U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said Tuesday’s deadly attacks in Brussels underscore the need for European leaders to take a hard look at whether their law enforcement and anti-terrorism operations can meet the true threat on the continent.
Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on our European allies to step up its information-sharing on terror cells and suspects.
“I think there are some very serious questions," Murphy said, "about the Belgians’ ability, specifically, to monitor these cells and every weak link in Europe is a weak link that affects the United States because if these terrorists are European citizens, then they can come to the United States with a very light touch security screen.”
Murphy said the U.S. is ready to work with its allies on data collection and information gathering, but the Europeans have, at times, been reluctant.
"They balk at the size of U.S. law enforcement surveillance activities and data collecting," Murphy said. "Even I have had some issues with the way in which we go about collecting data. But the reality is, we have by and large kept American citizens safe, and there are some lessons to be learned from our practices for the European."
Murphy said no-fly lists help to protect the U.S. from terrorists entering the country, but are only as good as the data and information on suspects. He added that since the terror attacks in Paris, Belgium, and Brussels have felt inundated with Europe’s undersized law enforcement unit.
To address current terror policies and propose new strategies, Murphy held a press conference where he proposed four strategies to counter terrorism.
Karelyn Kuczenski contributed to this report.
