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| US presidential candidates respond to attacks in Brussels | US presidential candidates respond to attacks in Brussels |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The first responses of the five US presidential candidates to the attacks in Brussels included expressions of solidarity, vows to defeat “radical Islamic terrorism”, criticism of Barack Obama, calls for and against torture and calls for and against closed borders. | The first responses of the five US presidential candidates to the attacks in Brussels included expressions of solidarity, vows to defeat “radical Islamic terrorism”, criticism of Barack Obama, calls for and against torture and calls for and against closed borders. |
| One candidate, the Texas Republican Ted Cruz, called for “law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized”. | |
| Related: Brussels bombings: witnesses describe 'apocalyptic' scenes | Related: Brussels bombings: witnesses describe 'apocalyptic' scenes |
| The candidates’ initial responses are below. | The candidates’ initial responses are below. |
| Donald Trump: close borders, ‘more than waterboarding’ | Donald Trump: close borders, ‘more than waterboarding’ |
| The Republican frontrunner was the first presidential hopeful to respond to the Brussels attacks, tweeting and then appearing on multiple television shows to promote an anti-immigration policy and endorse torture. | The Republican frontrunner was the first presidential hopeful to respond to the Brussels attacks, tweeting and then appearing on multiple television shows to promote an anti-immigration policy and endorse torture. |
| “We have to be very careful in the US, we have to be very vigilant as to who we let in this country,” he told Fox & Friends. | “We have to be very careful in the US, we have to be very vigilant as to who we let in this country,” he told Fox & Friends. |
| Trump said if he were president, his strict immigration policies would already have been in a place. If he was in a position to respond to the Brussels attacks, he said, he would give US citizens a “pep talk”. | Trump said if he were president, his strict immigration policies would already have been in a place. If he was in a position to respond to the Brussels attacks, he said, he would give US citizens a “pep talk”. |
| He also endorsed the use of torture for people who have information on terrorists. | He also endorsed the use of torture for people who have information on terrorists. |
| “If they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding,” Trump told NBC’s Today Show. “You have to get the information from people.” | “If they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding,” Trump told NBC’s Today Show. “You have to get the information from people.” |
| He told Fox the attacks were “not our fault”, but rather the fault of immigrant communities that do not inform authorities about neighbors’ suspicious behavior. | He told Fox the attacks were “not our fault”, but rather the fault of immigrant communities that do not inform authorities about neighbors’ suspicious behavior. |
| Ted Cruz: ‘Patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods’ | |
| “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized,” Cruz said in a statement posted to Facebook, adding: “The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we can be are at an end.” | |
| Our European allies are now seeing what comes of a toxic mix of migrants who have been infiltrated by terrorists and isolated, radical Muslim neighborhoods. | |
| We will do what we can to help them fight this scourge, and redouble our efforts to make sure it does not happen here. We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant al-Qaida or Isis presence. | |
| We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized. We need to secure the southern border to prevent terrorist infiltration. And we need to execute a coherent campaign to utterly destroy Isis. | |
| The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we can be are at an end. Our country is at stake. | |
| He also said: | |
| Radical Islam is at war with us. For over seven years we have had a president who refuses to acknowledge this reality. And the truth is, we can never hope to defeat this evil so long as we refuse to even name it. That ends on 20 January 2017, when I am sworn in as president. We will name our enemy – radical Islamic terrorism. And we will defeat it. | |
| Hillary Clinton: ‘vicious killers’ | Hillary Clinton: ‘vicious killers’ |
| Terrorists have once again struck at the heart of Europe, but their campaign of hate and fear will not succeed. The people of Brussels, of Europe, and of the world will not be intimidated by these vicious killers. | Terrorists have once again struck at the heart of Europe, but their campaign of hate and fear will not succeed. The people of Brussels, of Europe, and of the world will not be intimidated by these vicious killers. |
| Today Americans stand in solidarity with our European allies. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded, and all the people of Belgium. These terrorists seek to undermine the democratic values that are the foundation of our alliance and our way of life, but they will never succeed. Today’s attacks will only strengthen our resolve to stand together as allies and defeat terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. | Today Americans stand in solidarity with our European allies. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded, and all the people of Belgium. These terrorists seek to undermine the democratic values that are the foundation of our alliance and our way of life, but they will never succeed. Today’s attacks will only strengthen our resolve to stand together as allies and defeat terrorism and radical jihadism around the world. |
| Clinton also called in to the Today show. She called the attacks “deeply distressing” but said closed borders were not the answer, and the “dream of a whole, free Europe … should not be walked away from”. | Clinton also called in to the Today show. She called the attacks “deeply distressing” but said closed borders were not the answer, and the “dream of a whole, free Europe … should not be walked away from”. |
| She opposed torture. Security officials “do not need to resort to torture, but they are going to need more help”, she said. | She opposed torture. Security officials “do not need to resort to torture, but they are going to need more help”, she said. |
| John Kasich: ‘redouble efforts with our allies’ | John Kasich: ‘redouble efforts with our allies’ |
| I want to express my solidarity with the people of Belgium in the aftermath of the attacks that took place in Brussels. Along with every American, I am sickened by the pictures of the carnage, by the injuries and by the loss of life. | I want to express my solidarity with the people of Belgium in the aftermath of the attacks that took place in Brussels. Along with every American, I am sickened by the pictures of the carnage, by the injuries and by the loss of life. |
| The wave of terror that has been unleashed in Europe and elsewhere around the world are attacks against our very way of life and against the democratic values upon which our political systems have been built. | The wave of terror that has been unleashed in Europe and elsewhere around the world are attacks against our very way of life and against the democratic values upon which our political systems have been built. |
| We and our allies must rededicate ourselves to these values of freedom and human rights. We must utterly reject the use of deadly acts of terror. | We and our allies must rededicate ourselves to these values of freedom and human rights. We must utterly reject the use of deadly acts of terror. |
| We must also redouble our efforts with our allies to identify, root out and destroy the perpetrators of such acts of evil. | We must also redouble our efforts with our allies to identify, root out and destroy the perpetrators of such acts of evil. |
| Bernie Sanders: ‘barbarism cannot continue’ | Bernie Sanders: ‘barbarism cannot continue’ |
| We offer our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this barbaric attack and to the people of Brussels who were the target of another cowardly attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. We stand with our European allies to offer any necessary assistance in these difficult times. | We offer our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in this barbaric attack and to the people of Brussels who were the target of another cowardly attempt to terrorize innocent civilians. We stand with our European allies to offer any necessary assistance in these difficult times. |
| Today’s attack is a brutal reminder that the international community must come together to destroy Isis. This type of barbarism cannot be allowed to continue. | Today’s attack is a brutal reminder that the international community must come together to destroy Isis. This type of barbarism cannot be allowed to continue. |