Brussels: New Year's Eve fireworks canceled due to terror threat

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Traditional New Year's Eve fireworks in the center of Brussels have been canceled due to a continuing terror threat to the Belgian capital, officials said Sunday. Belgian authorities have warned of an increased risk of attack over the holiday season after police detained 14 people last week suspected of a plot to break al-Qaida prisoner Nizar Trabelsi out of a Belgian jail. Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt warned that the suspects could have other targets and ordered police to step up security in public places, including the Brussels airport, subway stations and the Christmas market. "We've reviewed the situation and the conclusion is that there is no reason to scale back the current level of (terror) alert," said Jaak Raes, director general of the Belgian government's Crisis Center. "The aim is not to create panic ... but to avoid unnecessary risks."