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Brussels attacks highlight how Belgium became the hub of Islamist terror | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Isis has now claimed responsibility for the Brussels terror attacks in which at least 30 people have been killed and scores more injured. | |
But although the so-called Islamic State means Syria is the current focus for so many people, we shouldn’t think that Syria is the only source of terrorism. | |
Belgium has become the hub of Islamist terror groups. | |
Most of them are of a North African background; they come from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and a huge number have gone and fought in Syria, a lot of them with Isis. | |
How many terror cells are there? We don’t know how many. | |
There has obviously been a failure of intelligence in France and there has not been adequate liaison. | |
People say that if we leave the EU, then the terror threat will grow. But we can see the two countries side by side with a lack of intelligence being shared. | |
As far as the UK is concerned there is supposed to be around 800 British jihadists who have gone to fight in Syria. A number of them will fight for Isis when they come back to the UK. | |
We have had up to 4,000 people who have gone to terror training camps. | |
What is extraordinary is that the main terror suspect in the Paris attacks did not do very far, he did not flee he stayed in Belgium - right next door. | |
The Belgiums have said they were looking for five or six terror cells, but is a very fluid number. | |
Of course some were killed in the Paris attacks. Belgium is the hub of European terror and there has been a large turn towards that because we’ve seen things like Molenbeek. Because Belgium is so central, they can travel to other countries and carry out attacks there. | |
We don’t know the numbers of terrorists for sure, from the UK is it around 800. Belgium sends the largest number of people to Syria, per head of population. | We don’t know the numbers of terrorists for sure, from the UK is it around 800. Belgium sends the largest number of people to Syria, per head of population. |