logo

Colonization by Immigration

Blood in Brussels (Updated)

"Scores" dead in the heart of the European Union.

BY CounterJihad · @CounterjihadUS | March 22, 2016

The current count is 34 dead in Brussels, the physical home of the European Union.  At least one of the attacks was a suicide bomb.  At this time, much about the attacks remains a matter of speculation.  All the speculation is running in one direction, however.  Witness reports include indication of shouting in Arabic just before the explosions at the airport.  Two leading institutions at the opposing terminals of the Islamic world — ISIS and Egypt’s al Azhar university — are both treating the attacks as incidents of Islamic terrorism.

Al Azhar condemned the attacks, as yet unclaimed, as “heinous” violations of “the tolerant teachings” of Islam.  ISIS supporters cheered the attacks as stalwart expressions of the noble teachings of Islam.

“With the permission of God, the lions came to take revenge for the killing of Muslims in Syria and Iraq,” one supporter of the terror group posted on Twitter.  Another declared: “#Brussels, if you continue your war against the religion of Allah then this is our response.” Another shared a graphic image that allegedly showed a man who was wounded, and declared: “Allahu Akbar, #Belgium_is_on_fire_from_explosives.”

At this time the actual identity of the attackers remains unknown.  One possibility discussed in the press is that these attacks were retribution for the recent arrest of Salah Abdelslam, the mastermind of the autumn’s attacks in Paris.  If so, these attacks were ISIS-linked in the same way that the Paris attacks were the expression of his homegrown ISIS-supporting cells.

However, rather than carefully-planned retribution, it is likely that the attacks were plans in the works that were rushed to execution by AbdeIslam’s arrest.  With his arrest, cell leaders would have known that time was limited before his interrogation could reveal their plans.  It is likely that they expedited any planned attacks in order to make sure that they were able to execute them before police broke up their cells.  If that is the case — and it is only speculation — then this is likely the culmination of his cells’ work rather than the beginning of a new campaign.

The reason this speculation seems plausible has to do with the manner of AbdeIslam’s long evasion of the police.  As the Soufan Group points out, he was able to hide within Brussels itself.  After the Paris attacks, he simply went home to his neighborhood, where tight-knit family and Muslim connections shielded him from any contact with police.

Abdelslam was sheltered by associates and friends…. It was difficult to find him because most fugitives are caught when they move or communicate[.] Abdelslam was mostly able to avoid activating any counterterrorism trip lines by staying in one place, if not one residence. Those sheltering him were just beyond the periphery of his known associates that investigators focused on early.

Likely, then, he had a cell composed of friends and family that was severed and separate from the ones that executed the Paris attacks.  As the connection point between the cells in Brussels and the ones who led the Paris attacks, his arrest marked the moment at which security forces could intrude upon the remaining cells touched by AbdeIslam.  It would have been a tactically sound decision for the cells’ remaining leadership to go into immediate action knowing that they were compromised.

We will know more as facts continue to come in.

UPDATE:  ISIS claims responsibility.

In a statement released through one of its propaganda outlets, the so-called Islamic State said “explosive belts and devices” were used.

“Islamic State fighters opened fire inside Zaventem Airport, before several of them detonated their explosive belts, as a martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maalbeek Metro station,” a spokesperson said. “The attacks resulted in more than 230 dead and wounded.”…

Abdeslam, the only surviving attacker from Isis’ massacres in Paris in November, had reportedly told investigators he was part of a cell planning further atrocities in Brussels after a large cache of weapons was found.

Backgrounders

BREAKING NEWS & RESEARCH

6 Reasons Why Donald Trump Should Adjust Immigration and Refugee Policy to Stop Importing Jihadists

The President has clear Constitutional authority to pause immigration from countries and regions known to be incubators for jihadi terrorism in defense of U.S. national interests.

 

Turkey’s Brain Drain

The Islamist tyranny from the Erdogan regime is stripping Turkey of many of its best minds.

 

Europe Begins to Take Immigration Seriously

The victory of Donald Trump cements the fear among European elites that was first stoked by Brexit. Can they change quickly enough for their voters?