According to Israeli Col. (Res) Jonathan Fighel, a Senior Researcher & Head of the Terrorism Prosecution Desk at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) in Herzliya, ‘’it seems that the Brussels attacks were only in the final stages of operational preparedness (maturation) and the decision to commit the attacks on 22 March was probably accelerated due to the arrest of Salah Abdeslam in Molenbeek a few days before.’’

In a report on Tuesday’s attacks at Brussels Airport and a subway station, the ICT quotes Fighel as saying that ‘’one may thus believe that Abdeslam did not talk in his initial interrogation after his arrest, and withheld information regarding the Brussels attacks.’’

‘’At this stage, it is still unknown what interrogation methods were used during Salah Abdeslam’s interrogation and whether Abdeslam was treated as a “ticking bomb”, a term which does not exist among European Security Services. This question raises the need to examine the formulation of an authorized and legal special set of procedures, to be activated and adapted to interrogation situations, where there is a "ticking bomb", when other lives are at stake.’’

‘’Once key terrorist figures are arrested (and prior to that arrest being made public), friendly intelligence agencies need to be updated in order to execute extra vigilance for possible reactions and to request the sharing of relevant intelligence,’’ Fighel says.

‘’It would seem that today’s attacks, as with other recent attack in Europe, were organized from outside Europe. This fact requires enhanced intelligence coverage against these individuals, most likely located in the Middle East (Syria, Iraq) and the sharing of information with relevant countries.’’