Terror threat

Why Belgium? Five reasons terrorists struck heart of Europe

Twin bombing attacks in Brussels that killed 31 people and injured at least 270 sent shock waves throughout Europe and shone a spotlight on Belgium as a fertile ground for terrorism.
How did a small country about the size of the state of Maryland spiral from a renowned architectural and cultural hub to a hotbed of violent jihadist ideology?
Here are five reasons why terrorists struck at the heart of Europe:

1. Belgium has an abundance of foreign fighters
Per capita, more young Belgian men are traveling to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria than any other European country.
Experts believe that nearly 500 men and women have left Belgium for those two countries since 2012. At least 150 of them have returned, according to Belgian officials.
However, experts admit the numbers are on the conservative side; no one knows for certain exactly how many have gone and how many have returned.
As result, Belgian authorities and the public had for some time feared an attack by homegrown jihadists...