Brussels Attacks: Emergency Meeting of EU Ministers

On Thursday, April 5, the interior and justice ministers of EU member states will gather in Brussels for an emergency meeting to discuss the threat posed by extremists and counter-terrorism laws. This meeting comes after more than 30 people lost their lives in suicide bombings and explosions at the airport and metro in the Belgian capital. Ashton Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has also called on NATO to take further actions to combat extremists in the Middle East. According to AFP, European leaders have committed to using 'any necessary means' to confront the threats posed by terrorism and defend democracy. The interior and justice ministers of the 28 EU members will discuss coordinated actions to combat terrorism. Meanwhile, Belgian officials are under pressure due to what is described as their 'inability' to prevent the recent attacks. Belgium has the highest number of European citizens among extremists in Syria, relative to its population. The Brussels meeting comes as Turkey's President stated yesterday that his country had previously arrested one of the attackers in Belgium (Ibrahim Bakraoui) and handed him over to Belgian authorities. The Belgian Ministry of Justice has stated that at the time, there was no connection between Ibrahim Bakraoui and terrorist activities; he was only recognized as an ordinary criminal and was not under surveillance for extremist thoughts. Belgian officials have stated that two brothers named Khalid and Ibrahim Bakraoui were responsible for the suicide attacks on Tuesday in Brussels. There is also a third suspect, referred to in some reports as Najim Laachraoui. European media report that a fourth individual was likely involved in the attacks at Brussels airport but fled the scene after failing to detonate his bomb, which police later found. The Belgian network 'RTBF' reports that another man was seen with Khalid Bakraoui in the metro in available footage.