ISIS has yet again taken responsibility for a string of terrorist attacks unleashed in Brussels. On Tuesday, March 22, 2016, three bombs were detonated shortly after each other. The attacks began in the main international airport of Brussels located in the town of Zaventem. Just shortly before 8 a.m. local time, the first bomb went off in the departure terminal of the airport. Seconds later, another bomb went off in the same departure terminal. At 9:11 a.m., a third bomb went off in the last car of a subway train that was pulling out of the Maelbeek Station. The Maelbeek station is located in the center of Brussels and in close proximity to the headquarters of the European Union. So far, the attacks have left at least thirty people dead and over two hundred people wounded.
Officials believe that the terrorists involved in the airport bombings used luggage bombs. Security cameras captured footage showing three men pushing luggage carts. Two of the men appeared to be wearing gloves on their left hands and the third man was wearing a dark hat and white jacket. Frédéric Van Leeuw, Belgium’s federal prosecutor, believes that the two men wearing gloves are “believed to have been suicide bombers” and the third man is still at large. Both of the airport luggage bombs went off in the departure terminal of the airport, right before passengers go through airport security. This is the only place in airports where people, whether they have airline tickets or not, can enter and not be searched by security. Clearly, the terrorists have found a weak link in the security systems of airports worldwide and this issue needs to be addressed.
After the terrorist attacks in Belgium this morning, security has been increased worldwide at all major transportation hubs, thoroughfares and landmarks, especially in the United States. In New York City, there has been an increase of police and military presence at its three major airports: John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. At Penn Station, there were police checkpoints where briefcases and bags were checked and an overall increase in police presence. The Mayor of New York City, Bill De Blasio stated: "NYPD is on increased alert across our city. While we take this threat seriously, we will not live in fear. Our lives will continue today in honor of those lost to terrorism. Securing New York City is our show of solidarity with the people of Brussels and the victims of terrorism worldwide.” Similar to the precautions taken in New York, officials in Chicago increased police presence at airports, transportation hubs, and other busy locations. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel stated, “We will remain vigilant to ensure the safety and security of all of our residents.” In Washington D.C., the city announced that there would be increased K-9 and police patrols on the subways. Police chief, Cathy Lanier urged residents to stay alert and report anything unusual to the proper officials. She stated the quote that has been ingrained in the minds of Americans since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, “If you see something, say something.”
For the United States, the terrorist attacks in Brussels certainly hit home and raise a number of issues, especially in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. Two issues that have been heavily debated are immigration and the Syrian refugee crisis. If the terrorists in these attacks prove to be immigrants or refugees, just as they were in the November 13th Paris attacks, the American people will certainly be looking to elect a president who is tough on immigration. Both Ted Cruz and Donald trump reacted to the attacks and criticized President Obama’s handling of ISIS. Cruz stated, “The first job of the president is to be commander in chief…If I am president, I will destroy ISIS.” Cruz also stated that the visa waiver program “no doubt” needs “serious scrutiny” and called for an “immediate halt” to Obama’s plan to allow tens of thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States. Trump responded by stating, “Brussels was a beautiful city, a beautiful place with zero crime, and now it’s a disaster city.”
Following these terrorist attacks, it is clear that the United States needs to increase its police and military presence in cities where there could possibly be a similar attack. Furthermore, the United States needs to take a strong position in the worldwide fight against the Islamic terrorist group ISIS. If this radical group is not eliminated, it is likely that they will continue to grow and attack other cities worldwide, possibly in the United States. ISIS poses a strong risk to national security for the United States and other nations worldwide. With these recent attacks, U.S. officials should revisit their immigration policies and foreign policy.
For now, the United States and its citizens stand in solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attacks in Brussels and the country of Belgium as a whole. As President Obama put it, “We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing justice to those who are responsible.”
