Belgian authorities struggle to get a handle on terror threat: 'It's literally an impossible situation'

Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels, Belgium.

(Image credit: EPA/LAURENT DUBRULE)

published 22 March 2016

Belgian authorities have faced ongoing criticism for their missteps in addressing the terrorist threat in the heart of their country — criticisms that will likely only be exacerbated following the March 22 attacks in Brussels that have left at least 26 dead.

"We just don't have the people to watch anything else and, frankly, we don't have the infrastructure to properly investigate or monitor hundreds of individuals suspected of terror links as well as pursue the hundreds of open files and investigations we have," a Belgian counter-terrorism official told BuzzFeed last week. "It's literally an impossible situation and, honestly, it's very grave."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox