The tragic events in Brussels on Tuesday once again brought to the forefront the seemingly never ending battle to fight the scourge of terrorism. As has been the case, time and time again, suicide attackers set their sights on so-called soft targets, detonating their bombs at an airport and in a subway station. At least 30 people died and more than 200 were injured.
The coordinated attacks in Belgium come just a few months after terrorists struck in Paris and in San Bernardino, California. In each case, ISIS has either claimed responsibility for or inspired the carnage.
The Cipher Brief asked its network of experts to weigh in on the ongoing threat and what more needs to be done to curb ISIS and violent extremism. Today we hear from former CIA Director General Michael Hayden, who says the United States and Europe need to have an “adult, non-distorted conversation about surveillance and security” and must “take the fight to the enemy.” And a former senior British Intelligence Official, who asked to remain anonymous, believes that while Europe's intelligence sharing structure "can always get better....There is no perfect defense against such a threat."
