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| Brussels attacks: bomber 'caught in Turkey last June' says Turkish president – live | Brussels attacks: bomber 'caught in Turkey last June' says Turkish president – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.47pm GMT | |
| 19:47 | |
| Arthur Neslen | |
| Arthur Neslen has been speaking to survivors of the twin attacks in Brussels. Here’s an interview with David Crunelle, an art director who was at Zaventem airport when the bombs went off: | |
| Four minutes before Tuesday morning’s explosion at the Zaventem airport, David Crunelle, a 36-year-old art director, arrived at the main hall to drop off his luggage for a flight to Japan. The counter was opposite the check-in booths run by Delta and American Airlines. | |
| “Suddenly, there was a huge blast and dust crashed down from the ceiling,” he said. “We heard people screaming, shouting and panicking. Then there was another blast a few seconds later. I was 20 metres from the first explosion so my right eardrum was slightly damaged by the noise.” | |
| In an instant, the hall was transformed into a theatre of glass, dust and bomb casualties strewn across the floor and shrouded in smoke, he said. | |
| “A lot of people had their skin cut off or damaged by small pieces of glass that had exploded from the ceiling, windows and walls,” Crunelle said. “Injured people were walking out dizzy and in complete shock. In the center of this hall, close to the second explosion, I saw between five and seven bodies on the ground.” | |
| The airport’s artificial ceiling was collapsing, which made it hard to see. “We saw a few corpses – I don’t want to say corpses but people who weren’t able to walk or stand up – right at the end of the terminal.” | |
| “I didn’t notice the two people but I’m sure we arrived at around the same time and our paths crossed,” Crunelle said. “I feel very, very lucky to be alive”. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.48pm GMT | |
| 7.33pm GMT | |
| 19:33 | |
| Kareem Shaheen | |
| Turkish officials have provided more detail of Ibrahim Bakraoui’s detention and deportation from Turkey in the summer of 2015, including on their warnings to Belgium that he was a suspected foreign fighter, writes the Guardian’s Middle East reporter Kareem Shaheen. | |
| Bakraoui arrived in Antalya, a popular tourist destination, in June 2015. He was detained a week later in Gaziantep by Turkish security forces, who flagged him after he had entered the country as a potential foreign fighter that Turkey believed intended to travel to Syria. | |
| Belgium was informed of his arrest by Turkey on the 14th of July, and the Belgian authorities replied on the 20th of July, saying they had detained Bakraoui before but had released him because they were unable to find any terror links. Turkey wrote back to Belgium warning them that he was considered a foreign fighter with links to Syria. | |
| Bakraoui was deported to the Netherlands upon his request. Since Belgium did not request an extradition, he was free to travel anywhere in the EU zone. In such a situation, the Turkish government informs the country of nationality (Belgium) and the destination country (the Netherlands) of his status. | |
| Turkey currently has over 38,000 individuals from 128 countries who are banned from entering Turkey, and have deported over 3,200 individuals. | |
| Updated | |
| at 7.36pm GMT | |
| 7.28pm GMT | |
| 19:28 | |
| According to several French and Belgian media reports, the second Zaventem airport suicide bomber has been identified by Belgian authorities as Najim Laachraoui. | |
| Le Monde is reporting that Laachraoui was identified by his DNA, which Agence France-Presse is eporting was found at several hide-outs used by the November Paris attackers, as well as on explosive material used during the November attacks on Paris and Saint-Denis. | |
| The Guardian has not yet independently verified these reports. | |
| 7.07pm GMT | 7.07pm GMT |
| 19:07 | 19:07 |
| Update: 300 wounded, 61 remain in intensive care, 40 nationalities | Update: 300 wounded, 61 remain in intensive care, 40 nationalities |
| Here’s an update on the conditions of the wounded, from the office of Belgian Health minister Maggie de Block. Here are the main updates: | |
| (read the announcement in French) | (read the announcement in French) |
| More on the hospitals treating the wounded here: | More on the hospitals treating the wounded here: |
| Related: 'These are war wounds': Brussels hospitals treat terror attack victims | Related: 'These are war wounds': Brussels hospitals treat terror attack victims |
| Updated | |
| at 7.49pm GMT | |
| 6.46pm GMT | 6.46pm GMT |
| 18:46 | 18:46 |
| Kareem Shaheen | Kareem Shaheen |
