Explosions at Brussels' Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station

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The investigation has belied the suspicions on the man it seems. Given the man political responsibilities, his outing didn't appeared appropriate, IMO. Avoiding jumping to conclusions seems preferable. Promised, if this is another fail of our administrations I'll seek asylum myself.
 
Soundtrack
The investigation has belied the suspicions on the man it seems. Given the man political responsibilities, his outing didn't appeared appropriate, IMO. Avoiding jumping to conclusions seems preferable. Promised, if this is another fail of our administrations I'll seek asylum myself.
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I don't recall Theo Francken saying anything about the 'terrorist with the hat', to be honest. He tweeted 'we got him' after they catched Abdeslam, but after the backlash that followed that he remained silent as far as i can tell.
 
novcze
No better thread for this

Belgium’s Failed State Is Guarding America’s Nuclear Weapons

actually wtf
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It's a confusing article... the protesters weren't able to get to where the nukes are, it seems, and even if they'd got in at hangar level they wouldn't have had vault access unless, as the article points out, "someone forgot and left it open".

Definitely concerning that the protesters were able to get as far as they did but there's no nuke story there at all.
 
If it is any consolation; I life only 4km from a nuclear powerplant and a nuclear storage facility. After the first news about the evacutation of the Thiange nuclear facility, the military was deployed to the nuclear powerplant close to my home. I personally haven't seen these soldiers but was told about it by my father's good friend. There was (and maybe still is) a traffic diversion. Nobody except employees were able to get to the nuclear powerplant.
 
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kikie
Yes, God forbid that we have to do this without our very smart Northern neighbours.
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It's because even before the attacks the safety and security of the Belgian plants was questioned. And it's not without reason. The plants are getting old, and require more and more maintenance, and Belgium was/is lacking the funding and manpower.
 
Dennisch
It's because even before the attacks the safety and security of the Belgian plants was questioned. And it's not without reason. The plants are getting old, and require more and more maintenance, and Belgium was/is lacking the funding and manpower.
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No, the Belgians are not lacking in funding and manpower. Believe me when I say this. As I said, I live very close to a nuclear powerplant and drive very close to the nuclear reactor (max 60m) when I'm driving to Turnhout. My friend I grew up with works inside the reactor and I can tell you that it is absolutely not outdated. Plus the security is more than adequate. Barb wire, electric fences like around American prisons etc.... . The nuclear reactor is absolutely not lacking in the safety department. The Thiange reactor is a problem, I agree but not the reactor close to my home.
 
Thiange. That was the name. That's the one undet scrutiny by us and the Germans. Thanks for the info.
 
Dennisch
Thiange. That was the name. That's the one undet scrutiny by us and the Germans. Thanks for the info.
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You are very welcome. I'm glad that I could help and clear up a misunderstanding.

Indeed, the Thiange reactor has micro cracks in, I believe, the reactor mantle? I'm not sure though. It would be best to close down those reactors. There are more than one reactors at Thiange with problems.
And the security is lacking as well.
 
Do the Belgians have room for dismantling? It's a serious question, perhaps that's why it's still going. Here in the states I have visited palo verde in AZ, (fortunate to have a family member working there) and even the waste disposal requires space, they incase it in concrete and that area of the plant looks like a giant graveyard of 15 foot tombstones.

We also, were I live, or close enough, fill deep caverns with anything of nuclear interest. This would be an exaggeration but imagine a few contaminated gloves being placed in a 55 gallon drum and dropped into a hole.

I'm curious about available space and safety issues that could cause, then again France seems to be doing well with it.
 
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squadops
Do the Belgians have room for dismantling? It's a serious question, perhaps that's why it's still going. Here in the states I have visited palo verde in AZ, (fortunate to have a family member working there) and even the waste disposal requires space, they incase it in concrete and that area of the plant looks like a giant graveyard of 15 foot tombstones.

We also, were I live, or close enough, fill deep caverns with anything of interest. This would be an exaggeration but imagine a few contaminated gloves being placed in a 55 gallon drum and dropped into a hole.

I'm curious about available space and safety issues that could cause, then again France seems to be doing well with it.
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Yes

BR3 (Belgian Reactor 3)
The BR3 nuclear reactor was a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that produced its first chain reaction in 1962. It was the first PWR outside the United States and it was used as a prototype for the construction and operation of later commercial PWR power plants. The operation of the reactor was stopped in 1987. As the first PWR reactor in Europe to be decommissioned, the decommissioning of the reactor was an important pilot project. The BR3 is expected to be fully decommissioned in 2011.[4][5]
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Source.

