Tonights pbs newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by lincoln financial committed to helping you take charge of your financial future. And with the ongoing support of these institutions this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Ifill once again, a major European Capital has been shut down by terror. Todays bombings in brussels left at least 31 people dead. More than 180 were wounded, including an undetermined number of americans. The attacks paralyzed the city for most of the day, and triggered an allout manhunt. Thick smoke and screams of panic, captured by a cellphone, moments after double explosions rocked the belgian capitals airport. Suitcases stood abandoned as wouldbe passengers scrambled over collapsed ceilings and shattered windows. I hear an explosion and all the ceilings is going down and then the second explosion went and then everything is black. And i see, when i go out i see a lot of people with blood. translated i tried to flee towards the arrivals and we couldnt get there, and there was glass everywhere, crash crash, crash everywhere. It was a total confusion, it was truly hell. Ifill belgian prosecutors say it was the work of two suicide bombers, attacking just seconds apart, during the morning rush. They said a third suspect escaped. Passengers and employees alike streamed out of the smoldering entrance, while hundreds of others were evacuated to the tarmac. Then, about an hour later, another blast this time on a subway train as it left a station near the European Unions headquarters. Footage posted to social media showed passengers evacuating one car as Emergency Personnel treated the wounded. translated these are war injuries. I have more than 40 years of experience on the job so i have seen a lot of things. I think this is the worst thing ive ever seen in my career. Ifill the twin attacks, claimed by the Islamic State group, sent belgiums terror alert to the highest level and put the entire city under lockdown for hours. Police found a third bomb at the airport and disposed of it. Flights and Train Service were canceled or diverted, and people were ordered to remain in place. translated ladies and gentlemen, what we feared has happened. Our country and our citizens have been hit by blind, violent and coward attacks. We are confronted with a challenge, a difficult challenge and we must face it by standing united, showing solidarity and staying together. Ifill the attacks in brussels came four days after the arrest there of salah abdeslam, the top suspect in novembers terror attacks in paris that left 130 dead. And, they cast new doubts on belgian intelligencegathering and security. The newshours chief Foreign Affairs correspondent Margaret Warner spoke with the belgian ambassador to the United States, in washington today. Some indications pointed to the fact that something may happen. The security levels were heightened. The presence of security people, including military quite visible, had been enhanced. And still it happened, so the answer to your question is, it can happen even when you take all security preparedness. Ifill world leaders, including president obama, pledged solidarity with the belgians. He learned of the attacks on the second day of his visit to cuba. We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible and this is yet another reminder that the world must unite, we must be together regardless of nationality or race or faith, in fighting against the scourge of terrorism. Ifill and in paris, president Francois Hollande urged leaders everywhere to recognize the danger. translated terrorism hit belgium, but europe was targeted, and the whole world is concerned. But we are facing a global threat, which demands a global response. Ifill the immediate response, in britain, france, germany and elsewhere, was to bolster security at airports, train stations and border crossings. In the u. S. , similar measures were taken in major urban areas, including washington and new york. Let me say at the outset there is no specific and credible threat against new york city at this time, but we are in a high state of vigilance and readiness. Ifill the brussels airport, meanwhile, will stay closed at least through wednesday. Later, president obama ordered u. S. Flags lowered to half staff at government buildings. And the department of Homeland Security said it has no credible intelligence of any threat to the United States. Well return to the brussels attacks after the news summary. Woodruff the bombings dominated much of the day for the u. S. President ial candidates. Republican frontrunner donald trump suggested using torture to disrupt future attacks. He told nbc if they can expand the laws, i would do a lot more than waterboarding. You have to get the information from these people. Trumps rival, ted cruz, went further, calling for Police Surveillance of muslim neighborhoods. Its standard good policing to direct your resources to where the threat is coming from. We should to the same thing are radical islamic terrorism. We need to work proactively with the Muslim Community like when Law Enforcement is going after gang activity, you work where the gangs are located. Woodruff in turn, Democrat Hillary Clinton called for policies that are, consistent with our values. And, she told nbc its unrealistic to say were going to completely shut down our borders to everyone. Fellow democrat Bernie Sanders appealed for international solidarity, as did republican john kasich. Both parties hold nominating primaries today in arizona and utah. Democrats also hold caucuses in idaho. Ifill a planned courtroom battle between apple and the fbi never happened today. Instead, federal prosecutors said they may not need apple to unlock the iphone used by