Explosion at Brussels Airport.

[El Cid]

But the vast majority of suicide bombers who have been involved in attacks within Europe have not arrived as refugees.

I am well aware of that. My point was that we now have the probability of the number of terrorists increasing in the future due to the influx of refugees.

Relevant report here http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/653 ... on-attacks

Sid

[katy]

Parilla I agree with everything you say. The West has given in for far too long. Whilst we wring our hands over water boarding and pay human rights Lawyers at least £500 ph. To sue the Government, thousands are running around beheading innocents. Seems as if we are just waiting for the next atrocity and hope that our loved ones aren't caught up in it. Meanwhile we light candles and illuminate buildings and after a few days read the luvvies in the newspapers apologising to Muslims. Je Suisse Bruxelles. About time we had banners saying Je suis pd off with religious maniacs.

Problem is with Airports is they are now built more as shopping malls than a place to get from A to B. Impossible to secure. My concern has always been the vast amount of deliveries of supplies for these places. I am also uneasy at the amount of hijab wearing staff working in these places. I am uneasy when a couple of bearded ones wearing backpacks get on the tube. Suffering from Islamaphobia, absolutely, and why not! I am quite comfortable with an Indian in a turban.

Perhaps it would be better to have Airports like Bus stations where you line up with your baggage, hand it over outside the plane and that's it

[markwilding]

The shopping Mall parts of airports are after the security checks. . They are actually safer than normal shopping malls

[Lavanda]

Agree again, Free at Last. I've been banging on about home-grown terrorists for years now and it's nice to read someone else singing my song. Not to confuse threads but leaving the EU will not solve the danger of terrorist attacks in the UK. It's interesting to read that the identified Belgium brothers thought responsible for the attacks in Brussels were "known to the police". While I don't agree with wholesale rounding up of everyone I do think the police need to stop being PC and round up those "known" to them. Good heavens. We are at war. However, only France has actually made a declaration of war against the terrorists. That, in itself, speaks volumes about our stupid governments in the West.

[katy]

The shopping Mall parts of airports are after the security checks. . They are actually safer than normal shopping malls

There are lots of shops before security at Heathrow and Gatwick. I have often wandered around if picking up someone. You could buy a suitcase to put your bomb in, pills from Boots, even have a bet. Plus all the usual eateries.

[katy]

Lavanda, the scumbags are always known to the Police. When we hear of X number of plots foiled it is because they were being watched. They cannot just be arrested without proof, remember human rights.

[markwilding]

How naïve and simplistic,

if we want to create more jihadists, lets just chuck everybody who looks like a terrorist in prison.

If you look at the main cause in the growth of ISIS, it was the mistake of interning suspects in IRAQ all together, no matter if they were innocent or not, which led to festering resentment and the radicalization of young men who were not previously so

It's illegal to plot terrorism in the UK and human rights don't come into it. The simple fact is for every few plots foiled, some are going to be successful. As Lavanda says this is a war but not in the traditional way.

[katy]

America does have better airport and sea port security. Sniffer dogs everywhere. Arrive off a ship in Miami and not one bag leaves the terminal without the dogs checking. They pass down the line at custom control, even balance on hind legs to sniff backpacks. They are active all the time in airport baggage halls too. Amazing to see them operate. Heathrow uses them too but not as extensively.

I assume entrance doors at airports are monitored all the time by trained operators. Surprised that in Brussels two men of Asian appearance both wearing one black glove did not warrant at least pulling over for questioning.

[katy]

This is brilliant. A bit of what I said but he writes it so much better Includes someone will pop up and say someone has said something inappropriate

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/03/a- ... nse-begin/

[markwilding]

You and the writer are all part of the process. It basically points out the blooming obvious that we all have differing opinions.
Nothing clever in that.

I see he doesn't mention that after the hope part, we get the cynics lining up to make a name for themselves .