BR2 (Belgian Reactor 2)
The BR2 nuclear reactor became operational in 1961. It works on highly enriched uranium and is moderated and cooled by water. The BR2 is still one of the most powerful research reactors in the world. The reactor is used for the testing of fuels and materials for different reactor types, and for the production of radioisotopes.
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This is the reactor I pass at max 60m when I drive to Turnhout. Now that I know that it is a very powerful reactor, I better take a different road to Turnhout. LOL.

Picture of the BR2 reactor. https://www.sckcen.be/en/MediaLibrary/Pictures/BR2#
 
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No problems then, I know the nuclear community to be a global one based on communication and safety. I was very impressed when I visited that plant, they even let me into a mock control room used for training to run the thing. Very redundant in every way which is a very good thing.( not strictly necessary to functioning but included in case of failure in another component)

I also remember all the conference and education in regards to the JPN problem. 👍

Nice cooling towers in the pic :D Here is palo http://mms.businesswire.com/media/20131007005295/en/386095/5/PV_Site_Aerial_Photo_(10-07-13).jpg
 
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Dennisch
It's because even before the attacks the safety and security of the Belgian plants was questioned. And it's not without reason. The plants are getting old, and require more and more maintenance, and Belgium was/is lacking the funding and manpower.
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They are getting very old indeed, but that didn’t stopped France to lobby for a (minimal?) 10 year running extension. Also, the maintenance should be funded by the operator; and if they are to be believed everything is running smoothy.

As for the structural flaws who apparently are not a hinder to the (worldwide) exploitation, they were the works of a Dutch company if I’m not mistaken.

I have no problem admitting Belgium many fails but there is no need to overload the mule.:cheers:
 
And to add to that, I have heard that it was the suggestion of the Dutch and the Germans to be able to check the nuclear reactor because they were afraid if something should happen to the reactor, all of Europe would be radioactive. Belgium gave in and let the Dutch and Germans check the nuclear reactor. It had nothing to do with being understaffed or lack in safety.

Also the daily bickering, the fights between the Walloon and Flemish government makes it impossible to come with decent solutions.


We are going off topic; from terrorist attacks to nuclear powerplants. :P
 
Mohamed Abrini, major suspect in the Paris and (possibly) Brussels attacks has been arrested. The investigation is trying to clarify whether he could be the third man filmed at the Zaventem Airport. Another suspect appearing alongside El Bakraoui in the metro station has also been caught this friday.
 
Soundtrack
Mohamed Abrini, major suspect in the Paris and (possibly) Brussels attacks has been arrested. The investigation is trying to clarify whether he could be the third man filmed at the Zaventem Airport. Another suspect appearing alongside El Bakraoui in the metro station has also been caught this friday.
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He's admitted that he WAS the third man: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36005709. He was among 6 arrested yesterday in connection with both the Brussels and Paris attacks.
 
Abrini said that the Brussels attack was actually planned for France? The arrest of Abdeslam changed everything and the terrorists decided to attack Zavemtem/Maalbeek instead.
 
kikie
Abrini said that the Brussels attack was actually planned for France? The arrest of Abdeslam changed everything and the terrorists decided to attack Zavemtem/Maalbeek instead.
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Yup Euro 2016 apparently. That event is going to be a nightmare to protect come June, especially in France and with such threat of attacks.
 
Belgium's Transport Minister has resigned after it emerged that she had discussed a damning report covering security at the airport. She originally denied that she had seen it and was defended by the PM on this basis.

BBC.
 
http://www.alternet.org/world/exclu...-oil-money-bribes-and-killing-osama-bin-laden
One of the things that comes across just in the current stories about all the travails we’re having about ISIS allegedly running all these terror teams in Brussels and in the suburbs of Paris… it’s very clear, ironically, that one of the things France and Belgium (and a lot of other countries) did was after the Syrian civil war began, if you wanted to go there and fight there in 2011-2013, ‘Go, go, go… overthrow Bashar!’

So they actually pushed a lot of people to go. I don’t think they were paying for them but they certainly gave visas. And they would spend four or five months, come back and do organized crime and get in jail and next thing you know they’re killing people. There’s a real pattern there.
 

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