The good news is that this was probably a last dash. There have been arrests and intelligence leaks which probably forced their hand. It may have been even worse if they'd had more time to plan. Hopefully this was one last desperate roll of the dice.

If anything it might get the Belgian police and intelligence services to actually start talking to each other, because, according to Frank Gardener, that's something they don't do.

I don't think the language barrier is an issue at all. Most people speak either German English or French, the language divide isn't something that just happened overnight. we've been dealing with it for rather a long time.

Last edited Tue Mar 22, 2016, 06:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Is this article in The New York Times after the Paris attacks. The New York Times after the Paris attacks

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/world/europe/its-capital-frozen-belgium-surveys-past-failures-and-squabbles.html?_r=1&referer=http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1386040

i'm an American who knows the difference between Flanders and Wallonia.

Coupled with a sense of ownership of intelligence. Will intelligence sharing jeopardise sources? Not to forget all the bloody pecking orders in the relative intelligence agencies, who answers to whom, that sort of shit. That's what needs to be sorted out and quick. There should be a European police conference to get this done.

Many Belgians don't think that they should be a unified country.

I heard that is a greater sentiment in the Dutch speaking Flanders region.

Not pushing you just trying to learn something.g

I get what you said about "pecking orders in the relative intelligence agencies, who answers to whom,"


Intelligence sharing in America between our agencies has been a problem as well.

I wasn't just talking about Belgium though but across EFTA. That's where intelligence needs to be shared and quickly. With all the different intelligence agencies, different names, different ranks and all the corresponding egos that go with it, it won't be easy.

If just Belgium and France had shared information one tragedy may have been avoided or had it's impact lessened.

horrible things? I do not understand this.

There is no excuse whatsoever for acts of terror like this.

Please limit your critique to the west, and particularly Chimpy and Cheney and Rummy.

When you criticize any aspect of Islam, any teachings or scriptures, you are insulting ALL Muslims. You cannot separate them.

If you cannot help yourself, please at least acknowledge that every religion is equally bad.

criticizing a part of a religion when it promotes violence and also are we not allow to criticize Christianity that seems ok.

I don't blame her. She would normally vote SPD if not for this immigrant disaster.