the mass shooters in San Bernardino. They say an outside party came forward over the weekend and showed the fbi how to access data on the encrypted phone after all. Woodruff the new nato and u. S. Commander in afghanistan apologized today, for the American Bombing of a hospital last year. General John Nicholson traveled to kunduz and met with victims relatives and staff at the now closed hospital. The october strike killed 42 people and wounded dozens more. A u. S. Investigation found it was, tragic and avoidable, and more than a dozen military personnel were punished. Ifill in indonesia, thousands of taxi drivers protested in jakarta, demanding a ban on uber and other ridehailing apps. The demonstration wreaked traffic chaos in the citys alreadycongested streets. Cabbies carried banners denouncing the competition as illegal, and even assaulted some motorbike drivers working for the apps. translated close uber and grabcar please, because were suffering losses now. The government said the apps will encourage young people to use public transport. But since grabcar and uber came into the market, weve been having a hard time earning a living. Ifill today marked the second such protest by taxi drivers in jakarta this month. Woodruff the former mayor of toronto, canada, rob ford, died today, after a career marred by drinking and drug problems. Ford was elected in 2010, but a series of scandals erupted, and he ultimately admitted using crack cocaine. He dropped a reelection bid after being diagnosed with a rare cancer, but later won a city council seat. Rob ford was 46 years old. Ifill in economic news, wall street struggled to gain traction after the brussels attacks hurt airline and travel company stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost 41 points to close at 17,582. The nasdaq rose 12 points, and the s p 500 slipped about two. Woodruff and, about 30 of the reallife rosie the riveters were honored in washington today, for building planes and doing other vital jobs during world war ii. The women, many in their 80s and 90s, took a special flight from detroit. They wore red and white polka dot headscarves, mimicking the image in the famous we can do it poster. Later, they visited the u. S. Capitol and the world war ii memorial. It was all part of womens history month. Ifill still to come on the newshour what the brussels attacks mean in the global fight against terror. President obama pressures cuba on human rights. The difficulties of educating children in foster care, and much more. Woodruff now, back to the attacks in brussels and the latest on the investigation into whom was behind them. We turn to Peter Spiegel, Brussels Bureau chief for the financial times. Welcome to you, Peter Spiegel. So what is the very latest thats known about figuring out who was behind this . Well, this evening, the Brussels Authority put out a photo of three men carrying luggage carts just before the explosion and identified them as they think the perpetrators, two the actual bombers and the third on the loose. They have been razed in the scar brook neighborhood just north of here and found more evidence i. S. I. S. Was entrenched. Found bomb materials, chemicals, i. S. I. S. Flag, other paraphernalia. They are trying to figure out how broad and deep the network was. Its suspected it was linked to person in the opening piece, seems to be a connection from the paris attacks. They think these terrorists moved up their attack because they believed they had been ratted out. Theyre trying to find out how much that cell is implanted here in plus also. Other than that, the claim of credit that i. S. I. S. Put out over their internet sites, we dont have a huge amount of information now about who these guys are, where they are based. The police pled for information for the one person they think is on the run. Yet again, catching authorities by surprise and they dont have a huge amount of ideas now about who these guys are. Woodruff brussels was on high alert after the arrest of the paris suspect mr. Abdeslam last week and had been on alert since the paris attack. A number of experts today were saying why wasnt brussels better prepared. The belgian authorities have come under a lot of pressure and attack even back from the paris attacks. The paris attacks were largely organized in the molenbeek neighborhood not far from here. So there has been belgian bashing. But the jihadis had come from brussels and other parts of bell yum. Bell yum has the largest percentage of fighters that have gone to fight for i. S. I. S. And a thought they use brussels as an organizing place. They dont think theyre any worse they any other european cities that have large, radicalized populations, but what is true, up until 18 months ago, belgian did not invest in military assets needed to encounter these kind of radical groups. After charlie h Charlie Hebdos like that, the new belgian government ramped up the amount of money theyre puttin puttingo their intelligence and Security Services but the question is whether too little too late. They had to ramp up sotquickly to gate handle on in thing, this could be a lapse in inability because they are so behind the curve right now. Woodruff what is the security situation now . Are they expected more attacks . Well, were back on level 4, which is the terror alert for eminent attack. Literally a few hours ago, they told us we could leave our buildings and parents were able to pick their kids up from school. So were not on lockdown like the paris attacks where belgian authorities said they had to be locked down for a week. But there is nervousness that because they do have the suspects in detention, that suspects particularly abdeslam have knowledge about the cells that are operating in