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| Belgian connection to Paris attacks adds strain to French relations | Belgian connection to Paris attacks adds strain to French relations |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, has vowed to wage an “implacable” crackdown on Islamist radicalism in Brussels amid growing assertions that the Paris attacks were masterminded from Molenbeek, a city centre borough regularly linked to jihadi violence and plotting. | The Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, has vowed to wage an “implacable” crackdown on Islamist radicalism in Brussels amid growing assertions that the Paris attacks were masterminded from Molenbeek, a city centre borough regularly linked to jihadi violence and plotting. |
| The Michel government is facing intense pressure from its EU allies, particularly France, to get to grips with terrorism. Molenbeek has repeatedly been linked with attacks in Europe over the past 10 years. At least two of three brothers, French nationals living in Molenbeek, are said to have comprised one of the three cells responsible for Friday’s atrocities. | The Michel government is facing intense pressure from its EU allies, particularly France, to get to grips with terrorism. Molenbeek has repeatedly been linked with attacks in Europe over the past 10 years. At least two of three brothers, French nationals living in Molenbeek, are said to have comprised one of the three cells responsible for Friday’s atrocities. |
| One of the brothers, Ibrahim Abdeslam, killed himself in the attacks; another, Salah, is on the run. The third, Mohamed, was arrested at home in Molenbeek on Saturday. He was released on Monday with four others also detained at the weekend. Two people remain in custody. | |
| Related: Molenbeek: the Brussels borough becoming known as Europe's jihadi central | Related: Molenbeek: the Brussels borough becoming known as Europe's jihadi central |
| “We have not confirmed them as terrorists,” said a spokesman for Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office. | “We have not confirmed them as terrorists,” said a spokesman for Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office. |
| Michel told Belgian television: “Measures will be deployed in the fight against radicalism in Molenbeek as well as in other muncipalities.” He said the national security council would draft an action plan. “We need to show implacable firmness against the rising power of extremism,” he added. | Michel told Belgian television: “Measures will be deployed in the fight against radicalism in Molenbeek as well as in other muncipalities.” He said the national security council would draft an action plan. “We need to show implacable firmness against the rising power of extremism,” he added. |
| Michel, a francophone liberal, and his interior minister, Jan Jambon, a Flemish conservative, have faced criticism from the French authorities, who have sent detectives to Brussels to take part in the investigations into the Belgian connections. | Michel, a francophone liberal, and his interior minister, Jan Jambon, a Flemish conservative, have faced criticism from the French authorities, who have sent detectives to Brussels to take part in the investigations into the Belgian connections. |
| Jambon was summoned to Paris on Sunday for talks with Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, and sounded sheepish when delivering a joint media statement. Cazeneuve was quick to pin part of the blame for the atrocities on Belgium. | Jambon was summoned to Paris on Sunday for talks with Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, and sounded sheepish when delivering a joint media statement. Cazeneuve was quick to pin part of the blame for the atrocities on Belgium. |
| “The wretched attacks were prepared abroad and mobilised by a team of actors living on Belgian territory,” he said. French investigators say the attacks were “planned and financed” from Belgium. Michel was forced to concede the point. “We have now understood that there is a link between Belgium and the Paris attacks.” | “The wretched attacks were prepared abroad and mobilised by a team of actors living on Belgian territory,” he said. French investigators say the attacks were “planned and financed” from Belgium. Michel was forced to concede the point. “We have now understood that there is a link between Belgium and the Paris attacks.” |
| EU interior ministers are to meet in emergency session on Friday at France’s request. Jambon will find himself in an uncomfortable position. He has taken the unusual route of blaming the authorities’ failure to tackle extremism on the country’s complicated bureaucratic and administrative structures in a highly decentralised system often said to be dysfunctional. Political party rivalries are also hampering a concerted approach. | EU interior ministers are to meet in emergency session on Friday at France’s request. Jambon will find himself in an uncomfortable position. He has taken the unusual route of blaming the authorities’ failure to tackle extremism on the country’s complicated bureaucratic and administrative structures in a highly decentralised system often said to be dysfunctional. Political party rivalries are also hampering a concerted approach. |
| The intensity of the spotlight on lax Belgian security will depend on the details that emerge from the ongoing investigations. | The intensity of the spotlight on lax Belgian security will depend on the details that emerge from the ongoing investigations. |
| Related: Belgian ‘jihadi leader’ remains free despite two arrests in Greece | Related: Belgian ‘jihadi leader’ remains free despite two arrests in Greece |
| An unnamed Belgian intelligence source told the Flemish newspaper De Morgen that the Belgians had made unconscionable blunders. | An unnamed Belgian intelligence source told the Flemish newspaper De Morgen that the Belgians had made unconscionable blunders. |
| “The perpetrators used Brussels and districts like Molenbeek as the logistics base for the Paris attacks. It’s inconceivable that the terror cell remained under the radar of the intelligence services. Two of the three perpetrators were on the security service list. The members of the terror cell could buy explosives and weapons undisturbed and rent cars. We call this an ‘impermissible intelligence gap’ in the specialist jargon. In plain speech, we call it a blunder.” | “The perpetrators used Brussels and districts like Molenbeek as the logistics base for the Paris attacks. It’s inconceivable that the terror cell remained under the radar of the intelligence services. Two of the three perpetrators were on the security service list. The members of the terror cell could buy explosives and weapons undisturbed and rent cars. We call this an ‘impermissible intelligence gap’ in the specialist jargon. In plain speech, we call it a blunder.” |
| The source added that it was conceivable that all the attackers in Paris had travelled there from Brussels. | The source added that it was conceivable that all the attackers in Paris had travelled there from Brussels. |
| Jambon is from the NVA, or New Flemish Alliance, conservative Flemish nationalists edging towards separatism who regularly criticise Brussels. The NVA is led by Bart de Wever, the mayor of Antwerp. Jambon said Brussels was the only place in Belgium where jihadism was on the rise, while it was being successfully dealt with in his party’s Antwerp heartland. | Jambon is from the NVA, or New Flemish Alliance, conservative Flemish nationalists edging towards separatism who regularly criticise Brussels. The NVA is led by Bart de Wever, the mayor of Antwerp. Jambon said Brussels was the only place in Belgium where jihadism was on the rise, while it was being successfully dealt with in his party’s Antwerp heartland. |
| Belgium has long been split between Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia to the south. Powers have been highly decentralised to try to prevent the country from breaking apart. The impact of such devolution is said to damage intelligence and security operations. Jambon complained that the city of Brussels has six different police forces. The Flemish nationalists routinely ascribe failures of immigrant integration in places such as Molenbeek to leftwing liberals running some of the Brussels boroughs. | Belgium has long been split between Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia to the south. Powers have been highly decentralised to try to prevent the country from breaking apart. The impact of such devolution is said to damage intelligence and security operations. Jambon complained that the city of Brussels has six different police forces. The Flemish nationalists routinely ascribe failures of immigrant integration in places such as Molenbeek to leftwing liberals running some of the Brussels boroughs. |
| Of the seven people arrested at the weekend, the federal prosecutors said two were French nationals who had been living in Belgium for some time, one in Molenbeek and the other in Brussels proper. | Of the seven people arrested at the weekend, the federal prosecutors said two were French nationals who had been living in Belgium for some time, one in Molenbeek and the other in Brussels proper. |