Belgium pledges security crackdown on
Islamist violence
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[November 19, 2015]
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian Prime
Minister Charles Michel pledged a security crackdown and an extra 400
million euros ($427 million) to fight Islamist violence on Thursday,
while rejecting criticism of Belgium's security services in the wake of
the Paris attacks.
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Michel told parliament that the government would introduce laws to
jail jihadists returning from Syria, ban hate preachers and close
down unregistered places of worship in response to last week's
attacks.
French President Francois Hollande said the coordinated suicide
bombings and shootings that killed at least 129 people had been
planned in Belgium. French media quoted an intelligence source as
saying: "The Belgians just aren't up to it."
Michel stopped short of acknowledging the attacks had been organized
from Belgium, blaming "Franco-Belgian cells".
"Also I don't accept the criticism seeking to disparage our security
services, who do a difficult and tough job," Michel said, adding
that French raids on Wednesday in the Paris suburb of St Denis were
the result of a tip-off from Belgium.
The prime minister said Belgium would amend laws to convict or expel
hate preachers and close unrecognized and clandestine mosques and
Islamic cultural centers.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Nov/19/images/ads/current/morton_sda_daily_fair_2015.png) Analysts often point to Belgian group Sharia4Belgium, able to speak
out in public for years until the country's largest terror trial
starting in 2014 resulted in conviction of its members for
recruiting fighters to go to Syria.
"Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution but places of
worship cannot become places to spread jihadism," Michel said.
He said the government would also make it impossible to buy mobile
phone cards anonymously and would allow police to carry out house
searches at any time of the day or night. These are currently only
allowed between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m.
The poor Brussels district of Molenbeek has been at the center of
investigations into last week's attacks in Paris after it emerged
that at least two of the attackers had been living there.
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As he spoke, Belgian police were carrying fresh raids in Molenbeek
and elsewhere in Brussels related to the Paris attacks, prosecutors
said.
Ahead of an emergency meeting of justice and interior ministers in
Brussels on Friday, Michel said it was vital for the European Union
to reinforce its external borders.
France is set to call for the rapid adoption of an EU database of
airline passengers - long-stalled in the European Parliament due to
privacy concerns.
Michel said Belgium was looking at introducing registers of
passenger names flying or taking high-speed trains into and out of
the country.
Belgium would support French military efforts by sending a vessel to
escort French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Michel also said he had spoken to British Prime Minister David
Cameron and suggested an exchange of intelligence information.
($1 = 0.9369 euros)
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek, Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by
Gabriela Baczynska, Paul Taylor and Giles Elgood)
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