The FBI notified the Netherlands about its concerns over suicide bombers Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his brother Khalid six days before the Brussels attacks, the Dutch justice minister revealed Tuesday.
Dutch officials the next day passed on to Belgium the information provided by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which had placed Ibrahim El Bakraoui on a terror watchlist in September 2015.
Answering questions in the Dutch parliament, the minister Ard van der Steur said Dutch police had received an FBI report sent March 16 "in which there was notification of Ibrahim El Bakraoui and his brother Khalid's criminal backgrounds and Khalid's terrorist background."
The following day "the issue came up during bilateral contact between the Dutch and Belgian police," said Van der Steur. "The radical background of both the brothers was discussed."
He also confirmed US reports about Ibrahim being on a US terror list, saying he "was placed on an American surveillance list on September 25, 2015, a list made by the FBI terrorist screening centre."
Ibrahim El Bakraoui was one of two bombers who blew themselves up at Brussels airport on March 22. His brother Khalid blew himself up at Maalbeek metro station.
VIDEO:Belgium names suicide bomber brothers as nation mourns
The Dutch minister's revelations come as under-fire Belgian authorities Tuesday continued to hunt for a fugitive bomber, one week after the deadly blasts in the Belgian capital that killed 32.
Belgium's federal police service however said it had not received any information direct from the FBI on March 16 about the Bakraoui brothers.
In the meeting between Dutch and Belgian police the next day, it said there was "no mention of the message that the FBI sent to the Dutch police".
Instead it said they discussed a police raid in Brussels on March 15 in which an Algerian militant with links to Paris attacks prime suspect Salah Abdeslam was captured. Khalid El Bakraoui is believed to have rented the flat where the raid took place using a false name.
Under pressure at home and abroad over an apparent series of missed clues about criminals linked to jihadist networks, the Belgian government has admitted mistakes were made.
In the most glaring such example, Turkey accused Belgium last week of ignoring a clear and present danger by revealing it had deported Ibrahim El Bakraoui as a "terrorist" suspect last year, after arresting him near the Syrian border.
READ: Erdogan says Turkey deported Brussels airport attacker in 2015
The Dutch justice minister last week confirmed that Turkey sent Bakraoui back to the Netherlands in July, but stressed he had not been known to Dutch law enforcement or been on any watch lists.
It was not known how long Bakraoui stayed in the Netherlands before returning to Belgium, Van der Steur said.
AFP
Wed Mar 30 2016
The Dutch justice minister last week confirmed that Turkey sent Bakraoui back to the Netherlands in July.
Kemelut PKR Sabah: Tunggu Anwar umum Pengerusi MPN
Semua pihak diminta bersabar untuk menunggu keputusan daripada Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berhubung perkara itu.
Reformasi pembangunan TVET perlu dibuat secara holistik
Reformasi pembangunan perlu dibuat secara holistik membabitkan ekosistem Pendidikan TVET sedia ada di Malaysia, kata Presiden Yayasan Mahir Malaysia, Datuk P Sri Ganesh.
AWANI-RareTV: Kampung bunian di Switzerland
Penulis J.R.R Tolkien menjadikan Lauterbrunnen sebagai latar dan insipirasi kepada penghasilan kampung 'Rivendell'.
Hubungan Klopp-Salah kembali jernih
Klopp dan Salah bertelagah di tepi padang ketika Liverpool seri 2-2 dengan West Ham minggu lalu.
Michelle Yeoh antara 19 penerima Medal Of Freedom
Presiden Amerika Syarikat Joe Biden menganugerahkan Pingat Kebebasan (Medal Of Freedom) kepada 19 penerima di White House, Washington pada Jumaat.
AWANI Pagi: Advokasi rawatan dan pemulihan dadah atas talian
Agensi AntiDadah Kebangsaan (AADK) memperkenalkan kaedah rawatan dan pemulihan secara atas talian, melihat kepada trend penagihan dadah ketika ini. Diskusinya bersama Pengarah Bahagian Rawatan Perubatan & Pemulihan AADK Siti Mariam Mursidan, dalam Awani Pagi 8.30 pagi nanti.
Letupan bom Sungai Golok: Polis mula guna kereta perisai
Kawalan dan rondaan menggunakan kenderaan itu dilaksanakan oleh Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA) membabitkan seorang pegawai dan 13 anggota.
AWANI Ringkas: Kenaikan gaji penjawat awam mampu dilaksana
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Guna anak patung Doraemon untuk upacara panggil hujan
Anak patung Doraemon itu turut diarak ke sekitar jalan utama di Khao Khala selepas kawasan tersebut berdepan kemarau berpanjangan.
Isteri dibunuh dan dikerat-kerat, daging ditawar kepada jiran
Saksi memberitahu mangsa dipukul dengan kayu sebelum dibunuh kejam dan tubuhnya dikerat-kerat di tengah jalan.