| More on the 2015 deportation from Turkey of Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, one of the two suspected Zaventem airport bombers, from Middle East reporter Kareem Shaheen who spoke with a Turkish counter-terrorism official: | More on the 2015 deportation from Turkey of Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, one of the two suspected Zaventem airport bombers, from Middle East reporter Kareem Shaheen who spoke with a Turkish counter-terrorism official: |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.33pm GMT | |
| 6.24pm GMT | 6.24pm GMT |
| 18:24 | 18:24 |
| Earlier today, Belgian police raided a house in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht, and detained someone – mistakenly identified by early media reports as the fugitive suspect Najim Laachraoui. Paul Nolan visited Anderlecht following news of the raids: | Earlier today, Belgian police raided a house in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht, and detained someone – mistakenly identified by early media reports as the fugitive suspect Najim Laachraoui. Paul Nolan visited Anderlecht following news of the raids: |
| Burly masked men from Belgian’s security forces huddled outside a residence in Anderlecht, the latest building that appears to have a connection to terrorism. | Burly masked men from Belgian’s security forces huddled outside a residence in Anderlecht, the latest building that appears to have a connection to terrorism. |
| Locals looked on incredulously as the masked men exited with boxes filled with files before speeding away in dark cars. | Locals looked on incredulously as the masked men exited with boxes filled with files before speeding away in dark cars. |
| Michelle, 43, who lives two blocks away, said she was worried but not surprised by the raid. A cafeteria worker at a local school, she said that teachers were generally unable to control the students at the school, and she linked the terror attacks to the violence she sees in the playground. She said she would move far away if she could afford it. | Michelle, 43, who lives two blocks away, said she was worried but not surprised by the raid. A cafeteria worker at a local school, she said that teachers were generally unable to control the students at the school, and she linked the terror attacks to the violence she sees in the playground. She said she would move far away if she could afford it. |
| A grim industrial-looking canal runs through the neighborhood alongside car spare parts businesses. Tourists are drawn to the Erasmus Museum and Jean-Claude Van Damme has his very own statue here. | A grim industrial-looking canal runs through the neighborhood alongside car spare parts businesses. Tourists are drawn to the Erasmus Museum and Jean-Claude Van Damme has his very own statue here. |
| Vincent, 53, has been living here for the past 16 years. He is part of the Flemish-speaking minority in Brussels though speaks fluent French. Sipping a beer outside Chez Marie on Place de la Vaillance, he said traditional Belgian brasseries like this one are a dying breed. Moroccans, he said, have become the majority and changed the face of Anderlecht. Although he accepts the change, he said he is nostalgic for the past. | Vincent, 53, has been living here for the past 16 years. He is part of the Flemish-speaking minority in Brussels though speaks fluent French. Sipping a beer outside Chez Marie on Place de la Vaillance, he said traditional Belgian brasseries like this one are a dying breed. Moroccans, he said, have become the majority and changed the face of Anderlecht. Although he accepts the change, he said he is nostalgic for the past. |
| But two locals, Janaid, 19, and Anass, 21, have a more optimistic view of the area having grown up here. On the way to play basketball with friends, they said Anderlecht has a lot to offer. They never feel bored or threatened. When asked if they were shocked that Anderlecht could be connected to the terror attack they said they had heard the news on the radio and found it hard to believe. | But two locals, Janaid, 19, and Anass, 21, have a more optimistic view of the area having grown up here. On the way to play basketball with friends, they said Anderlecht has a lot to offer. They never feel bored or threatened. When asked if they were shocked that Anderlecht could be connected to the terror attack they said they had heard the news on the radio and found it hard to believe. |
