Open thread / developing story: Brussels airport attacks

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

We must have all learned by now. Several explosions have occurred at the international airport in Brussels. The number of victims is still to be specified, but there's been widespread destruction. Some report of at least 11 dead and multiple injuries, and the number is growing. Pictures of devastation, a pillar of black smoke, body parts, bloodied faces, etc. You know the story.

There've been reports of several more explosive devices that were found around the airport but never detonated.

The obvious reason for choosing Brussels is that the terrorists want to demonstrate their prowess in infiltrating even the most fortified and (presumably) well-prepared cities and locations (Belgium was already being warned many times about imminent attack, Brussels was put on high alert for days, and the most wanted man from the Paris attacks was caught).

Don't have much of a comment right now. Information is still raw and scattered at this point. Our thoughts are with the people and guests of Belgium. There'll be time for analysis later, I'm sure.

Comments

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

I'm sometimes amazed by the lax security at airports. You can enter the waiting lounge and never be checked anywhere between the main entrance and the check-in desks by anyone. You could enter the main hall with a bag stacked with explosives, or walk well into the duty-free shop zone with a machine gun or whatever. And this, in a place that was already flooded with warnings from all sorts of secret services. Same in Austria, same across all Germany, Switzerland, etc, etc.

The only airport I've been to, where you can't even enter the hall without passing at least two checks (including a scanner and a metal detector), was Sheremetyevo in Moscow. Perhaps we could learn a few things from the Russkies.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be taking lessons from the Russians in terms of handling terrorism. Re: Beslan, their default mode seems to be "shoot first, ask later", i.e. throwing the baby away with the bath water.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. The checkpoint at the airport entrance is a must, though.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Don't know about handling terrorism, but they sure as hell somehow always manage to be first on the spot (https://www.facebook.com/pravda.ru/videos/10153628477789092/) in such cases. Not that this helps much, but there it is.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Okay, there are Russian tourists with iPhones in most places around the world - not sure how that's relevant.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I don't claim it to be.

[dreamville-bg.livejournal.com]

Here's something more relevant.

http://www.pravdareport.com/news/hotspots/terror/22-03-2016/133885-belgium_terrorist_attack-0/

(It's the Pravda, I know, I know).

Seems like Russia had warned Belgium of two Belarussian and one Dagestani who were planning suspicious activity - but those warnings were shunned because... well, it's Russia.

And the counter-point:

http://belsat.eu/en/news/belarus-born-is-militants-deny-russian-media-reports-on-their-participation-in-brussels-attacks/

They deny it.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Another explosion (http://www.jpost.com/International/Report-Multiple-people-injured-after-two-explosions-heard-at-Belgium-airport-448756) in the metro.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

While this is horrible, what amazes me even more than the horror of these acts is the way people are reacting as if the end of the world is night. I've been hearing sentiments like, what is this world coming to, they're invading us, Europe is done, peace is dead, and the cherry of the cake: we've never lived in bloodier times.

Well, "we" may have not; but are we forgetting that until not so long ago, terror attacks used to happen every week in half a dozen areas of the world, including Europe, people were dying by the scores every day, civil wars raged on every continent, and proxy wars staged by the great powers in the Cold War, etc.

In reality, despite the huge publicity and horror of acts like today's, the world has never been as peaceful as it is right now. There's no Armageddon coming, no mass death coming up, no impending disaster. People continue to kill each other for political and ideological reasons, yes, and they'll keep doing that. And yet, the hysterical alarmist apocalyptic whining is starting to get over the top already.

Our thoughts are still with the families of the victims, of course. And we desperately wish to never find ourselves in their position. We're all human, after all.

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Given the arrest of whatsisface from the Paris attacks, I imagine the cells in Brussels assumed their time was up and they had to act -- now or never. Horrible as this murderous death spasm is, we can hope this leaves the bad guys in a much weakened position, and the authorities with useful information.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Interesting point. This attack was carried out a bit sloppily when I think of it, I mean most of the explosives didn't detonate, some of the suicide belts were found abandoned, etc. Seems like those guys had planned this in a really big hurry indeed.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

This is a very good point.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

My thoughts go out to the Belgians. Even if it was a Samson in the Temple moment it did a lot of damage. O. X These attacks want fear and chaos as end results. My country is still paying for doing just that. I hope Belgium is wiser. O. X