Brussels Attack highlights the importance of cooperation

Days after the only Paris Attack terrorists alive was arrested in Belgium, the state capital Brussels was hit with a series of explosions detonated by suicide bombers at Brussels Airport and further on in a metro train station in Maalbeek. Some believe the attacks may have been triggered off as a retaliation response to Salah Abdeslam arrest by showing up the vulnerabilities in European security detail suggesting that more terrorist attacks may be on the horizon.

These attacks heighten the level of tension hanging over Europe after debate has raged on how to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis that's propelling the region quickly into an emergency situation. What it also intensifies is the argument of those politicians who are in favour of tighter border control to restrict free movement as has been the case for many years now.

The problematic circumstances the European Union finds itself in currently is as a result of whimsy following of conformed motivation from participating nations that's unhinging the safety and security of European citizens. We've seen the government's of these member nations strike a tone of dislike amongst each other in attempting to reach something as feeble as agreeing to austerity measures to save face in the eyes of creditors.

I wrote a piece a while back about Europe's unwillingness to find common ground relating to immigration control and how it was putting the region at risk to terrorist attacks as we had seen in Paris in November 2015 but having the spotlight shone markedly on the issue, it brought politicians to the attention of the dangers to their indecisions. Once again the divisiveness of nations to share information amongst each other is having disastrous effects on stability in the region and exposes a weak point from which enemies could target.  

After Brussels, Europe's intelligence woes revealed https://t.co/btFzX8CNrY pic.twitter.com/edGv6S1MGJ

— CNBC (@CNBC) March 23, 2016

It's certain that the key to keeping ISIS out of Europe in the short term will be Russia's ability to eliminate the terrorist group from places like Syria but at what cost to Europe? We heard last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to begin the process of pulling out of military action in Syria with not too much given away to the reasoning behind this decision. Some believe it could be a political play that would push European leaders to cut away the sanctions imposed on Russia in return for containing the risk of further terrorism, a deal that hasn't materialised.

The urgency with which European leaders need to press forward in its own responses to IS will be tested again if it turns to the Kremlin to find military support as it had done previously. If Europe is able to hit back without increased cooperation from Putin, it would show the world that perhaps EU leaders have found a common goal in defeating terrorism however if they were to ask for further assistance it only serves to warn us that a dire situation has developed in Europe where the indecisiveness of leaders places more risk on the future of the EU.

It's not merely enough for world leaders to condemn these heinous and cowardly acts on innocent people, to have full confidence in the government's ability to handle these crises we need to see action which stresses an important point. Terrorism cannot be defeated by a single entity but rather the cooperative effort from all parties in rooting out this evil that plagues society, an issue that Europe will needs to find itself working harder towards.