| Further up the road, military personnel and armored vehicles guarded the entrance to metro Saint Guidon. A local Stib transport official said people have been steering clear of public transport despite only 10 stations being closed. Shopkeepers and businesses were for the most part operational, even if under a latent threat of impending terror. The question that remains is whether this is the new normal. | Further up the road, military personnel and armored vehicles guarded the entrance to metro Saint Guidon. A local Stib transport official said people have been steering clear of public transport despite only 10 stations being closed. Shopkeepers and businesses were for the most part operational, even if under a latent threat of impending terror. The question that remains is whether this is the new normal. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.54pm GMT | at 6.54pm GMT |
| 6.07pm GMT | 6.07pm GMT |
| 18:07 | 18:07 |
| Brussels airport has announced a suspension of all passenger flights until Saturday 26 March. | Brussels airport has announced a suspension of all passenger flights until Saturday 26 March. |
| There will be no passenger flights into and out of #brusselsairport till Friday 25 March included. Contact your airline for flight info. | There will be no passenger flights into and out of #brusselsairport till Friday 25 March included. Contact your airline for flight info. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.14pm GMT | at 6.14pm GMT |
| 5.43pm GMT | 5.43pm GMT |
| 17:43 | 17:43 |
| Turkey: Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was attacker detained and deported | Turkey: Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was attacker detained and deported |
| A Turkish government official has confirmed to the Guardian that the bomber referred to in Erdogan’s earlier statement is Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. | A Turkish government official has confirmed to the Guardian that the bomber referred to in Erdogan’s earlier statement is Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 6.03pm GMT | at 6.03pm GMT |
| 5.15pm GMT | 5.15pm GMT |
| 17:15 | 17:15 |
| Meanwhile, there are long queues to get through security checks at Brussels’ central train station. | Meanwhile, there are long queues to get through security checks at Brussels’ central train station. |
| That's veeeery long queue to be security-checked into #Brussels Gare Central. Metro replacement buses working well pic.twitter.com/nRiIKA13sK | That's veeeery long queue to be security-checked into #Brussels Gare Central. Metro replacement buses working well pic.twitter.com/nRiIKA13sK |
| Gare centrale très difficile d'accès #bruxelles pic.twitter.com/oESQMieXbn | Gare centrale très difficile d'accès #bruxelles pic.twitter.com/oESQMieXbn |
| 5.00pm GMT | 5.00pm GMT |
| 17:00 | 17:00 |
| John Kerry, the US secretary of state, will travel to Belgium on Friday to meet with Belgian and EU officials, a spokesman has said. | John Kerry, the US secretary of state, will travel to Belgium on Friday to meet with Belgian and EU officials, a spokesman has said. |
| Kerry is in Moscow to hold talks with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday, in a meeting arranged after the Russian president’s surprise announcement on 14 March that he was partially withdrawing his forces from Syria. | Kerry is in Moscow to hold talks with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday, in a meeting arranged after the Russian president’s surprise announcement on 14 March that he was partially withdrawing his forces from Syria. |
| Arrived in Moscow, focused on Syria, Ukraine, and other issues at an important moment in US-#Russia relations. pic.twitter.com/EyazFfTu7N | Arrived in Moscow, focused on Syria, Ukraine, and other issues at an important moment in US-#Russia relations. pic.twitter.com/EyazFfTu7N |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.22pm GMT | at 5.22pm GMT |
| 4.44pm GMT | 4.44pm GMT |
| 16:44 | 16:44 |
| Erdogan: 'one Brussels attacker caught in Turkey last June' | Erdogan: 'one Brussels attacker caught in Turkey last June' |
| Turkey’s prime minister has said one of the Brussels attackers had been caught in Turkey in June 2015, and deported to the Netherlands by his request, according to Reuters. | Turkey’s prime minister has said one of the Brussels attackers had been caught in Turkey in June 2015, and deported to the Netherlands by his request, according to Reuters. |
| Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey reported the deportation to the Belgian authorities in July 2015 and also notified Dutch authorities, adding that Belgium “ignored” Turkey’s warning that the attacker was a militant. | Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey reported the deportation to the Belgian authorities in July 2015 and also notified Dutch authorities, adding that Belgium “ignored” Turkey’s warning that the attacker was a militant. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.55pm GMT | at 4.55pm GMT |
| 4.34pm GMT | 4.34pm GMT |
| 16:34 | 16:34 |
| Arthur Neslen | Arthur Neslen |
