6 ms·
Multiple terrorist attacks in Brussels – Latest Updates
- abhi3 11y agoIn addition to the lives lost in these attacks, what makes me just as sad is that this is probably going to push more people towards leaders like Donald Trump who'll take advantage of the fear/anger this creates.
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y agoIt will, and in fact that's probably the goal of the attacks. If Muslims feel unsafe in Europe, it supports ISIS's image of itself as an Islamic state that is a safe haven for Muslims (even if this is nonsense).
- _delirium 11y agoThey've come pretty close [1] to saying that's their goal, to polarize European politics so that European Muslims must choose either Europe or Islam. [1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12002726/The-grey-zone-How-Isis-wants-to-divide-the-world-into-Muslims-and-crusaders.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/1200...
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- agumonkey 11y agoIt's getting harder and harder to calm people down.
- jacquesm 11y agoThat's precisely the goal. The very best response to attacks like these would be to simply treat them as ordinary crimes but that's never going to fly in the current political climate. And so we escalate. The end-state of this is civil war, and if it keeps going for a while we'll have a re-run of the Yugoslavian wars without the added benefit of a nicely segregated population so that it can be stopped. The kind of language I hear around me from otherwise intelligent people is extremely worrying.
- agumonkey 11y agoI was a bit angry at the French (amongst other) government response toward the Paris attacks. Lack of wisdom and fluff sign of strength. And as you said, it giving them the credit they're asking for. We're here discussing on a website, what else can we do ? is the invisible flow of emotion flowing up to countries head too heavy ?
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- i_feel_great 11y agoWhich is what the terrorists want by attacking civilians.
- staticelf 11y agoHonestly, I despise Donald Trump, but in the same time I am very anti-establishment because in my country we've taken in hundreds of thousands of immigrants for many years and we're only 9.x million citizens. I have sympathy with people who are angry, as I am, with the lack of good leadership from at least the leaders in my country, the lack of security and action is astonishing. I do not live in the US, but I can guess the people who vote for Trump feels kind of the same way I feel about the politicians in my country.
- ramblerman 11y agoWhilst I agree with you that a posse mentality is a dangerous thing, a PC agenda run amock is equally so. Abdeslam (the last terrorist from the france attacks) was arrested in Belgium 3 days ago and upon his removal from the area, youths gathered chanting his name and throwing bottles at the police combis. The national media chose not to cover this for the same reasons you laid out and it has caused a bit of a furore in Belgium. The distinction between racism and the fight against bad ideas (religious extremism) is often blurred by both the extreme right and the left.
- norniron 11y agoSource?
- ramblerman 11y ago- http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/32616/Terreurdreiging-in-Belgie/article/detail/2653240/2016/03/21/Bourgeois-Jammer-dat-journaal-flessengooiende-jongeren-in-Molenbeek-niet-uitzond.dhtml http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/32616/Terreurdreiging-in-Belgie/art... - http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/jongeren-gooiden-stenen-naar-agenten-ambulance-en-pers http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/jongeren-gooiden-stene... - http://www.demorgen.be/opinie/de-marokkaanse-gemeenschap-moet-stoppen-zich-te-wentelen-in-de-positie-van-underdog-bc6dcfbe/ http://www.demorgen.be/opinie/de-marokkaanse-gemeenschap-moe...
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y agoWhen you marginalise and stigmatise people, and give them no hope for the future, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them end up reacting like that.
- ramblerman 11y agoThat argument is naive at best. These kids have smartphones, internet, and full access to state funded education to the university level. Yet we still have seen a large departure to Syria. There is a concerted effort to indoctrinate these youths, and criticism against anything islam is not allowing this debate to be held. See this article "Remove the Saudi influence from our mosques" http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/regio/brussel/1.2507974 http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/regio/brussel/1.2507974 written by a female politician of Moroccan descent.
- laichzeit0 11y agoWhy are Muslims not taking to the streets in protest against these attacks in the same manner they do when people draw cartoon drawings of their prophet? This is a problem the Muslim community needs to solve.
- _delirium 11y agoThere have been some anti-ISIS demonstrations, but they seem not to get much press: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/muslim-anti-isis-march-not-covered-by-mainstream-media-outlets-say-organisers-a6765976.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/muslim-anti-i... In Denmark, at the time of the cartoons controversy, there was also a group of Muslims on the other side, whose leader was elected to Parliament: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Muslims_in_Denmark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Muslims_in_Denmark
- viraptor 11y agoThey do. It's not that popular to show in the news, but it's there. Just google "muslim protests against terrorism" for many examples.
