, leader of the Arab European League. Belgian justice authories denied these claims.cite news |url=http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/belgique/2006/09/12/article_ils_voulaient_tuer_filip_dewinter.shtml |title=La justice dément les propos de VTM |publisher=Le Soir |date=2006-09-13 |language=French]

The Belgian press recalled the "bloody eighties," during which the Brabant massacres were carried out (28 deaths), and the Marxist organization Communist Combatant Cells carried out terrorist attacks (2 deaths). [cite news |url=http://www.lalibre.be/article.phtml?id=10&subid=90&art_id=304752 |title=Un arrière-goût d'années de plomb |publisher=La Libre Belgique |date=2006-09-08 |language=French] Far right groups such as Westland New Post were suspected of being responsible for the Brabant massacres, although the parliamentary commission could not find any definitive proof. Journalist Manuel Abramowicz, a specialist of the far-right and founder of the progressive " [http://www.resistances.be/ ResistanceS] " website and network, was quoted in "Le Soir" saying that radical right-wing ultras have always had an aim to "infiltrate the state mechanisms" — including the army in the 1970s and the 1980s, through Westland New Post and the Front de la Jeunesse. [cite news |url=http://www.lesoir.be/actualite/belgique/2006/09/08/article_hermes_469637.shtml |title=Les néonazis voulaient déstabiliser le pays |publisher=Le Soir |date=2006-09-07 |language=French]

References

See also

*Blood & Honour
*Strategy of tension

External links

wikinewshas|News related to this article
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* [http://www.bloodandhonourvl.com Blood & Honour Flanders Website] ,
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5325198.stm Belgium police hold '17' in plot] , "BBC News", September 7, 2006 en icon
* [http://www.standaard.be/Kanaal/Index.aspx?KanaalId=190 Extreem-rechts complot in Belgisch leger] , "De Standaard", September 13, 2006 Languageicon|nl|Dutch
* [http://www.gva.be/nieuws/Binnenland/default.asp?art={4D501ACF-79CF-4E83-B77F-FFD1B0090C9E} Parket ontkent dat BBET Filip Dewinter wilde vermoorden] , "Gazet van Antwerpen", September 12, 2006 Languageicon|nl|Dutch
* [http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_master/versie2/nieuws/details/060912Extremisten/index.shtml Verdachte extremisten blijven in de cel] , "VRT", September 12, 2006 Languageicon|nl|Dutch
* [http://www.einnews.com/belgium/news.php?wid=96163087 Belgium to Continue Probe on Neo-Nazi Group] , Einnews.com, September 12, 2006 en icon