WASHINGTON 鈥� Stung by withering criticism for not preventing Belgium-based terrorists from attacking Paris in 2015 and Brussels in March, Belgium鈥檚 ambassador to the U.S. refused to respond to 鈥渃heap clich茅s and stereotypes,鈥� strongly countering allegations that Belgian intelligence missed or overlooked key intelligence about the attackers.
鈥淎fter the fact, it’s rather easy to say [for example] in March last year there was a cable coming from this office or that office telling you about this person,”聽Johan Verbeke told 小萝莉影视 in an exclusive interview.
But he said critics are missing聽the 鈥渇act that [cable] was one among thousands that entered the intelligence community.鈥�
Declining to join what he called 鈥渁 game of denial of critical points mentioned by the press,鈥� Verbeke聽admitted that 鈥渢here have been weak spots.鈥澛燘ut he said allegations that Belgian intelligence and law enforcement failures allowed the Paris and Brussels attackers to launch attacks 鈥渋s a bridge too far.鈥�
鈥淚 concede that not everything is perfect, but I can tell you that things were working much better than the press and others have been showing,鈥� Verbeke said.
He added that聽critics have overlooked Belgium鈥檚 counterterrorism achievements.
Going back to 2012, Verbeke said, the country was already aware of a cell of ISIL-linked terrorists.
鈥淧roof of that is that since 2012 up to the beginning of this year, no less than 150 court trials took place in Belgium related to terrorism and no less than 86 people were convicted are incarcerated,” he said.
Additionally, Belgium broke up a large scale terror cell in January 2015, stopping what might have been another disastrous attack on the region.
鈥淲e were successful in dismantling a network in a city close to Li猫ge called Verviers,” Verbeke said. “That network was close to launching an attack against one or more police stations 鈥� not just small stations. This was a big operation and we dismantled the network days before the attack was planned.鈥�
Several key operatives were arrested.
A U.S. intelligence bulletin obtained 小萝莉影视 in early 2015 said the 鈥淒HS Office of Intelligence and Analysis assesses that the plot disrupted by Belgian authorities in January 2015 is the first instance in which a large group of terrorists possibly operating under ISIL direction has been discovered and may indicate the group has developed the capability to launch more complex operations in the West.鈥�
But even that success was turned against Belgium by some critics.
More than a dozen people were arrested on Jan. 16, 2015. At least eight were reportedly from Molenbeek, which turned out to be a hub of operations for both the Paris and Belgium attackers.
Belgian intelligence personnel have been criticized for not recognizing the links between those in custody and those who launched attacks later.
Verbeke defended the intelligence services, saying, 鈥淓very day, these people receive hundreds of indications about what could possibly happen and who could be involved, and it鈥檚 very difficult to sift through those hundreds of information pieces to find the relevant ones.鈥�
Belgium鈥檚 international colleagues, including the U.S., have come to their defense.
“The official leaders of [the U.S.] do not share this criticism of our intelligence and security. Many have said what you鈥檙e going through is what we went through after 9/11,” Verbeke said.
Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, told 小萝莉影视, 鈥淭he Belgium investigators were rather overwhelmed by just how much activity was going on and how much information was available, and it was just a seismic security event, of course, in Europe last November.鈥�
As far as allegations that Belgian and French authorities were not working together, Wainwright said, 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 been some unfair media hype around the nature of the cooperation between Belgium and France. As far as I can see it鈥檚 very close.”
Critics often overlook a key component of Belgium鈥檚 counterterrorism struggle: the complex nature of the region, and Belgium in particular.
鈥淏elgium is a country with the windows and the doors wide open, because that is how we live and how we survive. It鈥檚 a lifestyle question,”聽Verbeke said.
With three official languages 鈥� German, French and Dutch 鈥� Belgium聽is a magnet for people from all over the world, he said. Belgium thrives on Europe鈥檚 open-border policy to support its economy, which derives 85 percent of its gross domestic product from exports.
Unfortunately, terrorists have taken advantage of that open society to launch deadly attacks, which predated聽the attack at Belgium鈥檚 Jewish Museum in May 2014.
Verbeke said it’s important聽to understand Belgium’s dedication to privacy for citizens, and the need to balance that with the need for security.
However, in the wake of the attacks, changes to long-standing privacy policies are under scrutiny.
