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| Belgium’s Transportation Minister Resigns Amid Outcry | Belgium’s Transportation Minister Resigns Amid Outcry |
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| LONDON — The transportation minister of Belgium resigned on Friday, after the publication of leaked reports from the European Commission warning of security deficiencies at Brussels Airport, the site of two deadly terrorist bombings on March 22. | LONDON — The transportation minister of Belgium resigned on Friday, after the publication of leaked reports from the European Commission warning of security deficiencies at Brussels Airport, the site of two deadly terrorist bombings on March 22. |
| Prime Minister Charles Michel said that King Philippe had accepted the resignation of the minister, Jacqueline Galant, saying she had “undertaken several bold reforms,” and thanked her for her service. | Prime Minister Charles Michel said that King Philippe had accepted the resignation of the minister, Jacqueline Galant, saying she had “undertaken several bold reforms,” and thanked her for her service. |
| Ms. Galant came under heavy criticism this week, with opposition lawmakers demanding that she go. She was scheduled to face a tough parliamentary hearing on Friday afternoon. | Ms. Galant came under heavy criticism this week, with opposition lawmakers demanding that she go. She was scheduled to face a tough parliamentary hearing on Friday afternoon. |
| The tipping point may have come on Thursday, when Laurent Ledoux, the president of the Federal Public Service for Mobility and Transport, resigned after saying he could no longer work for Ms. Galant. | The tipping point may have come on Thursday, when Laurent Ledoux, the president of the Federal Public Service for Mobility and Transport, resigned after saying he could no longer work for Ms. Galant. |
| On Thursday night, Mr. Ledoux supplied documents to the state broadcaster, RTBF, which appeared to show that Ms. Galant had been notified of security problems at Brussels Airport, which was targeted, along with the Maelbeek subway station, in assaults that left 32 dead, along with three attackers. | |
| He openly accused Mr. Michel and Ms. Galant of misleading the public by not acknowledging awareness of the reports. | He openly accused Mr. Michel and Ms. Galant of misleading the public by not acknowledging awareness of the reports. |
| Mr. Ledoux said that he had asked in February for more employees and resources to tighten checks at Belgian airports, but that Ms. Galant “systematically” disregarded those requests. | Mr. Ledoux said that he had asked in February for more employees and resources to tighten checks at Belgian airports, but that Ms. Galant “systematically” disregarded those requests. |
| He also criticized the Belgocontrol, the country’s air traffic control agency, whose staff members went on strike shortly after the airport reopened in protest of plans to raise the age at which employees may retire with pensions. | He also criticized the Belgocontrol, the country’s air traffic control agency, whose staff members went on strike shortly after the airport reopened in protest of plans to raise the age at which employees may retire with pensions. |
| “About the accusations, I am shocked by this drama, which was organized by my chief of staff,” Ms. Galant said. “For three years, he has waged a media campaign to cast discredit on my entire administration. He is profiting by taking advantage of the worrying times to make accusations and confuse the facts.” | |
| It was not immediately clear whom she was referring to. | |
| The dispute holds partisan dimensions. On Wednesday, two opposition parties released an internal European Union report from last April citing security deficiencies at the airport. That report, however, appeared to focus on security screening. The recent attacks took place in the departure hall, which was not covered in the report. | The dispute holds partisan dimensions. On Wednesday, two opposition parties released an internal European Union report from last April citing security deficiencies at the airport. That report, however, appeared to focus on security screening. The recent attacks took place in the departure hall, which was not covered in the report. |
| The documents also suggested that Mr. Ledoux had asked Ms. Galant to dedicate, for airport security improvements, some of the 400 million euros, or about $450 million, that the Belgian government had pledged after the terrorist attacks in and around Paris on Nov. 13, which killed 130 people. | The documents also suggested that Mr. Ledoux had asked Ms. Galant to dedicate, for airport security improvements, some of the 400 million euros, or about $450 million, that the Belgian government had pledged after the terrorist attacks in and around Paris on Nov. 13, which killed 130 people. |
| That recommendation was never acted on, and Ms. Galant has denied receiving a formal request for tightening airport security. | |
| Ms. Galant appears to be the highest-level Belgian official to lose her job as a result of the attacks. The country’s interior and justice ministers offered their resignations after disclosures about intelligence lapses, but Mr. Michel declined them. | |
| Also on Friday, the British authorities announced the arrests of five people from Birmingham, England, on terrorism-related charges. | Also on Friday, the British authorities announced the arrests of five people from Birmingham, England, on terrorism-related charges. |
| Four of them — three men, ages 26, 40 and 59, and a woman, 29 — were arrested Thursday night in Birmingham, and a 26-year-old man was arrested early Friday morning at Gatwick Airport, south of London, the West Midlands Police, which is responsible for Birmingham, said in a statement. | |
| The police agency’s counterterrorism unit — working with MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, and Belgian and French authorities — acted “to address any associated threat to the U.K. following the attacks in Europe,” the West Midlands Police said. | The police agency’s counterterrorism unit — working with MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, and Belgian and French authorities — acted “to address any associated threat to the U.K. following the attacks in Europe,” the West Midlands Police said. |
| “The arrests were preplanned and intelligence-led,” Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said. “There was no risk to the public at any time, and there is no information to suggest an attack in the U.K. was being planned.” | “The arrests were preplanned and intelligence-led,” Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said. “There was no risk to the public at any time, and there is no information to suggest an attack in the U.K. was being planned.” |