Belgium Watched as the Paris Attackers Slipped Through the Cracks
Despite being on Belgium’s radar, and in some cases on an actual list of Belgian terrorists to watch, a group of ISIS members were able to plot and execute their deadly attack on Paris practically undetected.
Belgian authorities were familiar with several of the attackers, many of whom lived the Brussels town of Molenbeek before the attacks, according to a report in today’s Washington Post. Among them:
- Bilal Hadfi, an alleged Paris suicide bomber who spent time in Syria and believed “women should be veiled if they didn’t want to be raped,” was under Belgian surveillance. Authorities also tried, unsuccessfully, to tap his phone.
- Brahim Abdeslam, an alleged Paris suicide bomber, was questioned by the Belgian federal police and released
- His brother, Saleh Abdeslam—an alleged Paris attacker—was questioned by the Belgian federal police and released
And Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the so-called mastermind of the Paris attacks who was reportedly killed in a raid yesterday, bragged of escaping an earlier Belgian manhunt because the officers didn’t recognize him.
“I was even stopped by an officer who contemplated me so as to compare me to the picture, but he let me go, as he did not see the resemblance!” Abaaoud was quoted as saying in the ISIS magazine, Dabiq.
Part of the problem appears to be a lack of resources—“very few” of the Belgian police officers patrolling the largely Muslim town of Molenbeek speak Arabic. And security forces are apparently too overwhelmed to stay on top of their list of potential terrorists, reportedly comprised of at least 800 Belgians, if not more.
At least Anonymous is watching out.