| It was a normal day’s commute and about 50 people sat in Joaquin Romero’s train carriage, which had just stopped at Maelbeek. A woman sitting next to him asked “Where is Arts-Loi?” Romero began to reply that it was the next stop. And then chaos descended, writes Arthur Neslen in Brussels. | It was a normal day’s commute and about 50 people sat in Joaquin Romero’s train carriage, which had just stopped at Maelbeek. A woman sitting next to him asked “Where is Arts-Loi?” Romero began to reply that it was the next stop. And then chaos descended, writes Arthur Neslen in Brussels. |
| “Just as I finished answering, I saw a blinding white light – a big flash – and there was smoke all around me and people shouting,” he said. “It was a living nightmare, like a movie. That same sense of time having stopped. I was in front of the door and it was completely destroyed, so I jumped through it.” | “Just as I finished answering, I saw a blinding white light – a big flash – and there was smoke all around me and people shouting,” he said. “It was a living nightmare, like a movie. That same sense of time having stopped. I was in front of the door and it was completely destroyed, so I jumped through it.” |
| It was 9.11am and Khalid el-Bakraoui had just detonated a suicide vest in the next carriage. Reports of the attack at the airport an hour and a half before had already filtered through to passengers, and some began to panic. | It was 9.11am and Khalid el-Bakraoui had just detonated a suicide vest in the next carriage. Reports of the attack at the airport an hour and a half before had already filtered through to passengers, and some began to panic. |
| Romero, 50, a chemicals worker, was supposed to be taking photos at an event organised by his employer, the Cefic trade association, but in the rush to get out he left his camera bag behind. | Romero, 50, a chemicals worker, was supposed to be taking photos at an event organised by his employer, the Cefic trade association, but in the rush to get out he left his camera bag behind. |
| “The first thing I did was just to shout ‘I’m still alive! It’s OK!’ about 10 times but my ears had a ringing noise in them,” he said. | “The first thing I did was just to shout ‘I’m still alive! It’s OK!’ about 10 times but my ears had a ringing noise in them,” he said. |
| Amid the pandemonium, Romero saw that people were bounding up the stairs – which were blast-damaged but still usable – and he followed them. | Amid the pandemonium, Romero saw that people were bounding up the stairs – which were blast-damaged but still usable – and he followed them. |
| “I didn’t check to see if anyone else was injured. I just wanted to save myself,” he said. “Then I touched my neck and there was a sharp feeling. That’s when I realised there was a piece of glass stuck in it.” | “I didn’t check to see if anyone else was injured. I just wanted to save myself,” he said. “Then I touched my neck and there was a sharp feeling. That’s when I realised there was a piece of glass stuck in it.” |
| Romero ran out of the station and asked a nearby police officer what to do – but the officer did not understand what had happened. Then Romero looked back. “I saw a lot of people with blood on their faces – so much blood that I couldn’t recognise if they were men or women and I realised that I had been very lucky.” | Romero ran out of the station and asked a nearby police officer what to do – but the officer did not understand what had happened. Then Romero looked back. “I saw a lot of people with blood on their faces – so much blood that I couldn’t recognise if they were men or women and I realised that I had been very lucky.” |
| The glass splinter was small and, despite of his proximity to the blast, Romero sustained only a minor cut, a fact he attributes to his clothing. “I had a scarf on yesterday and maybe that is what saved my life,” he said. | The glass splinter was small and, despite of his proximity to the blast, Romero sustained only a minor cut, a fact he attributes to his clothing. “I had a scarf on yesterday and maybe that is what saved my life,” he said. |
| He finally found a pharmacy worker who cleaned and dressed the wound, then called his wife and family. Romero has since been prescribed sedatives and plans to see a trauma counsellor. | He finally found a pharmacy worker who cleaned and dressed the wound, then called his wife and family. Romero has since been prescribed sedatives and plans to see a trauma counsellor. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.49pm GMT | at 4.49pm GMT |
| 4.34pm GMT | 4.34pm GMT |
| 16:34 | 16:34 |
| Peter Beaumont | Peter Beaumont |
