Hoax: 03/11 attack on Amsterdam shopping & entertainment center prevented

It seems to have been a complete hoax: an anonymous caller from a prepaid phone from Brussels said that exactly 5 years (60 months) after the Madrid train bombings on 03/11 (which was exactly 30 months after 09/11), a series of Al-Qaeda-style terrorist bomb attacks on a very busy shopping & entertainment area in Amsterdam is planned. It would include IKEA, the Heineken Music Hall, Media Market and a few more targets. Possibly killing 100s of people. Just imagine what would happen in a crowded Music Hall during a concert!

This anonymous tip from a Brussels' prepaid phone, brought the police into action, and a "cell" of seven persons is arrested. One of which, is a family member of one of the Marroccan perpetrators of the 03/11 Madrid bombings.

A crowded open society, trade and business oriented, like the Netherlands, with large Marroccan (partly Arab) communities, is extremely sensitive to Al Qaeda style attacks, but also to hoaxes. Especially, because of ongoing military involvement in the Afghanistan war, past military involvement in Irak, the Islam-critical movie of politician Geert Wilders whose party is virutally the number 1 party in the political polls. Happily, there was a lucky tip. And happily, there is dissent within the Arab communities about the sense of terrorist attacks for the Arabic and/or Islamic causes.

Although the Netherlands is not used to large-scale terrorist attacks - at least not since WWII and the Indonesian freedom war - the police and intelligence services have acted immediately and successfully upon the tip. Maybe overreacted? But betetr safe than sorry!

Effects of the crisis on Dubai and Georgia free zone projects

Although the Dubai real-estate and development market suffer from the financial crisis, and unemployment is rising, a 20 Billion USD refinancing takes care that the ongoing development projects can be continue. And the economy is still growing, not in a straight recession. Dubai, will be probably among the first countries to benefit when the worldwide recession is finally over.

Ongoing talks with Vato Lejava, chief advisor of the Georgian Prime Minister, are positive and productive. There is understanding for the need to change the Free Industrial Zones Law to accommodate services, in addition to physical goods. Subsequent talks with deputy ministers of Finance and Economy and Members of Parliament showed strong support for a Tbilisi iCity Free Zone concept. "We should have done that already many years ago!" was one remark.

In Georgia, the effects of the financial crisis can be felt. Many construction projects are frozen as banks have frozen assets or curbed hard currency loans. The interest on a EUR loan to a developer -for example- can be up to 30% annually. Crazy! Especially, when compared to the 5-6% that is paid in Western-Europe for a bank loan, and the ECB rate which is now down to 1.5%.

Government officials mention that they expect that the Rakia Group will very soon get a Free Zone license for the Poti harbour. That would indeed be a great step forwards for Georgia.