Sanders: Brussels a ‘brutal reminder’ of ISIS threat

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tuesday condemned the terror bombings in Brussels, calling them a “brutal reminder” for the international community to come together to destroy the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

{mosads}ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed dozens of people and injured more than 100 more. 

“This type of barbarism cannot be allowed to continue,” Sanders said in a brief statement.

“We stand with our European allies to offer any necessary assistance in these difficult times,” the Vermont senator said in his statement.

The attacks resurrected the specter of terrorism in the 2016 presidential race, which recently focused on jobs and the economy after the Paris attacks in November and the shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., the following month.

The five remaining presidential candidates have expressed degrees of disgust at the attacks while also emphasizing the need for more security. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, spoke out early on the incident, calling for a tightening of security measures.

Clinton called for European officials to employ tougher security measures following the attack, invoking her experience as secretary of State and mentioning her support for a visa system and passenger name record system.

Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, called for the U.S. to tighten security at its own borders, which Clinton dismissed as “unrealistic.” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz urged for a rethinking of the Syrian refugees being allowed into the U.S., while Ohio Gov. John Kasich called for a strengthening of U.S. alliances.

—This report was updated at 11:57 a.m.