Dutch BBE Marines

The BBE is a Dutch Counter-terrorism unit. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x2048, 650 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x2048, 650 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ...

BBE stands for "Bijzondere Bijstands Eenheid", which means Special Assistance Unit. The Unit is part of Netherlands Marine Corps and was founded in the 1970s after the Munich Massacre at the Olympics on 5 September, 1972, when eight Palestinian terrorists took nine Israeli athletes hostage and killed two others. The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Netherlands. ... One of the Black September kidnappers on the balcony of the Israeli hostel at the Olympic village The Munich Massacre occurred at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September, now known to be... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ...

On February the 22nd 1973 the Dutch government decided to create a special Counter Terrorist Unit. The Dutch Marine Corps was selected because of its bad image at the time; the idea was that people's opinion would change about the Corps. The Dutch Marine Corps had the reputation of professional hardened soldiers. The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Netherlands. ...

The Unit has the credo of "Semper Paratus pro Justitia", which means "Always Ready for Justice".

Today the Unit has more than 150 members, all selected from the Marines. It has a professional reputation because of the many conflicts the unit has resolved.

Members of the different units use different weapons for their tasks. Assault unit members use the HK MP-5 and Colt Lawman .357 revolver or SIG-Sauer P-226. Snipers use either the FAL rifle, the H&K G3 MSG or the Steyr SSG. It is important to note, however, that members of BBE have been reluctant to use deadly force in the past, instead preferring to use methods that enable them to capture instead of kill.

They have seen combat on a couple of occasions. In October of 1974 the BBE retook Scheverngen prison from interned Palestine terrorists using only stun-grenades and hand-to-hand combat. This despite the fact that the terrorists were armed.

Their most famous exploit was the June 11, 1977 simultaneous assault of a school-house and train seized by South Moluccan terrorists. During the short battle for the train, six terrorists were killed: unfortunately, two hostages were as well. However, in their action over 200 people had been freed (105 children and 98 adults had been captured between the two locations). One of the unique aspects of their assault was the use of air force F-104 Starfighters for a diversion. At midnight, right before the assault, two F-104's flew over the train at supersonic speed, the resulting sonic boom disoriented the terrorists, making their efforts to fight back less effective.

Members of the BBE were in the Adriatic Sea ready to board vessels attempting to break the Serbian arms embargo in the early 1990s but were never used.

BBE can also be a TLA for the Bible In Basic English, a translation of the Bible into Basic English. The TLA (three-letter acronym or three-letter abbreviation) is the most popular type of abbreviation in technical terminology, and is also very common in general language. ... The Bible In Basic English (also known as BBE) is a translation of the Bible into Basic English. ... The holy Jewish scripture: The Torah. ... Basic English is a constructed language with a small number of words created by Charles Kay Ogden and described in his book Basic English: A General Introduction with Rules and Grammar (1930). ...

BBE also means "Before Battle of Endor", and was once used as a dating system for the Star Wars Universe, until the BBY system was adopted. Star Wars is a series of science fantasy films created by writer/producer/director George Lucas. ... Fans of the fictional Star Wars universe keep track of the dates of key events with a dating system (or calendar) centered around the Battle of Yavin featured in Star Wars: A New Hope. ...