- oneeyedpigeon 11y agoProbably for much the same reasons that non-muslims aren't taking to the streets; ISIS are hardly likely to stop this campaign because of a protest march.
- iofj 11y agoMuslims took to the streets yesterday. To prevent the arrest of the terrorist: http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/jongeren-gooiden-stenen-naar-agenten-ambulance-en-pers http://www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/jongeren-gooiden-stene... And then this happens. What are we supposed to think ?
- rmxt 11y agoClearly the best response to violent and fatal intolerance....is more kneejerk intolerance. Assuming all Muslims are ideologically the same, and that Muslims monolithically defend this sort of behavior is an asinine assumption.
- crasp 11y agoNot to mention that once again fear will be the great motivator to open up the debate about 'prohibiting encryption' and 'regulating bitcoin' and the likes. I believe we would be far better of to not acknowledge whatever 'terrorist' organisation or group might have been behind this by spouting out '<terrorist organisation X> has taken credit for the attacks in Brussels' in the media. Yet we all know this is what will happen. Also the religion aspect will be brought in again because the organisation acts because of their beliefs. Hate will be harvested on both ends. We could possibly lose a bit of freedom, sit out and wait for the next attack.
- dracht 11y agoIt's grotesque to divert attention and create the narrative that the real tragedy here is not the ever-increasing number of victims of a sickening ideology, but the fact that the reaction to these events (as if fear and anger are inappropriate emotions to an attack) will drive people to a politician you oppose. If people voting for Trump makes you "just as sad" as people getting blown up, there is something seriously wrong with you.
- viraptor 11y agoUS can go to war in many places for many reasons. Not always good or fully justified ones too. Some leaders are more likely to jump to such scenarios than others. So while it's comparison between one specific act and years of political decisions, I don't think there's got to be anything wrong with OP for such comparison. Electing a terrible leader of a powerful country can cause many more people getting blown up than we've heard of today.
- dracht 11y agoIf I said I'm worried about people voting for politicians that will facilitate the spread of islam in Europe, I'd get downvoted for it in this progressive echo chamber. The US has engaged in useless conflicts both with democratic and republican presidents at the helm. The notion that Trump could and would start deadly wars on his own accord is highly speculative, bordering on baseless propaganda, and moot at this point. I don't have a dog in the fight since I'm not from the US, but it's appalling how pervasive and slanderous the American left is (perhaps my perspective is skewed through the internet, maybe the American right has no significant online presence). People getting killed in Belgium is not a chance for you to inject some US presidential campaign bullshit.
- oneeyedpigeon 11y agoI might downvote you for that, yes - if you said you were worried that people voting for politicians would facilitate the spread of terrorism in Europe, that would be an entirely understandable point of view. The fear of Trump is based on what we've learned from history: charismatic leaders, sowing discord and tension, talking about building walls to separate and contain people, trying to rid a country of certain races and religions, have caused the utmost tragedy in recent times. Trump is the one injecting US presidential campaign bullshit into this issue, and that must be countered.
- abhi3 11y agoWhat we know so far There were two explosions at around 08:00 (07:00 GMT) at Zaventem airport as people queued to check in Belgian broadcaster VRT says at least 13 people were killed and 35 were wounded at the airport Shots were heard before the explosions, which appear to have struck near the American Airlines and Brussels Airline check in desk Some time later there was also a blast at Maalbeek metro station, very close to the city's main European Union buildings The Belgian government has raised the terror alert level to 4 across the country, the highest level
- Kiro 11y agoI don't know where you get your summary from but it's old. It has been explosions at 4 metro stations.
- staz 11y agoAs of now there is nothing confirmed about that. It still one metro station according to most Belgian media
- viraptor 11y agoThere's some people saying there was an explosion at Schuman station, but actually the only confirmed thing I could find about it was a picture of people evacuating via Schuman, because they were already underground. (https://twitter.com/evanlamos/status/712194836649082880 https://twitter.com/evanlamos/status/712194836649082880)
- jzwinck 11y agoWhat use is raising the terrorism alert level after an attack has occurred? Doesn't it sort of fulfill the terrorists' wishes by inflicting economic damage well beyond the physical attack?
