EU selects Dutchman as antiterror czar

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - European leaders named a former Dutch minister Thursday to coordinate new counterterrorism efforts at their first summit since the deadly Spain rail bombings exposed the continent's vulnerability to terror attacks.

Presidents and prime ministers from 25 nations approved Gijs de Vries, a former Dutch deputy interior minister, for the post.

De Vries seems a surprising choice: no experience in intelligence, limited political weight, representing one of Europe's smallest countries.

Nonetheless, analysts and colleagues say his intellect, political savvy and dry, businesslike approach could be the qualities needed to stitch together Europe's disjointed efforts to fight terror.

His task is formidable, a mandate requiring a skilled bureaucrat rather than a tough lawman. He will be responsible for shepherding antiterrorist legislation through the parliaments of Europe's 15 - soon to be 25 - countries, and for coordinating the region's disparate law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Although EU governments are committed to stepping up antiterrorism cooperation, France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain see only a limited role for the EU itself. Instead, they prefer their secret services to cooperate more bilaterally outside the EU framework.

Even when they agree, governments find it hard to act in concert.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the EU announced the creation of an EU-wide arrest warrant to avoid lengthy extradition proceedings for detained terrorist suspects. But so far, parliaments in five countries - including De Vries's own Netherlands - have failed to enact the required legislation.

Gijs de Vries (pronounced Gice de Vreece) 48, was born in New York and holds joint U.S.-Dutch citizenship. He was deputy internal minister from 1998 to 2002 and is fluent in English, French, German and Dutch.

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