5A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
Authorities hunt Brussels bombing suspects
By RAF CASERT and
LORNE COOK
Associated Press
BRUSSELS — Belgian
authorities searched Wednes-
day for a man pictured at the
Brussels airport with two
apparent suicide bombers,
amid growing suggestions
that the bombings of the Brus-
sels airport and subway were
the work of the same Islamic
State cell that attacked Paris
last year.
Several people who may be
linked to the Brussels attacks
were still on the loose and the
country’s threat alert remained
at its highest level, meaning
there was danger of an immi-
nent attack, said Paul Van Tig-
chelt, head of Belgium’s ter-
rorism threat body. The attacks
killed 34 people, including three
suicide bombers, and injured
270 others, authorities said.
Belgium began three days
of mourning, and government
of¿ces, schools and residents
held a moment of silence to
honor the dead, marking the
moment in a mood of de¿ance
mixed with anxiety that others
involved in the attacks are still
at large.
Belgian prosecutor Fed-
eral Prosecutor Frederic Van
Leeuw identi¿ed two of the
Brussels attackers as brothers
— Ibrahim El Bakraoui, a sui-
cide bomber at the airport, and
Khalid El Bakraoui, who tar-
geted the subway.
Geer Vanden Wijngaert/AP Photo
Police and other emergency workers stand in front of the damaged Zaventem Airport terminal in Brussels on Wednesday. Belgian authorities were
searching Wednesday for a top suspect in the country’s deadliest attacks in decades, as the European Union’s capital awoke under guard and with
limited public transport after scores were killed and injured in bombings on the Brussels airport and a subway station.
Apartment raid
Investigators raided the
Brussels neighborhood of
Schaerbeek after the attacks
and found a computer in a trash
can on the street including a
note from Ibrahim El Bakraoui
saying he felt increasingly
unsafe and feared landing in
prison.
During a raid of the apart-
ment where the brothers had
stayed, investigators also
found 15 kilograms of TATP
explosives, nails, and other
material for making explo-
sives, the prosecutor said.
Van Leeuw said authorities
do not know the identities of
two other people pictured with
Ibrahim El Bakraoui in a sur-
veillance photo from the air-
port that police are circulating.
Two were suicide bombers,
the prosecutor said; the other
was a man in a white jacket
and black cap who Àed before
the bombs went off, leaving
behind a bag full of explo-
sives, authorities said. That
bag later blew up, but no one
was injured.
The Islamic State group,
which was behind the Paris
attacks, has also claimed
responsibility for the Brussels
bombings.
Belgian state broadcaster
RTBF, citing sources it did
not identify, said Khalid El
Bakraoui had rented an apart-
ment that was raided last week
in an operation that led author-
ities to top Paris attacks sus-
pect Salah Abdeslam.
Abdeslam was arrested
Friday in the Brussels neigh-
borhood where he grew up, a
rough place with links to sev-
eral of the attackers who tar-
geted a Paris stadium, rock
concert and cafes on Nov.
13. Those attacks killed 130
people.
A Belgian of¿cial work-
ing on the investigation told
the AP that it is a “plausible
hypothesis” that Abdeslam
was part of the cell linked to
the Brussels attack. The of¿-
cial spoke on condition of ano-
nymity because he was not
authorized to publicly discuss
an ongoing investigation.
Belgian Federal Police/AP
A man suspected of taking
part in the attacks at Bel-
gium’s Zaventem Airport
pushes a trolley in the air-
port terminal. The man has
been the identified as Ibra-
him El Bakraoui.
nymity because he was not
authorized to discuss an ongo-
ing investigation.
French and Belgian author-
ities have said in recent days
that the network behind the
Paris attacks was much larger
than initially thought — and
developments this week sug-
gest the same group could
have staged both the Paris and
Brussels attacks.
The airport and sev-
eral Brussels metro stations
remained closed Wednesday,
and authorities said the airport
would remain closed at least
through Thursday, forcing
the cancellation of 00 Àights
each day. Security forces stood
guard around the neighbor-
hood housing the headquar-
ters of European Union insti-
tutions, as nervous Brussels
residents began returning to
school and work under a misty
rain.
“Helping People Live Well”
Victims from all over
65 N. Hwy. 101 Ste.204
Warrenton
503-325-5722
Suspected accomplice
Authorities are also still
looking for a suspected accom-
plice of Abdeslam, Najim
Laachraoui, whom they have
been searching for since last
week. It’s not clear if he has
any connection to the Brussels
attack. Belgian newspaper DH
initially reported he might be
the man in the white jacket at
the Brussels airport, but later
removed that report from its
website.
