the deployment of six planes
Asscher acknowledged that the Dutch role in the fight against Islamic State brings risks not only to the troops and pilots involved, but also at home.
"The Netherlands will gain a higher profile among jihadis. We are ready," Asscher said. "The threat profile is monitored permanently and our security services are prepared."
The terror threat level in the Netherlands is currently "substantial," the second highest of four levels used by the country's anti-terror coordinator.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, called for support for organizations documenting human rights abuses in Syria so that perpetrators can eventually be brought to justice.
"These crimes are being committed now, so we have to talk to witnesses and Syrian refugees who have managed to flee the country," Timmermans said in a statement. "You can gather a huge amount of information. That is the only way to ensure that criminals do not avoid their punishment."
