Just taken this from the Live Updates on the BBC Website.
Small blasts near Maalbeek station 'part of controlled explosion of package'
French newspaper Le Soir reports that a number of small blasts heard on the Rue de la Loi, the location of Maelbeek metro station, were part of a controlled explosion of a suspect package.
So does this mean that there was no terrorist explosion at the Station and that it was all under control there or does it mean that another package was found at the station and that was destroyed in a controlled explosion?
There was a blast at Maelbeek, there was also a suspect package which was dealt with as reported by Le Soir. I've been disappointed with BBC's coverage today.
Thank you to all those who have posted messages of concern. I've heard from one family member who is ok, still trying to contact others.
RT are reporting that a lot of communications lines are down, so the best way to stay in touch is via SMS or social media. There is also a UK phone number available. Good luck.
Thanks, they aren't very good at social media or SMS which is delaying me getting news and I think the uk number may be in relation to uk nationals but I will check it out. Thanks again.
I have to disagree with your analysis of the IRA operatives in the 70s/80s - whilst I am sure there were an element of psychopaths - there were also people like Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams and Gerry Kelly and others who were very, very smart operators - just look where they ended up at the end of the conflict - in power.
In addition I am always baffled by religion brought into the Northern Ireland conflict when it really had very little to do with it.
The conflict was about power and land - the fact that the Loyalists were Protestant and the Nationalists were Catholic was largely incidental to proceedings - the Nationalists wanted the 'British' Loyalists out of "their" country - that was their motivation way in front of religion.
This is why the conflict was eventually able to be settled because the Nationalists were able to be accommodated into a new power sharing arrangement that addressed at least some of their grievances.
That's very different to this bunch of Islamic nutters because nobody really knows what their end goal is - least of all themselves in all likelihood.
This guys were not whom I meant by "operatives".
But I take the rest of your points.
And I also accept that this probably isn't the time and place, I was only seeking to counter the inevitable wave of Islam-bashing on the thread.
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Strangely none of the Islamic based terrorist groups support each other. Instead they're just out of hand 'gangs' almost.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Strangely none of the Islamic based terrorist groups support each other. Instead they're just out of hand 'gangs' almost.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
I have to disagree with your analysis of the IRA operatives in the 70s/80s - whilst I am sure there were an element of psychopaths - there were also people like Martin McGuinness, Gerry Adams and Gerry Kelly and others who were very, very smart operators - just look where they ended up at the end of the conflict - in power.
In addition I am always baffled by religion brought into the Northern Ireland conflict when it really had very little to do with it.
The conflict was about power and land - the fact that the Loyalists were Protestant and the Nationalists were Catholic was largely incidental to proceedings - the Nationalists wanted the 'British' Loyalists out of "their" country - that was their motivation way in front of religion.
This is why the conflict was eventually able to be settled because the Nationalists were able to be accommodated into a new power sharing arrangement that addressed at least some of their grievances.
That's very different to this bunch of Islamic nutters because nobody really knows what their end goal is - least of all themselves in all likelihood.
This guys were not whom I meant by "operatives".
But I take the rest of your points.
And I also accept that this probably isn't the time and place, I was only seeking to counter the inevitable wave of Islam-bashing on the thread.
Indeed - that's fair enough.
However, as someone who has studied the NI conflict at some length, what I found most extraordinary about the conflict was the way in which very intelligent - and relatively normal - people would actually commit the most sickening crimes.
Someone like, for example, Brendan Hughes on the Nationalist side or David Irvine on the Loyalist side could both sit in front of a camera and be warm, charming and engaging - and yet these folks had plenty of innocent blood on their hands.
Human beings are very, very peculiar creatures indeed.
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Strangely none of the Islamic based terrorist groups support each other. Instead they're just out of hand 'gangs' almost.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
Okay, so the vast majority of these islamist groups/gangs (Some with 100,000 members and upwards) want us all dead, but they don't agree on the best way to go about it.
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Wooooooooowwwwww
- "non-Islamic groups, not including one of the biggest and most prolific non-Islamic terrorist groups that's existed" fucking lol that's like saying "not including Da'esh/Al-Qaida"
- you appear to imply that "lone wolf nutters" aren't as significant as organised movements. I'm sure those affected by what happened on Utoya would disagree.
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Strangely none of the Islamic based terrorist groups support each other. Instead they're just out of hand 'gangs' almost.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
Okay, so the vast majority of these islamist groups/gangs (Some with 100,000 members and upwards) want us all dead, but they don't agree on the best way to go about it.
Whats stupid is they must have killed their own people in these Brussels / Paris attacks...
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Strangely none of the Islamic based terrorist groups support each other. Instead they're just out of hand 'gangs' almost.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
Okay, so the vast majority of these islamist groups/gangs (Some with 100,000 members and upwards) want us all dead, but they don't agree on the best way to go about it.
Whats stupid is they must have killed their own people in these Brussels / Paris attacks...
Absolutely, especially as one of the bombs appears to have been strapped to one of their backs
So, there you have it - in 25 years in the US, 94% of terrorist attacks are not related to Islam.
Extremely misleading, considering the significance and devastation of those attacks by other groups are absolutely dwarfed by 9/11 alone.
Agreed - id also guess (perhaps wrongly!?) that a lot of the atrocities committed by the non-Islamic groups (not inc the IRA) were committed by lone wolf nutters, as opposed to the literally hundreds thousands of active (and rising) professional, funded and expert Islamic terrorist cells dotted all over the world.
Strangely none of the Islamic based terrorist groups support each other. Instead they're just out of hand 'gangs' almost.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
Where did you hear that?
