Obama reassures Belgians ‘America has their back’

US President Barack Obama on Saturday offered his prayers for the families of the two Americans killed in the bombings in Brussels and reassured Belgians that “America has their back” in the fight against terrorism.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama renewed his vow to continue the campaign against the Islamic State, which took credit for Tuesday’s bombings that killed 32 and wounded 300. He said US officials were working with allies to root out the jihadist group’s operations in Europe.

Obama said US officials have ramped up intelligence cooperation and that FBI agents are in Belgium assisting with the investigation into the deadly blasts.

The president in his address also urged Americans not to stigmatize Muslims, saying that doing so is “counterproductive” in the fight against radical Islam.

Muslim-Americans are “our most important partners in the nation’s fight against those who would wage violent jihad,” Obama said.

Obama went on to say said he and allies would review the US-led air campaign and special operations against IS when world leaders gather in Washington next week for a summit on nuclear security.

The Belgian government — which has come under fierce criticism for its lax security measures — has admitted “errors” in its operations and two ministers offered to resign after Turkey said it had arrested and deported Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who blew himself up in the airport attack.

Belgium had ignored warnings that he was a “foreign terrorist fighter,” it said.

Ibrahim and his brother Khalid, the suicide bomber in the metro attack, were also on a US counter-terrorism watch list, CNN reported.

Ibrahim was on the list even before the November Paris attacks while Khalid was added soon after. Prosecutors have also confirmed Khalid was the subject of an international warrant over the Paris attacks.

On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry stopped off in Brussels as a mark of solidarity and warned more attacks might come as the Islamic State group comes under increasing pressure in its Syrian and Iraqi heartland.

He defended Belgium and its European allies against mounting allegations that their police and intelligence services fell down on the job before last week’s attacks, and said US counter-terrorism and police agencies would continue to work with Belgian and European authorities to improve intelligence sharing around the continent.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.