War in Europe, 2016 to ????
War in Europe has started, as of Monday, August 29, 2016.
The evidence:
The attack on the Belgian crime lab reported on below.
War is, among other things, the destruction of critical infrastructure of your adversary for your advantage.
That is precisely what happened with the destruction of some of Belgium's critical terrorism-fighting and crime-fighting facilities.
This is not terrorism: No one was terrorized by this attack.
And I do not believe it fits the traditional definition of crime.
But it surely does fit the description of war.
By MILAN SCHREUER
New York Times, 2016-08-30
BRUSSELS — Attackers set fire to Belgium’s national forensic crime laboratory early Monday morning, causing severe damage and potentially destroying DNA and other evidence considered crucial to cases involving terrorism, officials said.
No one was wounded in the attack, which occurred around 2 a.m. and destroyed part of the lab in the Neder-Over-Heembeek section of Brussels. Five people were arrested nearby but were released after questioning; the police are looking for the attackers.
“The possibility of a terrorist attack has not been confirmed,” Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office, said at a news conference. “It goes without saying that several individuals would benefit if elements from their legal cases were destroyed. The investigation is ongoing, and all possible scenarios are being considered.”
The target of the attack was the National Institute of Forensics and Criminology, which is part of the federal justice department and is Belgium’s center for forensic research, including the examination of biological and ballistic evidence. The institute handles thousands of cases a year for the federal police and the Belgian intelligence service, and it houses the country’s DNA database.
...
The attack on the crime lab could hinder police and intelligence officials as they pursue suspects and monitor threats. Officials cautioned that they were not yet certain of the extent of the damage, but Ms. Van Wymersch said, “The damage to the building is severe.”
Because of the late hour, no guards or other employees were at the site, which is surrounded by several fences and is under video surveillance, when it was attacked, Ms. Van Wymersch said.
How the attackers managed to breach the fences and reach the crime lab is under investigation.
“Several perpetrators forced their way onto the N.I.C.C.’s premises with a car and were able to reach the building, more specifically the wing where the laboratories are situated,” Ms. Van Wymersch said, using the Dutch abbreviation for the institute. “At this time, we cannot provide more information concerning the modus operandi since the building is not yet accessible and examinations cannot be conducted at the scene.”
...
Ms. Van Wymersch said that a bomb disposal unit had been sent, along with arson investigators. For now, the case is being handled as an arson investigation, so it is being dealt with by the Brussels prosecutor’s office. If the case is deemed to involve terrorism, it may be transferred to the control of the federal prosecutor.
A senior Belgian counterterrorism official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing, said he was surprised that the site was not better guarded, given how much is stored there.
...
By Lorne Cook | AP August 29
Washington Post / AP, 2016-08-29
BRUSSELS — Attackers rammed a car through the gates of Belgium’s crime institute early Monday and set fire to a lab containing crime scene samples, apparently in an effort to destroy evidence, Brussels prosecutors said.
...
“It’s probably not terrorism. It’s a criminal act,” said Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office. “I cannot confirm that there was any bomb.”
The forensic facility assists Belgium’s justice authorities in carrying out their investigations and the lab contains DNA samples found at crime scenes.
“The location was not chosen randomly,” Van Wymersch said. She said the lab contains “sensitive information” being used in ongoing investigations.
The fire and damage hampered the efforts of investigators to enter the scene, and she said it would take some time to establish exactly what had been destroyed.
“The laboratory does thousands of analyses each year, so we don’t know what damage has been done yet,” Van Wymersch told reporters. “It is obvious that several individuals would have an interest in making elements in their justice file disappear.”
...
The evidence:
The attack on the Belgian crime lab reported on below.
War is, among other things, the destruction of critical infrastructure of your adversary for your advantage.
That is precisely what happened with the destruction of some of Belgium's critical terrorism-fighting and crime-fighting facilities.
This is not terrorism: No one was terrorized by this attack.
And I do not believe it fits the traditional definition of crime.
But it surely does fit the description of war.
2016-08-30-NYT-brussels-crime-lab-arson
Arson Attack Damages Crime Lab in BrusselsBy MILAN SCHREUER
New York Times, 2016-08-30
BRUSSELS — Attackers set fire to Belgium’s national forensic crime laboratory early Monday morning, causing severe damage and potentially destroying DNA and other evidence considered crucial to cases involving terrorism, officials said.
No one was wounded in the attack, which occurred around 2 a.m. and destroyed part of the lab in the Neder-Over-Heembeek section of Brussels. Five people were arrested nearby but were released after questioning; the police are looking for the attackers.
“The possibility of a terrorist attack has not been confirmed,” Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office, said at a news conference. “It goes without saying that several individuals would benefit if elements from their legal cases were destroyed. The investigation is ongoing, and all possible scenarios are being considered.”
The target of the attack was the National Institute of Forensics and Criminology, which is part of the federal justice department and is Belgium’s center for forensic research, including the examination of biological and ballistic evidence. The institute handles thousands of cases a year for the federal police and the Belgian intelligence service, and it houses the country’s DNA database.
...
The attack on the crime lab could hinder police and intelligence officials as they pursue suspects and monitor threats. Officials cautioned that they were not yet certain of the extent of the damage, but Ms. Van Wymersch said, “The damage to the building is severe.”
Because of the late hour, no guards or other employees were at the site, which is surrounded by several fences and is under video surveillance, when it was attacked, Ms. Van Wymersch said.
How the attackers managed to breach the fences and reach the crime lab is under investigation.
“Several perpetrators forced their way onto the N.I.C.C.’s premises with a car and were able to reach the building, more specifically the wing where the laboratories are situated,” Ms. Van Wymersch said, using the Dutch abbreviation for the institute. “At this time, we cannot provide more information concerning the modus operandi since the building is not yet accessible and examinations cannot be conducted at the scene.”
...
Ms. Van Wymersch said that a bomb disposal unit had been sent, along with arson investigators. For now, the case is being handled as an arson investigation, so it is being dealt with by the Brussels prosecutor’s office. If the case is deemed to involve terrorism, it may be transferred to the control of the federal prosecutor.
A senior Belgian counterterrorism official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing, said he was surprised that the site was not better guarded, given how much is stored there.
...
2016-08-29-WP-prosecutors-brussels-attack-was-probably-arson-not-a-bomb
Attackers set fire to Belgian crime labBy Lorne Cook | AP August 29
Washington Post / AP, 2016-08-29
BRUSSELS — Attackers rammed a car through the gates of Belgium’s crime institute early Monday and set fire to a lab containing crime scene samples, apparently in an effort to destroy evidence, Brussels prosecutors said.
...
“It’s probably not terrorism. It’s a criminal act,” said Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office. “I cannot confirm that there was any bomb.”
The forensic facility assists Belgium’s justice authorities in carrying out their investigations and the lab contains DNA samples found at crime scenes.
“The location was not chosen randomly,” Van Wymersch said. She said the lab contains “sensitive information” being used in ongoing investigations.
The fire and damage hampered the efforts of investigators to enter the scene, and she said it would take some time to establish exactly what had been destroyed.
“The laboratory does thousands of analyses each year, so we don’t know what damage has been done yet,” Van Wymersch told reporters. “It is obvious that several individuals would have an interest in making elements in their justice file disappear.”
...
Labels: war in Europe
posted by KHarbaugh at 10:58
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