Newspaper: Qaeda Says It's Behind Turkey Blasts

Reuters ^ | 11/16/2003 | N/A

[a_Turk]

LONDON (Reuters) - London-based Arab language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi said on Sunday it had received a statement from al Qaeda claiming responsibility for the attack on two Istanbul synagogues which killed at least 23 people.

Abdel-Bari Atwan, the editor of the newspaper, told Arab satellite television Al Jazeera from London, that the statement was sent in an email from an al Qaeda division called Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri.

"The statement said that they carried out the operations after they found out that Mossad agents were working at the synagogues and therefore they bombed them," he said.

Political editor of the paper Khaled Elshami told Reuters in London that the statement also said al Qaeda was planning more attacks around the world, specifically with car bombs, targeting Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan.

Suicide bombers driving two vans loaded with explosives carried out the devastating attacks on two Istanbul synagogues on Saturday.

Turkish media said each vehicle was packed with 400 kg (850 pounds) of explosives and two corpses had been found with wires attached to them suggesting they might be suicide bombers. Turkey and Israel, vowing not to let Saturday's attacks damage rare close ties between the Jewish state and a Muslim nation, blamed what they called international terrorists, possibly including al Qaeda.

The blasts killed Jews attending Sabbath prayers and Muslim passers-by.

[a_Turk]

Players of Aski SC, Ankara, Turkey, observe one minute of silence in honour of the victims of the bomb attack on the synagogue in Istanbul Saturday Nov. 15, before the start of their Champions League handball match against Danish Kolding IF Sunday Nov. 16. 2003 in Kolding western Denmark. (AP Photo/Scanpix, Claus Fisker)

[Happy2BMe]

"Turkish media said each vehicle was packed with 400 kg (850 pounds) of explosives and two corpses had been found with wires attached to them suggesting they might be suicide bombers. Turkey and Israel, vowing not to let Saturday's attacks damage rare close ties between the Jewish state and a Muslim nation, blamed what they called international terrorists, possibly including al Qaeda."

What's your take on this - are Turkey and Israel "close?"

[b4its2late]

Duh.

[wizardoz]

What?? Al Qaeda??? REALLY? REALLY??

REALLY??!!!???!!!

.........naw!!....

REALLY??????

[a_Turk]

>> What?? Al Qaeda??? REALLY? REALLY??

So far we had suspected Al Qaeda. Now they have taken responsibility. That is breaking news, even though a no-brainer and up to now an educated guess.

[TexKat]

Thanks a_Turk. May God embrass those that perished, heal those that are injured, and comfort the families of all.

[TexKat]

Fox News reporting that OBL may be moving to Iran.

[EGPWS]

As sad is it is, the way al Qaeda is going about it, they will have the whole world against them! Then maybe the wake up call against these barbarians will come and we can group together and rid the world, once and for all, of this scum.

[a_Turk]

Amen.

[TexKat]

Al-Qaida claims responsibility for blasts

Monday 17 November 2003, 1:22 Makka Time, 22:22 GMT

The Arabic newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi says it has received a claim of responsibility from the al-Qaida network for the synagogue bombings in Istanbul.

“Abu Hafz al-Masri Brigades struck a mortal blow after having kept Jewish intelligence agents under surveillance and determined that five of them were in two synagogues in the centre of Istanbul,” it said in a statement emailed to the London-based newspaper on Sunday.

The Abu Hafz al-Masri Brigades - al-Qaida, named after one of its killed fighters, warned in a statement of more attacks around the world.

Saturday's car bombs, which targeted two synagogues in the heart of Istanbul, killed at least 23 people and injured some 300 others.

“We say to the criminal Bush and his valets among the Arabs and foreigners, in particular Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan: you will see the cars of death with your own eyes in the centre of the capital of tyranny," read the statement.

“They will not be limited to Baghdad, Riyadh, Istanbul, Djerba, al-Nasiriya, Jakarta," the statement said, reeling off a list of previous deadly bombings in its warning to US President George Bush.

Abd al-Bari Atwan, the editor of the newspaper, confirmed to Aljazeera that the statement was sent in an email.

"The statement said that they carried out the operations after they found out that Mossad agents were working at the synagogues and therefore they bombed them," he said.

Earlier claim

Earlier, a Turkey-based Islamist group, the Islamic Great Eastern Raiders/Front (IBDA/C) claimed responsibility in a statement to the state-run Anatolia news agency.

An investigation established that suicide bombers carried out the double attacks.

Israeli investigators are also reportedly investigating the attacks. Police have detained three people, including two women, in connection with the blasts, private television channel NTV said in a report officials have not confirmed.

Turkey has been Israel's chief regional ally since 1996 when the two nations struck a military cooperation accord, much to the anger of Arab countries and Iran. It was the first Muslim country to recognise Israel after it was created in 1948.

[a_Turk]

The rest of the impotent world would be no issue if Turkey, Israel, and the USA, each with their own terrorist problem, could actually come to a mutually equitable partnership agreement aimed to defeat terrorism.

But there they are, around 5000 PKK terrorists responsible for over 30,000 deaths in Turkey, hiding in the mountains of northern Iraq, locations well documented and enjoying a de facto protection of the USA who is weary of adding to her list of fiends.

One day at a time...

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Wow, didn't they deny responsibility for the Saudi Arabia attacks? ZI wonder why they said "we did it" for Turkey?

[a_Turk]

I think they are so scattered that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing and, as we say in Turkey: "There's a noise coming out of every head."

[EGPWS]

The rest of the impotent world would be no issue if Turkey, Israel, and the USA, each with their own terrorist problem, could actually come to a mutually equitable partnership agreement aimed to defeat terrorism.

One day at a time...

Agreed, it sounds like a simple problem to deal with, however conjuring the appropriate agenda to deal with it, appears to be very complex!

Agree'd, a_Turk, one day at a time for so far, even with the tragic terroristic deaths in our mist, we ARE making headway in this fight.

[TexKat]

This is from Daleel Al Mojahid @ yahoo.com. It would not let me post the picture (which is in the form of a greeting card.

Copy and paste the following in the url section. http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/groups/g_11163972/Yahoo!+Photo+Album/we+promise+more.jpg?

[Imal]

Strange, though, to see Al Qaeda publicly claim credit for attacks. Have they ever claimed credit for the "big" attacks, like the first WTC bombing, the Cole, the embassies or 9-11? Maybe I missed that.

Just seems strange to me that Al Qaeda is now responsible for everything from sunspots to athlete's foot.

I counsel skepticism, like I always do. ;^)

[a_Turk]

It says that it's forbidden..

[Travis McGee]

I hope that the Turks can lead the Islamic world in crushing these bastards. The Turks will do it if anyone can. Good luck and God speed with this mission in the defense of our common civilization.

[SedVictaCatoni]

What's your take on this - are Turkey and Israel "close?"

As I understand it, the Turks and Israelis have enjoyed good relations for decades. Part of it is a mutual desire to contain Syria, as well as a mutual dislike of Iraq. Also, Turkey is and always has been a secular state which happens to be inhabited by Muslims, which makes them natural targets of disgust by Wahabis and the like. Finally, the Arabs still hate the Turks because of their centuries under Ottoman rule - so they are naturally drawn towards the Arabs' other enemy, Israel.

The Turks are great people. Maybe if we can get the Kurds successfully integrated into a new Iraqi state, US-Turkish relations will finally improve.

[JustPiper]

Was going to ping, but you beat me here Donna -g-