This is obviously evidence that there was. There will be a lot of criticism now of the Belgian Police for taking this long after the paris attacks to find this gang. Theyll also be a reaction here in the United States at some airports where people worry about the security beforeou get to the airport, before you get to the security zone. This is the very vulnerable part of the airport where you get out of the car and walk up to the desk. No security there normally. So what happens at some airports in periods of tension is they start inspecting cars as they drive into the airport and that backs up traffic. We may see that happening here in the United States today. Okay, and y y know i want to ask too we have these reports from the belgian media of the three explosions at three other subway stations. Reaction to the potential of brussels . Well, i think in this sort of reported incidents. We have to be very careful to not give them all credible. We dont really know yet what happened. The person as i say every time when one of these things happens is dont believe all the reports as they come in. Theres always mistakes in every situation like this. Theres mistakes about what has actually happened and what people think has happened. If we have attacks, however, both at the airport and on the metro, that means at least one cell as been operating with probably two or three members in it. I assume these are suicide attacks but we dont even know that yet so all we can say for left that the Belgian Police had not rounded up. That cell felt under pressure. Thought they might be rounded up soon. Therefore probably moved forward with every attack planning they were doing and carrieded it out today. Well find out during the course of the next few hours actually what happened. You do get a sense this is at least has all of the signs that it was a coordinated attack that took place this morning in belgium. Well, if its true that there were attacks at more than one location, obviously then, you know, it was a coordinated attack which is what they like to do, what al qaeda likes to do and isis or daesh has picked up on that technique to throw an entire country into lockdown and fear because you dont know whats going to happen next. You dont know how many attacks there are, police dont though system enormously and, you know, we hope this is just in belgium but we know that the Belgian Network did have ties into france and elsewheren europe so all europe, all of europe will be on high alert. We do want to say that just into abc news a spokeswoman for brussels transports has confirmed there wassen motion on rail tracks around 9 10 a. M. Local inside one of those subway stations, im goin to pronounce it wrong, maelbeek, the correct way . Yeah. So we do know one of those has been confirmed, the station near the eu and official buildings so this is a confirmation that we have at this hour. Your reaction, richard . Again, to be cautious about first reports, but if thats true and we do obviously know because we can see it, there was an attack at the airport, then we have a cell thats attacking just as they attacked in different points in paris simultaneouslyly possibly suicide to try to lock down the entire city. Richard, why belgium, about this is an attack . Why here . Well, because they live there. Its most likely that these people lived in the menbeek neighborhood which was a neighborhood of immigrants from north africa for the most part, an arab neighborhood where there was high unemployment, high scontent. Where people felt ostracized and where isis had obviously put down its roots and since the attack in paris which was linked to that neighborhood in brussels, the police have really clamped down in that neighborhood, have begun raiding remaining cell and obviously they flushed it out. Didnt get all of it. Flushed it out. Flushed it io an early attack and i think now that neighborhood will be under even more pressure from Police Authorities and this is a cycle that where there are people in the neighborhood now who will feel resentment because of the heavy Police Presence so this has been a neighborhood thats been a source of concern for american and European Security people for years because of the support for isis, support for al qaeda in the neighborhood. And the discontent in the neighborhood. Richard clarke. His take on what is playing out. We want to cross over to the hasan joining us from london and lama, i do believe David Cameron shortly just moments ago made news over there, as well in london. Reporter yeah, good morning to you. Yes, Prime Minister cameron did tweet saying how shocked he was at the attacks tha have happened this morning in brussels. We also got through to Heathrow Airport, of course, were i close proximity to brussels and knockon effect that happens, we spoke to Heathrow Airport that told us that there is a heightened security alert. Visible heigened Security Officers that are on patrol at Heathrow Airport now. Now, as you have been talking all morning this is breaking news and the details are only just coming in. We are hearing that there has been at least one explosion at a metro station in belgium, possibly three and this, of course, comes after several were hearing possibly ten in total and many more injured after that suspected terror attack at Brussels Airport this morning. Two explosive devices reportedly detonated at American Airlines checkin desk. There are unconfirmed reportst this hour that shots were fired, again, these have not been confirmed but this is what is coming in to us that sts were fired and words in arabic were shouted before the blasts were heard, the airport is said to be as you can imagi on lockdown. All flights are canceled and