| Israel’s minister of transport, intelligence and atomic energy has delivered a harsh critique of Belgian anti-terrorism strategy shortly after co-ordinated attacks claimed by Isis that left at least 31 people dead. | Israel’s minister of transport, intelligence and atomic energy has delivered a harsh critique of Belgian anti-terrorism strategy shortly after co-ordinated attacks claimed by Isis that left at least 31 people dead. |
| In jarring and unsympathetic language, Yisrael Katz declared in an interview on Israel Radio: “If in Belgium they continue to eat chocolate and enjoy the good life with their liberalism and democracy, and do not understand that some of the Muslims there are planning terror, they will never be able to fight against them.” | In jarring and unsympathetic language, Yisrael Katz declared in an interview on Israel Radio: “If in Belgium they continue to eat chocolate and enjoy the good life with their liberalism and democracy, and do not understand that some of the Muslims there are planning terror, they will never be able to fight against them.” |
| Katz’s crass remarks came amid a flurry of columns in the Israeli media and remarks by security experts, criticising the European strategy against Isis, barely 24 hours since the deadly attacks – and with a large element of victim blaming. | Katz’s crass remarks came amid a flurry of columns in the Israeli media and remarks by security experts, criticising the European strategy against Isis, barely 24 hours since the deadly attacks – and with a large element of victim blaming. |
| Also joining in was former Mossad director Shabtai Shavit, who echoed Katz’s remarks, although in moderately less inflammatory language, blaming the attacks on Belgian’s “laid-back culture” in a country he described as “ultra-liberal, that exists with no governability”. | Also joining in was former Mossad director Shabtai Shavit, who echoed Katz’s remarks, although in moderately less inflammatory language, blaming the attacks on Belgian’s “laid-back culture” in a country he described as “ultra-liberal, that exists with no governability”. |
| “It is human nature to react only after large-scale disasters. An example is the September 11 terror attacks in New York. But immediately after the terror attack in New York, the US came to its senses and carried out extensive reforms, of a scope that it had not carried out since the end of the cold war. Homeland security in the US today, from the aspects of budgets and manpower, is the largest ministry in the US cabinet. They also upgraded their law enforcement and intelligence systems by the same degree. | “It is human nature to react only after large-scale disasters. An example is the September 11 terror attacks in New York. But immediately after the terror attack in New York, the US came to its senses and carried out extensive reforms, of a scope that it had not carried out since the end of the cold war. Homeland security in the US today, from the aspects of budgets and manpower, is the largest ministry in the US cabinet. They also upgraded their law enforcement and intelligence systems by the same degree. |
| “The European Union, in numbers, has more residents that the US. It could be that the disaster that befell them yesterday will finally wake them up. Isis succeeded in discerning, very well, the soft underbelly of western Europe. And that is Brussels, Belgium, a country that is ultra-liberal, that exists with no governability. It has had a transition government for years because it is impossible to form a real government. It is a country that is madeup of three ethnic groups with three languages, French, Flemish and German. It is a country in which the people don’t know how to communicate with each other because of the language problems. | “The European Union, in numbers, has more residents that the US. It could be that the disaster that befell them yesterday will finally wake them up. Isis succeeded in discerning, very well, the soft underbelly of western Europe. And that is Brussels, Belgium, a country that is ultra-liberal, that exists with no governability. It has had a transition government for years because it is impossible to form a real government. It is a country that is madeup of three ethnic groups with three languages, French, Flemish and German. It is a country in which the people don’t know how to communicate with each other because of the language problems. |