One instance was the burning of the Jordanian pilot who was shot down over Syria. Al Qaeda took a very strong stance that this punishment wasn't Islamic, in fact Al Qaeda had already tried to negotiate with ISIS to get them to release the pilot. (Part of the disagreement)
Ah man I wish I hadn't got involved in this now, but I have... First and foremost - thoughts with everyone affected.
I don't particularly want to state my opinion on the whole issue (when it comes to reconciling terrorist attacks, religion, immigration etc), so all I'll say is this - it is very easy to forget that:
- discord is what the likes of Daesh want to sow - these people, despite what they claim, are NOT Muslims and it is best left to the peaceful majority of Muslims to define/"police" their religion in that regard - the vast, VAST majority of immigrants are actually fleeing fucking abominable conditions in places like Syria
I really don't understand how people can claim these attacks are "nothing to do with Islam", thus absolving this barbaric religion of any responsibility when these bombers are shouting "Allah Akbar" before murdering tens of people.
I really don't understand how people can claim these attacks are "nothing to do with Islam", thus absolving this barbaric religion of any responsibility when these bombers are shouting "Allah Akbar" before murdering tens of people.
And people pray before going to war... You can't have it both ways
I really don't understand how people can claim these attacks are "nothing to do with Islam", thus absolving this barbaric religion of any responsibility when these bombers are shouting "Allah Akbar" before murdering tens of people.
And people pray before going to war... You can't have it both ways
It could be argued that those who pray before going to war, are indeed going to war for the greater good, because they believe in the mission they are embarking upon is to help many by stopping the few.
There is a great difference between that and those who are mindlessly killing innocent civilians.
I really don't understand how people can claim these attacks are "nothing to do with Islam", thus absolving this barbaric religion of any responsibility when these bombers are shouting "Allah Akbar" before murdering tens of people.
I'm going to presume you're referring to my post.
I didn't say they're nothing to do with Islam. In fact, they're everything to do with Islam, but they're not representative of Muslims as a whole.
I just think some people - including yourself - lose sight of that and become unable to distinguish between Islam and extremist fucknuts, if they're referring to Islam as a "barbaric religion"...
I really don't understand how people can claim these attacks are "nothing to do with Islam", thus absolving this barbaric religion of any responsibility when these bombers are shouting "Allah Akbar" before murdering tens of people.
And people pray before going to war... You can't have it both ways
It could be argued that those who pray before going to war, are indeed going to war for the greater good, because they believe in the mission they are embarking upon is to help many by stopping the few.
There is a great difference between that and those who are mindlessly killing innocent civilians.
Ok then, how many terror attacks in Europe before we invaded Iraq ?
I really don't understand how people can claim these attacks are "nothing to do with Islam", thus absolving this barbaric religion of any responsibility when these bombers are shouting "Allah Akbar" before murdering tens of people.
I'm going to presume you're referring to my post.
I didn't say they're nothing to do with Islam. In fact, they're everything to do with Islam, but they're not representative of Muslims as a whole.
I just think some people - including yourself - lose sight of that and become unable to distinguish between Islam and extremist fucknuts, if they're referring to Islam as a "barbaric religion"...
Comments
Killersbeard is there but is safe.
I remember hearing recently that Al Qaeda are hunting down ISIS groups as they disagree with the way ISIS are doing things.
However, as someone who has studied the NI conflict at some length, what I found most extraordinary about the conflict was the way in which very intelligent - and relatively normal - people would actually commit the most sickening crimes.
Someone like, for example, Brendan Hughes on the Nationalist side or David Irvine on the Loyalist side could both sit in front of a camera and be warm, charming and engaging - and yet these folks had plenty of innocent blood on their hands.
Human beings are very, very peculiar creatures indeed.
- "non-Islamic groups, not including one of the biggest and most prolific non-Islamic terrorist groups that's existed" fucking lol that's like saying "not including Da'esh/Al-Qaida"
- you appear to imply that "lone wolf nutters" aren't as significant as organised movements. I'm sure those affected by what happened on Utoya would disagree.
@Jarman sorry for snapping at you when emotions were running high.
http://www.elitereaders.com/al-qaeda-declares-war-against-isis/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/al-qaeda-declares-war-isis-6422015
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/604496/Al-Qaeda-declares-war-ISIS-jihadis-terrorist-groups-bloody-showdown
http://abcnews.go.com/International/al-qaeda-leader-al-zawahiri-declares-war-isis/story?id=33656684
Christianity doesn't get the blame when America is dropping bombs on schools
Otherwise, they've continually had a bit of a power struggle and fight for the same type of recruits - i.e http://nationalinterest.org/feature/isiss-fight-al-qaeda-making-both-stronger-14827 // http://observer.com/2015/11/the-uncivil-war-the-bloody-battle-between-isis-and-al-qaeda/ - they are in no means allies. Much like many of groups fighting in the middle east who have their own agenda and interests.
I don't particularly want to state my opinion on the whole issue (when it comes to reconciling terrorist attacks, religion, immigration etc), so all I'll say is this - it is very easy to forget that:
- discord is what the likes of Daesh want to sow
- these people, despite what they claim, are NOT Muslims and it is best left to the peaceful majority of Muslims to define/"police" their religion in that regard
- the vast, VAST majority of immigrants are actually fleeing fucking abominable conditions in places like Syria
And people pray before going to war... You can't have it both ways
Yes... Because even without Islam, we would still be blowing up kids in Syria/Iraq
There is a great difference between that and those who are mindlessly killing innocent civilians.
I didn't say they're nothing to do with Islam. In fact, they're everything to do with Islam, but they're not representative of Muslims as a whole.
I just think some people - including yourself - lose sight of that and become unable to distinguish between Islam and extremist fucknuts, if they're referring to Islam as a "barbaric religion"...
Ok then, how many terror attacks in Europe before we invaded Iraq ?