rail tffic towards the belgian airport has been suspended and this mornings incident comes just days after Salah Abdeslam, a suspected planner in the paris attacks, that, of course, killed 130 people last november we saw that dramatic showdown, thqt dramatic arrest on friday after a fourmonth hunt, manhunt, the warning was that more attacks would take place not only in brussels but around europe. Now, we are hearing that the terror alert in brussels has been raised to its highest level. Back here in this country, the terror alert has been at severe which means an attacks highly likely. Primarily because there have been so many fighters from europe, thousands of fighters going to iraq and fighting on the front lines. The fear is across europe, those fighters fighters, those jihadis would carry out attacks like were seeing in brussels. What other reactions are you seng in london and how are people reacting to the news coming out of brussels you reporter as i said we were expecting something quite spectacular not only in belgium but somewhere else as well the threat levels have been raised to its highest but he been expecting an attack. When you talk to people and talk to officials and i mat to say it but they say that its thought when an attack is going to happen, its not if its happen, its when so it was expected. Something this spectacular, especially since Salah Abdeslam, therwas a warning that after he was arrested some big attack would happen. And lama, while weve been talking with you we got word that David Cameron said he will chair a meeting of the governmeme Emergency Cobra Committee in response to the explosions in ussels. Are you familiar with that committee and what does that right, yes, the c. O. B. R. A. Committee meet at with Prime MinisterDavid Cameron and talk about current issues, especially when itcomes to terrorism. They will discuss the attac today and how to move forward and also how to fan out all the Police Officers across the city here, just in case to be prepared for another attack because this country has seen attacks in the past notably in 2007. So we are expecting something not something of this scale but quite larg you can imagine the conversations theyre having today as we were discussing when that decision to put out more officers visibly, more Security Officers and heitened security alerts at terminals here in london thank you for joining us and giving us t latest from london. We want to bring in Global Affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz who is joining us right now on the telephone. Martha. Can you hear us. Reporter good morning. I just remind you that when the attacks in paris happened we quickly dispatched to brussels so i spent a great deal of time there during the highest terror alert when they expected and attack. That city was in complete lockdown. Im sure youill see ha in the coming days. Because of thesese apparent attacks in the brusselss airport at a metro station, as well also goes to the fact that terrorists security is out there. No matter how high the alert and around there because of abdeslam, the city, of course, was on alert as well and still the terrorists apparently managed to attack very highprofile places. These are soft targets, not only highprofile, theyre fairly soft targets, martha. Reporter they certainly are soft targets, i know when we all woke up this morning and saw the airport has been hit, a place where the security is extensive, if you are in an airport, if you are there before security almost anything can happen. The airport too in those areas is a soft target and certainly a subway or a metro station is, as well. What would you be expecting to hear in terms of a u. S. Rewrakz in the wake of this. Reporter im sure all over theyre aware of this attack. Theyre trying to coordinate with their european counterparts. Certainly trying to coordinate wi all the appropriate agencies here in t he city to see what they can do to see whether the alert level here should be raised. Again, what is so alarming about this attack is that was expected. And people were able to carry it out anyway, despite the security, despite the warnings and people going all over that city looking for people who might want to commit an act of terror. The arrest of abdesl, it was stunning to people that he was still in brussels. I dont know, obviously, we dont know all the details about where he had been in the interim between the attacks in november and these apparent attacks but they were looking for him full time. If people want to carry out an attack its clear they can. Martha, well keep you on the line but switch down to times square and to abc news chief anchor George Stephanopoulos who is joining us at this early hour to continue the coverage right now. George. Okay, kendis, lauren, thanks very much. We are continuing this coverage of a major terror attack in europe this morning in brussels, belgium. It srted arent 8 a. M. Brussels time at the airport. Two explosions at the Brussels Airport near the American Airlines departure lounge, two explosions in rapid succession. Least one explosion at the brussels metro station, as well. Several casualties reported. Right now brussels media reporting the 13 people have been killed. At least 35 injured. The airport now has been closed. You see the destruction and the metro system has been closed and the leader says the whole country is on the highest state of alert. Right there near where the explosion occurred. I want to go to abcs Alex Marquardt on the scene in brussels. Alex, take us through what you ow beginning with the airport. Reporter good morning, were standing as close as we can get to the around. The police have put up a perimeter around the area and for