| “There is a general laid-back culture. So the bad guys discerned this, and slowly but steadily, set up base there. They found fertile ground for building a base of helpers from their own people and religion. The Muslim quarters in Brussels are quarters that the police will not enter. In short, that is the situation today. And to get out of it, and this is not just Belgium, Europe has to come to its senses and to decide that this is a number one priority. Belgium is not on its own. We saw that it was a terrorist from Belgium who carried out the terror attack in France.” | “There is a general laid-back culture. So the bad guys discerned this, and slowly but steadily, set up base there. They found fertile ground for building a base of helpers from their own people and religion. The Muslim quarters in Brussels are quarters that the police will not enter. In short, that is the situation today. And to get out of it, and this is not just Belgium, Europe has to come to its senses and to decide that this is a number one priority. Belgium is not on its own. We saw that it was a terrorist from Belgium who carried out the terror attack in France.” |
| Katz’s remarks were immediately condemned by Israeli opposition figures. “The government has devised a system to eradicate terrorism: stop eating chocolate,” opposition MK Shelly Yachimovich tweeted. | Katz’s remarks were immediately condemned by Israeli opposition figures. “The government has devised a system to eradicate terrorism: stop eating chocolate,” opposition MK Shelly Yachimovich tweeted. |
| For his part, the Zionist Union leader, Isaac Herzog, said: “Stop this contemptible talk. Where did you get the chutzpahto degrade innocent victims of terror? Where do you get this miserable cynicism from? This is a distortion of the most basic human morality. This is a painful moment internationally that obligates all people to identify with the bereaved families, whoever they are, and wish the wounded a speedy recovery.” | For his part, the Zionist Union leader, Isaac Herzog, said: “Stop this contemptible talk. Where did you get the chutzpahto degrade innocent victims of terror? Where do you get this miserable cynicism from? This is a distortion of the most basic human morality. This is a painful moment internationally that obligates all people to identify with the bereaved families, whoever they are, and wish the wounded a speedy recovery.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.52pm GMT | at 4.52pm GMT |
| 4.24pm GMT | 4.24pm GMT |
| 16:24 | 16:24 |
| Latest Brussels transport advisory from Belgium’s crisis center: | Latest Brussels transport advisory from Belgium’s crisis center: |
| Attention: metro will be closed in #Brussels from 7pm. Via @STIBMIVB More information: https://t.co/7aeU4AmzGT | Attention: metro will be closed in #Brussels from 7pm. Via @STIBMIVB More information: https://t.co/7aeU4AmzGT |
| 4.12pm GMT | 4.12pm GMT |
| 16:12 | 16:12 |
| Speaking in Argentina, where he is on an official visit, Barack Obama has renewed his call for the world to “stand united against terrorism” and pledged that the US will pursue Isis aggressively. | Speaking in Argentina, where he is on an official visit, Barack Obama has renewed his call for the world to “stand united against terrorism” and pledged that the US will pursue Isis aggressively. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.56pm GMT | at 4.56pm GMT |
| 4.00pm GMT | 4.00pm GMT |
| 16:00 | 16:00 |
| Spencer Ackerman | Spencer Ackerman |
| The Brussels attacks became an opportunity for Republicans in the US Congress to open a new line of attack against closing the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, writes the Guardian’s US national security editor, Spencer Ackerman. | The Brussels attacks became an opportunity for Republicans in the US Congress to open a new line of attack against closing the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, writes the Guardian’s US national security editor, Spencer Ackerman. |
| At a foreign affairs committee hearing today, two Republican members of the House of Representatives predicted that the deadly attacks would sway European states to reverse their longstanding support for shuttering the wartime detention center. | At a foreign affairs committee hearing today, two Republican members of the House of Representatives predicted that the deadly attacks would sway European states to reverse their longstanding support for shuttering the wartime detention center. |
| But envoys from the US state and defense departments rubbished the suggestion. | But envoys from the US state and defense departments rubbished the suggestion. |
