Belgium Terror Raids and Paris Attacks Reveal Urgent Need for Pan-European Security
In the immediate aftermath of major attacks in Paris, counter-terrorism raids in Belgium saw two suspected terrorists killed and another arrested. These incidents have dramatically raised the sense of insecurity across Europe – and they’ve done so at a time when Europe’s security infrastructure is struggling to cope with the threats it faces. European security agencies, both internal and external, must urgently improve their cooperation and coordination. After all, Europe’s security challenges know no borders, and they must be dealt with as such.
An armed Belgian police officer patrols Colline Street in Verviers, eastern Belgium, on Jan. 16, 2015, one day after two suspected jihadists were killed in a police raid. Valerie Kuypers/AFP/Getty Images
In the immediate aftermath of major attacks in Paris, counter-terrorism raids in Belgium saw two suspected terrorists killed and another arrested.
These incidents have dramatically raised the sense of insecurity across Europe – and they’ve done so at a time when Europe’s security infrastructure is struggling to cope with the threats it faces. European security agencies, both internal and external, must urgently improve their cooperation and coordination. After all, Europe’s security challenges know no borders, and they must be dealt with as such.
To complicate matters further, the news from Belgium and France has also reignited the long-running debate on balancing the three dimensions of the European Union’s Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ).
Policemen patrol the Jewish quarter in Antwerp, Belgium, on Jan. 16, 2015, the day after an anti-terrorist operation. Marco de Swart/AFP/Getty Images
