March 22, 2016
A break in the investigation (click here) may have come from a taxi driver who took the suspects to the airport.
The
driver contacted authorities after seeing surveillance footage and gave
them the address where he picked the men up, according to two U.S.
officials briefed on the investigation.
That information prompted authorities to raid a residence after the attacks, the officials said.
Investigators
found a nail bomb, chemical products and an ISIS flag during a house
search in the northeast Brussels neighborhood of Schaerbeek., Belgium's
federal prosecutor said in a statement.
Hours later, they were still combing through the building for evidence.
Security was high. At one point, a helicopter hovered overhead, carrying a sniper with a weapon trained on the building....
The third bomber is still a fugitive.
Investigators carrying out raids (click here) after Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels believe they've found a bomb-making factory complete with chemicals used in explosives, nails and bolts.
Authorities are still hunting for one of three suspects caught on surveillance video as they pushed luggage carts through the airport. They believe he fled the gruesome, chaotic scene.
"I can understand that people are scared," Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon told NBC News as he visited a makeshift memorial.
"But I can say that our services are now in a high state of alert and are working day and night to arrest these guys."
The New York Times has an interactive that discusses Molenbeek. (click here)
It is a troubled area of Belgium. Molenbeek has a severe history of good economics and impoverishment. In it's impoverished state it has become a haven for extremists. It can be argued the extremists grew out of impoverishment rather than finding Molenbeek as a haven. But, this area of Brussels has a problem. This accumulation of extremists doesn't happen overnight. There needs to be a prohibition of arms with blockages to any illegal small arms movement.
Amedy Coulibaly, who was involved in the Charlie Hebdo attack, is believed to have bought weapons there.
The third bomber is still a fugitive.
Investigators carrying out raids (click here) after Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels believe they've found a bomb-making factory complete with chemicals used in explosives, nails and bolts.
Authorities are still hunting for one of three suspects caught on surveillance video as they pushed luggage carts through the airport. They believe he fled the gruesome, chaotic scene.
"I can understand that people are scared," Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon told NBC News as he visited a makeshift memorial.
"But I can say that our services are now in a high state of alert and are working day and night to arrest these guys."
The New York Times has an interactive that discusses Molenbeek. (click here)
It is a troubled area of Belgium. Molenbeek has a severe history of good economics and impoverishment. In it's impoverished state it has become a haven for extremists. It can be argued the extremists grew out of impoverishment rather than finding Molenbeek as a haven. But, this area of Brussels has a problem. This accumulation of extremists doesn't happen overnight. There needs to be a prohibition of arms with blockages to any illegal small arms movement.
Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Ibrahim Abdeslam spent time in the same Brussels prison and were friends.
Chakib Akrouh grew up with Mr. Abaaoud in Molenbeek.
Mr. Abaaoud, the Abdeslam brothers, Hamza Attou and Mohamed Amri spent time together at a neighborhood bar. After the attacks, Salah Abdeslam asked Mr. Attou and Mr. Amri to drive him back to Brussels.
Ali Oulkadi and Abraimi Lazez, who are also suspected of helping Salah Abdeslam flee after the attacks, also lived in Molenbeek.
Mehdi Nemmouche, a Frenchman who targeted Jews at a Brussels museum in 2014, killing four, also bought weapons there.
Ayoub el Khazzani, a Moroccan
who tried to attack passengers on a high-speed train between Brussels
and Paris in August, is thought to have lived there.