europe, some some of these other cells will come out and act now for fear of being turned up and arrested in the days dom. Woodruff Peter Spiegel who was the Brussels Bureau chief for the financial times, we thank you. Ifill for more on the threat of terrorism in europe and beyond, im joined by rick nelson of cross match technologies. Hes a former naval officer who served at the National Security council and the National Counter terrorism center. And Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at the center for cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington university. He is an expert on radicalization and terrorism in europe and has advised u. S. And european law makers. Lorenzo vidino, based on everything that weve just heard from the reporter in brussels, Peter Spiegel, are we now engaged and truly a global in truly a global war now . I think its undeniable that i. S. I. S. Has inspired individuals worldwide to carry out attacks and i think what were seeing now is what i. S. I. S. Is directing, kind of the novelty of the paris attacks and part of the brussels attacks today is directly engaged in attacking nort north africa, mie east and the west. So we have more organized clusters of networks that have received training in syria and iraq and received the order to mobilize and carry out the attacks so they are more sophisticated than the individuals just inspired by i. S. I. S. Ideology, like the San Bernardino shooters in the United States. There is a different degree of sophistication when you receive training and experience in the battlefield with radicalization that i. S. I. S. Provides to individuals throughout europe. Ifill are you persuaded this is connected to the paris attacks, rick nelson . I am indeed persuaded. I. S. I. S. Has been Building Networks in europe for close to three years now and no doubt in my mind there are significant networks throughout europe, leveraging belgium and brussels in particular, and we saw that in france, we saw that today in belgium, and unfortunately i think there will be more attacks on the horizon connected to these cells. Ifill staying with you, rick nelson, why belgium . Well, belgium has a number of issues it faces. It is a microcosm for the larger issues facing europe. First and foremost, europe in general, belgium specifically, has not done a good job of integrating many of these muslim communities into their larger society. A lot of these larger communities are in enclaves and urban environments. There is not a lot of hope for jobs, not a lot of hope to get out of these environments, and that puts in place a sense of disenfranchisement, marginalization, and other terrorist groups are effective at capitalizing on the marginalization and getting the individuals to join their cause and take an act of violence that gives them a larger sense of meaning and perhaps a pathway out of the situation they find themselves in. Ifill to del gum authorities have any kind of hold on this, Lorenzo Vidino . How do you monitor suspicions . Are there resources to follow up on every threat . No, its a general problem throughout europe and acute in belgium that have to do with issues like lack of investment. A lot of different forces dont talk to one another, they are severely understaffed. Add to that the fact belgium provides an incredibly large disproportionate number of foreign fighters so theyre stretched extremely thin. Its a problem throughout europe but particularly acute in belgium and investments have been made but too little, too late. Ifill rick nelson, how should other countries be responding if this is indeed now a global threat . One of the things this is going to force in the European Union and beyond is the fact these nation are going to have to share information more readily than in the past. There has been some hesitation in countries to share intelligence information throughout the e. U. France started the dialogue, belgiumer to reiterate this. The european nations will have to share information and intelligence to be successful against the threats. The threats are basic, rudimentary, even though command and control may be sophisticated, theyre going to be difficult to identify in advance unless there is very credible intelligence and the countries will have to Work Together to build that incredible intelligence to thwart th the attacks. Ifill it seems incredible there wouldnt be improved intelligence sharing at this stage. It is better in the last few years because of more coordination. The reality is there is talk of creating a european f. B. I. , a Law EnforcementIntelligence Agency that supervisors this. There is europol, but that doesnt have the same capabilities that a real transnational, paneuropean Law Enforcement agency would have. It facilitates the passage of information but doesnt have arresting powers. 99 , i would say, of the counterterrorism capability rests with the individual countries. And you have those petty jealousies, political issues, divides that create a lot of problems. Terrorists dont know borders, they go from one european country to the other. Law enforcement and intelligence are very much stuck within their own borders. Ifill when we talked about battling i. S. I. S. , its seemed territorial. Putting boots on the ground, saving raqqa, making it a syrianbased war, are we going to have to expand our thinking of how to battle i. S. I. S. . Well, absolutely. You know, what weve seen with most terrorist groups and at least in the last 15 years that, you know, the idea of having a safe haven or a piece of terrorist territory from which to operate is critical to these organizations, and what has made one of the things that has made i. S. I. S. So successful is they do have a piece of territory in syr