- unchocked 11y agoThey use follow-on attacks as a tactic.
- 11y ago
- pka 11y agohttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11334908 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11334908
- Pyxl101 11y agoPrevious discussion in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11334908 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11334908
- ekianjo 11y agoHeavily flagged, it disappeared quickly from the front page.
- k-mcgrady 11y agoThis thread has also now disappeared from the front page.
- oneeyedpigeon 11y agoYup, despite the fact that on this thread, there have been several relevant topics of discussion (encryption, the alert response, etc.)
- madez 11y agoI wonder, when will politics and media finally give in to ask the real questions. Behaviour is determined by what you start with into life and what you learn during your life, that is genes and socialization. Now, if you take a birds eye view on the situation it comes clear to me that on both axis there are strong correlations among these terrorists. Realizing facts helps solving problems.
- zdkl 11y ago"genes"? Oh have you discovered a phenotype that predisposes to blowing oneself up?
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y agoYou're right. People who grow up in a society feeling outcast are more likely to try and destroy it, unsurprisingly. Look at history's revolutionaries and troublemakers. Oh, wait, I think you were trying to say that we should use racial profiling without spelling it out. Oh.
- madez 11y agoWhat I ask for is to study the reasons and solutions to the problem of terrorism in a scientific manner, that is not fearing inconvenient answers. It's sad that one even has to ask for such an approach. In most cases it's undisputedly the only senseable one. You can't work scientifically if your fear of being labeled racist guides and censors you.
- TazeTSchnitzel 11y agoThat you think fear of appearing racist is stopping people telling the truth here is telling. We know why terrorism happens. We've known this for an awfully long time. We don't need unscientific nonsense about how brown people are magically terrorists. Science frequently comes up with inconvenient answers. But you might find that the science here is inconvenient towards your position, not others'.
- 11y ago
- riotdash 11y agoThis is completely Europe's and Belgium's fault. ISIS is what it is and is always going to be like that. Sick human killing animals. In Brussels, in France, in Sweden there are multiple problem areas which are crowded by ISIS supporters and the governments are not doing anything so it's no wonder these attacks keep on happening all the time. Europe must make all kinds of radical islam completely illegal and send these people for the rest of their lives to Guantanamo Bay, Siberia, prisons etc. If that's not going to happen soon Europe is permanently lost.
- pfortuny 11y agoThe fault of an assassination lies on the assassin. Please.
- ed_blackburn 11y agoYou cannot ban the way people think anymore than you can ban the tide. What is of paramount importance is that the immediate reaction is to stymie religious fundamentalism and not to play into the hands of terrorists by prejudicing entire creeds. I fear the biggest losers here will be the people caught up in the refugee crisis. Are 'we' going to panic?
- jacquesm 11y ago> Are 'we' going to panic? I'm not going to panic no matter what happens but when I look around me people are becoming more and more afraid and that's a dangerous thing. The new generation of demagogues in Europe is opening bottles of Champagne in private every time an attack like this happens while in public they are feigning anger and sadness.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- duncan_bayne 11y agoSeems it was a suicide bomber. To quote Billy Connolly, "every time there's a 'bang', the world's a wanker short".
- dagw 11y agoI'm sure that's a great comfort to everybody who just lost loved ones.
- viraptor 11y agoFrom the transport security point of view, this will be interesting to follow. As I understand it, all explosions happened in public areas. While metro stations have always been exposed, the airport-related security mostly involves not getting dangerous materials to the gates. Attacking the publicly accessible areas is not new, but can't be easily prevented.
- jacquesm 11y agoI don't think it can be prevented at all. Every prevention mechanism you would come up with would create a new concentration of people a little bit further upstream, which automatically presents a new target in an unsecured area.
- viraptor 11y agoWe did get big bollards and no car access to terminals after (if I remember correctly) decades ago someone drove a van into the airport entrance. I wouldn't be surprised by more sniffing dogs in by the entrance now. Of course you can't prevent these attacks. But some ideas are not bad and I doubt there's no discussion about new options after today.
- Kiro 11y agoWhy are people flagging these threads?
- jacquesm 11y agoBecause they are preserving the 'purity of essence' of hacker news in the most misguided way possible. I'm totally disgusted by this.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]