[olive]

Known to police. I hope the powers that be are actually having a good look at interforce co op. Seems the Belgian police is split into French and Walloon parts. And how much info is shared between countries.

Does anyone remember the old fashioned policing in the UK when the copper turned up and shaked someone down. Perhaps investigating stolen car parts. Went down for a look see and what is in this locked shed please? Can't do that anymore easily for human rights, search warrants and the like. Or in the case of terrorists you are met with an armed response and/or a suicide vest.

I am afraid that Snowdens leaks helped terrorists in getting hold of valuable US and Western world intel secrets compromising SIGINT and HUMINT.

Mark, you are right that interning the IRAQ suspects helped foment Satanic State. Wouldn't have happened if they had been in solitary confinement and seperated over numerous sites. We just left them to check out folks ideology and recruit the best.

[olive]

See what I mean.

One of the Brussels attackers was caught in Turkey in June last year and deported to Belgium, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said

Belgium authorities released the suspect despite Turkish warnings he was "a foreign fighter", the president added.

He did not name the attacker, who he said was detained at Turkey's border with Syria at Gaziantep.

President Erdogan said: "Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, Belgium could not establish any links with terrorism."

An official in the Turkish president's office later said the attacker deported from Turkey was Brahim el-Bakraoui. Earlier reports suggested el-Bakraoui was deported to Belgium, but this was later corrected to the Netherlands.

Shocking.

[Lavanda]

Yes it's shocking but not totally surprising. Our leaders are just not engaged with what is going on. They are more concerned with the financial crisis in the EU and political posturing. How many more times will we read "... known to police ..." etc.

[katy]

Wasn't there a big row a few years ago about reducing the amount of time suspects can be held without being charged?

For those on the outrage bus the pro-EU FT was the first to make a political opportunity out of the attack. Read a print edition the morning after with the headline 'more Europe is the answer to better security' which indicates it had to be written the evening of the attack

Anyway, it's reaching it's climax. Kay Burley has wandered amongst the candles and flowers, London lit up some landmarks after criticism, people have draped the Belgium flag over their Facebook photos. We continue to queue at airports....until the next time. I forsee the day when there will be a competition as to which country has the best lit up building and who was the first to do so similar to New Year. Now reaching the hug a Muslim stage!

[Girlingfoss]

Just a note the sniffer dogs at US airports etc, are mainly there to stop imports of fruit and certain food stuffs, also probably drugs, We got caught by a cute little beagle that found a tomato We had forgotten in a cooler we had used the day before.

Terrorisms aim is to disrupt free societies and to force restrictions on its citizens, so far they seem to be succeeding. GW Bush and T Blair have a lot to answer for, they laid the foundation for the mess in the mideast today.

[detourer]

No, the foundation was laid by that chappy called Mohammed around 1500 years ago...........

[peteroldracer]

Got any nice pictures of him?

[katy]

There are a few cartoons knocking around

[katy]

Just a note the sniffer dogs at US airports etc, are mainly there to stop imports of fruit and certain food stuffs, also probably drugs, We got caught by a cute little beagle that found a tomato We had forgotten in a cooler we had used the day before.

Terrorisms aim is to disrupt free societies and to force restrictions on its citizens, so far they seem to be succeeding. GW Bush and T Blair have a lot to answer for, they laid the foundation for the mess in the mideast today.

Yes, agree. I think it is mainly drugs but other things come to light too, the dogs even smell money OH fell foul of Australian authorities after playing golf in Singapore he entered with stuff on golf shoes in his bag.

Terrorism must be having an impact on tourism long term. Some just a fear of flying. On the other hand bookings to some Greek Islands are well Down. Lesbos by 90%.

[alaskadiver]

Are you kidding me? The mess in the Middle East has been ongoing for hundreds and hundreds of years. The most recent mess actually started after the UK left those countries to their own devices after WWII. You can blame the political party you disagree with but the fact remains that all the presidents have sucked at dealing with the Middle East. The current president has done nothing to improve the situation, either.