| Dana Rohrabacher, a conservative California Republican, mocked “the idea that people throughout the world are going to be so upset with us for keeping a significant number of people who are captured as part of terrorist units incarcerat[ed] in Guantánamo, that’s such a horror story that it’s a recruitment vehicle … let me suggest that if that is true, that our European allies and some others believe that these hardened murderers, who murder men, women and children, and incarcerating them in Cuba or anywhere else, let me suggest that that attitude of our European friends may well be changing in the next six months or so when they realize that the slaughter that’s taking place in Paris and now in Brussels is part of an international movement to destroy western civilization and replace it with a caliphate.” | Dana Rohrabacher, a conservative California Republican, mocked “the idea that people throughout the world are going to be so upset with us for keeping a significant number of people who are captured as part of terrorist units incarcerat[ed] in Guantánamo, that’s such a horror story that it’s a recruitment vehicle … let me suggest that if that is true, that our European allies and some others believe that these hardened murderers, who murder men, women and children, and incarcerating them in Cuba or anywhere else, let me suggest that that attitude of our European friends may well be changing in the next six months or so when they realize that the slaughter that’s taking place in Paris and now in Brussels is part of an international movement to destroy western civilization and replace it with a caliphate.” |
| “You think our allies are going to change their position in light of Brussels and Paris? … Isn’t there a chance they will change their position with respect to our activities in Gitmo in light of recent events?” asked Representative David A Trott of Michigan. | “You think our allies are going to change their position in light of Brussels and Paris? … Isn’t there a chance they will change their position with respect to our activities in Gitmo in light of recent events?” asked Representative David A Trott of Michigan. |
| Paul Lewis, the US defense department official tasked with implementing Barack Obama’s plans to close Guantánamo, appeared unpersuaded. | Paul Lewis, the US defense department official tasked with implementing Barack Obama’s plans to close Guantánamo, appeared unpersuaded. |
| “Sir, it’s been a continuing position that they want Gitmo closed. That our leadership and the Bush administration leadership said the costs of Gitmo outweigh the benefits”, Lewis said. | “Sir, it’s been a continuing position that they want Gitmo closed. That our leadership and the Bush administration leadership said the costs of Gitmo outweigh the benefits”, Lewis said. |
| The Obama administration’s longstanding plans for Guantánamo are to continue to hold without charge about 45 of the remaining 91 detainees at a different facility, something human rights groups consider a mockery of “closing” Guantánamo. Even that plan, the hearing underscored, is in jeopardy on Capitol Hill, where Obama needs Congress to change a law banning the transfer of Guantánamo detainees to US soil. | The Obama administration’s longstanding plans for Guantánamo are to continue to hold without charge about 45 of the remaining 91 detainees at a different facility, something human rights groups consider a mockery of “closing” Guantánamo. Even that plan, the hearing underscored, is in jeopardy on Capitol Hill, where Obama needs Congress to change a law banning the transfer of Guantánamo detainees to US soil. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.32pm GMT | at 4.32pm GMT |
| 3.27pm GMT | 3.27pm GMT |
| 15:27 | 15:27 |
| Latest summary | Latest summary |
| Matthew Weaver | Matthew Weaver |
| Here is a round-up of the latest key developments: | Here is a round-up of the latest key developments: |
| Handing over the liveblog to Raya Jalabi in New York. | Handing over the liveblog to Raya Jalabi in New York. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.33pm GMT | at 4.33pm GMT |
| 2.57pm GMT | 2.57pm GMT |
| 14:57 | 14:57 |
| Here’s a video explainer on the suspected attackers. | Here’s a video explainer on the suspected attackers. |
| 2.51pm GMT | 2.51pm GMT |
| 14:51 | 14:51 |
| An American teenager who was wounded in the Brussels terror attacks had previously escaped injury in the Paris and Boston bombings. | An American teenager who was wounded in the Brussels terror attacks had previously escaped injury in the Paris and Boston bombings. |
| Chad and Kimberly Wells said on Wednesday it was a “miracle” their son, Mason, 19, survived the deadly attacks in Belgium, saying he was just metres from where a bomb exploded at Zaventem airport. | Chad and Kimberly Wells said on Wednesday it was a “miracle” their son, Mason, 19, survived the deadly attacks in Belgium, saying he was just metres from where a bomb exploded at Zaventem airport. |
| Wells said his son escaped with minor burns and was in “good spirits”. It has also emerged that Mason survived the Boston marathon explosion in 2013 and last year’s attacks in Paris. | Wells said his son escaped with minor burns and was in “good spirits”. It has also emerged that Mason survived the Boston marathon explosion in 2013 and last year’s attacks in Paris. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.59pm GMT | at 2.59pm GMT |