Couple Survives Brussels Airport Attack --Madeleine Norton, 4th period

CNN author Susanna Capelouto reported just yesterday about how a dutch couple "who live in Las Vegas were checking in to fly home Tuesday at the Brussels Airport when two explosions ripped through the hall." This reported ISIS attack has been all over the news and is especially interesting as Brussels, Belgium has not been very centered as a government and not well-prepared for an attack involving terrorism.

Catherine Breyer, survivor of the explosion, told broadcasters, "We saw the explosion was on the Delta check-in desk, at the end. We ran the other way, we couldn't get really far because the second explosion was five or 10 seconds later." Capelouto further explains that "They felt the full force of the explosion on their legs, according to Philippe Breyer. Catherine quickly realized that her husband was in bad shape. 'I saw his left leg, I knew it would be hard to save it, because it was ripped off.' They waited, hoping there wouldn't be another blast, and a Belgian soldier came to help. 'Catherine called him to say he had to tie my leg. He immediately came over, put his gun away and tied up my leg,' Philippe said.
"The couple is recuperating at a hospital in Vilvoorde, Belgium. Philippe did lose his left leg, but Catherine wants to thank the soldier who assisted them for saving her husband's life. They know it will take some time to heal, but they also know how lucky they are to survive the attack, which killed 14 people at the airport."

This can be synthesized with other terrorist attacks in the past year and beyond, including the infamous 9/11 attacks. This also includes other attacks using fear tactics throughout history, like the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution (where any insubordination to the current anarchy was threatened with the guillotine). Personally, I feel it's awful and terrfying to hear things like this because we are reminded that as safe as we think we are, anything can happen to any one of us, anywhere at any time. Perhaps with this attack however, Belgium will become more united as a country to defend itself and work together as opposed to giving in to fear and falling apart, as ISIS surely wants.

Article link can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/26/us/las-vegas-couple-brussels-victims/index.html