Laachraoui is believed to
have made the suicide vests
used in the Paris attacks, a
French police of¿cial told The
Associated Press, adding that
Laachraoui’s DNA was found
on all of the vests as well as
in a Brussels apartment where
they were made. The of¿cial
spoke on condition of ano-
of North African descent,
some from neighborhoods that
struggle with discrimination,
unemployment and alienation.
In its claim of responsibil-
ity, the Islamic State group said
its members detonated suicide
vests both at the airport and in
the subway, where many pas-
sengers Àed to safety down
dark tunnels ¿lled with hazy
smoke from the explosion.
IS warned of further attacks,
issuing a statement promising
“dark days” for countries tak-
ing part in the U.S.-led anti-IS
coalition in Syria and Iraq.
European security of¿-
cials have been bracing for a
major attack for weeks and had
warned that IS was actively
preparing to strike.
French Prime Minister
Manuel Valls said Wednes-
day that big events, be they
sports or cultural, must not be
put on hold for fear of attacks.
He said that includes the
Euro2016 soccer tournament,
a monthlong event being held
in France that starts in June.
Meanwhile, the Belgian foot-
ball federation announced that
it was calling off an interna-
tional soccer friendly match
against Portugal next week
because of the attacks.
As be¿ts an international
city like Brussels, the for-
eign minister said the dead
collectively held at least 40
nationalities.
“It’s a war that terrorism has
declared not only on France
and on Europe, but on the
world,” French Prime Minister
Manuel Valls said Wednesday
on Europe-1 radio. Valls, who
planned to visit Brussels later
Wednesday, urged tougher
controls of the EU’s external
borders.
“We must be able to face
the extension of radical Isla-
mism ... that spreads in some
of our neighborhoods and per-
verts our youth,” he said. The
Paris attackers were mainly
French and Belgian citizens
‘It’s a war that terrorism
has declared not only on
France and on Europe,
but on the world.’
The most valuable and
respected source of
local news, advertising
and information for
our communities.
Manuel Valls
eomediagroup.com
French prime minister
28
D
th
ANNUAL
Featuring boys and girls
high school teams
from throughout the
Columbia-Pacifi c region
AILY
A STORIAN
INVITATIONAL
10:00 a.m.
Saturday, April 2 nd
Seaside High School
Track
Meet
Consult a
PROFESSIONAL
Q:
D evonna E d w ard s
CADC II
CLATSOP
BEHAVIORAL
HEALTHCARE
should I have
Q: Why
my teeth cleaned
twice a year?
A :
Do you have to
gamble every day
to be a problem
gambler?
A :
A problem gambler may gamble
frequently or infrequently. If a
person’s gambling is causing
psychological, financial, emotional, marital,
legal, or other difficulties for that person
and the people around him or her, then he
or she has a gambling problem.
JEFFREY M. LEINASSAR
DMD, FAGD
Call CBH and talk to someone now at
503-325-5722.
Over One Million Americans Have a
Problem With Gambling...
You Are Not Alone!
503/325-0310
1414 MARINE DRIVE,
ASTORIA
www.smileastoria.com
word
Q: Which
processor and
going out of town
Q: I’m
and need to stop my
spread sheet should
I get?
LEO FINZI
Purchase a new computer,
and we transfer your
documents from your old
one FREE! Save $99.
Astoria ’ s Best
NETWORK AND
COMPUTER SALES,
SERVICES & REPAIRS
M-F 10-6 Sat 12-5
1020 Commercial #2
503-325-2300
For the majority of patients
concerned about their dental
health this is a reasonable interval.
However, for many patients who
struggle with plaque control, have poor
brushing habits, inadequate diets,
smokers, and patients with medical
conditions such as diabetes a more
frequent cleaning interval is
recommended and appropriate. And
yes, there are the few patients out there
who do an amazing job of home care
and can remain healthy on just an
annual cleaning visit and checkup.
Remember “ you only have to brush
and floss the teeth you want to keep”!
Daily Astorian
newspaper. What are
my options?
A :
For Personal use, get Open
Office, available at
openoffice.org . It is free. For
professional use, get Office
2016 , not Office 365 . Office 365
requires you to pay an annual
subscription of $69. Office 2016
only costs $169. Many retailers
suggest the subscription version
as it lets them get commissions
every time you renew. We are
DIFFERENT . We are on your
side.
T HE D AILY
A STORIAN
503-325-3211
www.dailyastorian.com
949 Exchange St.
Astoria, OR
503-325-3211
A :
We have several different options
for you if you are heading out of
town. We can save your papers in a
vacation pack and deliver them when you
return. We can switch you to a Web
subscription while you are away and you
can read the paper online. You can have
your delivery stopped and you can donate
your missed newspapers to local schools.
What ever option fits your needs, just call
our circulation department at 503-325-3211
and we will take care of it for you.