the past two hours since these explosions happened people, thousands of travelers who were supposed to be heading out this morning have been streaming out. We spoke with one eyewitness, who was flying on an American Airlines flight this morning who said that the explosion happened around 30 yards from where he was he thought it was closer to the Delta Air Lines counter because he normally flies delta. Very close proximity. Many eyewitnesses who we have spoken to have said they saw bodies on the floor. We know t tt there are wounded and dead, as you mentioned,d, the number being reported right now is 13. That according to the belgian federal prosecutor who is speaking to the belgian media. A. A scene of total devastation in this departures area. The explosions, one smaller than the other, the other bigger taking place just after 8 00 in the depture area and also understand it was near a starbucks. Of course, this couldnt have happened at a Business Year time. This is a Tuesday Morning as thousands of people are trying to fly out of one of europes main airports. This is obviously one of the most secure locations in brussels and then shortly after down. George. And alex, you said the metro station has been shut down as well and reports of injury in the metro bombing and now everyone in belgium has been place. Reporter they have. This is a country that is very quickly going into lockdown mode. There is a lot of chaos. You can imagine that theyve the entire city is paralyzed system like that. We spoke with somomne from the interior ministry which runs securiri yesterday about what we could expect to see, what the fears are in the coming days, weeks and months after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam on friday. He, of course, was the lone survive ago tacker from the paris attacks and the interior Ministry Spokesman told us two options, this will trigger attacks or youre going to see terrorists go to grounds and wait f r the pressure to ease up. What appears to have happened was that first option. What appears to be going on right now is not just one terror attack but coordinated attacks and we saw that happen in paris, of course, 130 People Killed at different locations, some of the most famous lococions in paris, the stade de france during an International Soccer match, the bataclan theatre where the eagles of death metal were playing so that was a highly coordinated attack, very well planned and fear f european then is that something similar could againake place. Not just in one city like we saw in paris a what we appear to be seeing in brussels, but also that gives you a sense of chaos going on here. Lots of cars flying by with sirens on. As i was sayingntelligence officials worried there could be simultaneous attacks not justn one city but across different cities. The French Foreign minister h h said go ahead. The french Prime Minister warned after the attack that the risk of an attack is asigh if not higher than before paris. This was not only something that was feared this is something some time. Okay, alex, i want to bring that to our chief Global Affairs anchor Martha Raddatz as well on the phone with us. Martha, you were on he scene in molenbeek, belgium, which has become the hotbed of terrorist activity in brussels in those days after the paris attack and as alex was just saying we knew abdeslam earlier thi week that another attack was very possible. Reporter yes, in november, george, when we were there afterer those paris attacks that city was on absolute lockdown. There were fear, really every minute that an attack was imminent and in fact that is exactly how they worded it, that an attack was imminent at the time. Throughout the city there were armored personnel carriers in the square outside the hotels, the city was a virtual ghost town. Really no one went out which is exactly whats going to happen now. And yet these attacks went forward, many popses later, we dont know the connection, certainly, but they were certainly aware and thought that an attk could happen any minute in brussels and, again, these are as highly protecteds an airport is. Sanctum of those airports. You have to go through security but you can go to a parking lot. You can bring in explosives, you can bring in weapons and it appears thats exactly what happened at the Brussels Airport today, we have fewer details on what exactly may have happened in the subway, the metro there, but clearly some sort of coordination despite the threat of arrest, despite the threat of allf these agencies in brussels looking for suspects, looking for people who might carry out an attack like this. Thats right. Alert levels will be raised across europe. To richard clarke, former counterterrorism czar. A lot are mystified by a couple thing, one it took so long to find Salah Abdeslam in belgium several months afterhe paris attacks and two after the arrest that the cells could still be so active that they could carry out what looks like attacks just a coupup of days later. Reporter i think thats right, george. In the postmore tem of this awful lot of criticism from the Belgian Police and Law Enforcement people in general and the country that it took them four months after the paris attacks to find the perpetrator of the paris attacks and that they couldnt find the entire cell network that he was connected to. Obviously there was a cell network, some of them were rounded up last week, but obviously some of them were still ou there. We dont know how many people were involved in perpetrating this attack. Were they suicide bombers . Or did they place bombs, how many people had come in from outside of the country . Perhaps from syria or how many of these people were natives who grew up in molenbeek .