Assassination plot (against Bush & Blair at NATO Summit) foiled by Turkey

UK Sun ^ | May 3, 2004 | NICK PARKER

[FairOpinion]

AN al-Qaeda plot to blow up Tony Blair, George Bush and up to FIFTY other world leaders has been foiled.

Cops in Turkey yesterday unveiled a huge arsenal of weapons and explosives found stashed in preparation for a terror doomsday.

They are convinced the target was next month’s Nato summit in Istanbul.

And they believe the aim was to wipe out the West’s commanders of the War on Terror in an outrage that would dwarf the impact of September 11.

Simultaneous raids led to 25 members of the fanatical Islamist group Ansar al-Islam being arrested.

Horror haul ... arms and computer equipment cops seized

Nine were held in biggest city Istanbul and 16 in Bursa, a town 160 miles south.

Cops seized guns, explosives and bomb-making booklets, along with 4,000 compact discs giving training by al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.

There were also timing dev-ices linked to mobile phones — like those used in the Madrid bombings — and fake ID cards.

Nine of those held in Bursa were last night charged with being members of an illegal organisation, an offence which can carry a ten-year sentence.

Target ... Blair will be at summit

Turkish TV reported that three had also been charged with plotting a suicide attack on the summit, but officials would not confirm this.

The other 16 suspects were questioned and released. It was not clear if they might still face charges later.

Security chiefs in Turkey have been on high alert since last year’s truck bomb assaults on the British Embassy in Istanbul and Jewish targets, which killed 61 people.

Ansar al-Islam are militants from Kurdish northern Iraq accused by the US of being an al-Qaeda splinter group.

Bursa’s governor Oguz Kagan Koksal said the arrests followed a year of surveillance.

He added: “The organisation planning this attack has been destroyed.”

Mr Koksal said Ansar al-Islam also planned attacks on US troops in Iraq.

Target ... US President Bush

The suspects were plotting a bank robbery to finance their operations and were involved in pirating PC software for cash.

Last night Nato said its two-day summit, which will discuss Iraq, will still go ahead as planned on June 28.

A spokeswoman said: “The Turkish authorities are responsible for security and we have confidence in them.”

Turkey is the only predominantly Muslim Nato member and is viewed as a prime target for Islamist groups because of close ties with the US.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Damn....That pardon paid off!

[Peach]

And Old Media has what? Decided this isn't important enough to mention between Michael Jackson and some nude photos of Iraqis?

Old Media is becoming more and more irrelevant every day - just like the UN.

They can't say they weren't warned.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

Although it was not good for Turkey to pull the few troops they had out of Iraq (for many reasons) I am quite impressed with the fact that they have arrested so many terrorists.

I am pleased beyond words that they stopped this plot in it's tracks. Bless whomever helped.

[MEG33]

Thank heavens for access to so many news sources.

[alnick]

Please keep President Bush in your prayers.

[Salem]

'Ping!'

---

AMERICA AT WAR
At Salem the Soldier's Homepage ~

[aristotleman]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/04/wturk04.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/05/04/ixportal.html
PING!
Turkey foils assasination plot against Bush and Blair

[FairOpinion]

Well, it finally made it into the US Media -- a watered down version, anyway.

Turkey: Attack on NATO thwarted
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-05-03-turkey-usat_x.htm

BRUSSELS — Turkish security forces said Monday that they had disrupted a plot by Islamic extremists to bomb a NATO summit in Istanbul next month. President Bush and at least 25 other leaders are expected to attend the summit.
Turkish authorities said they were questioning 16 alleged members of a group with ties to al-Qaeda who were targeting the meeting, scheduled for June 28-29.

Police detained the suspected members of the Ansar al-Islam militant group on Thursday in the northwestern city of Bursa, said the local governor, Oguz Kagan Koksal, speaking in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

The militants were also planning to attack a synagogue in Bursa and to rob a bank, Koksal said. "The group, which was in the middle of an attack plan, has been rendered ineffective," he said, according to the Anatolia news agency.

====

The US media is totally useless.

[FairOpinion]

I can't get to your site.

[fourdeuce82d]

Two words. "Turkish" & "Prison"

[ahadams2]

LOL! how about "Turkish", "Prison" and "Interrogation"?

[FairOpinion]

I bet Turkey is laughing at all the hullaballoo over a few naked terrorist prisoners.

Also, remember how quickly the Jordanians got a confession from the terrorists about their chemical weapons plot?

[Salem]

"I can't get to your site."

I dunno, pod'nah, I went right there. Maybe you hit a pothole on the Information Super Highway?  

Thanks for finding and posting this article! Ansar al-Islam is one of the more rabid members of Jihadistan.

[McGavin999]

The treatment of prisoners in Arab countries would curl our hair. This was just a chance to embarrass America. Good grief, it was a soldier who turned them in, it was our military who released the pictures and the findings of the investigators.

[pollywog]

The picture is cute, but I really don't think we should make fun of Turkey.

Their vigilance saved the life of President Bush and the world -- can you imagine the chaos and disaster, if President Bush along with 50 leaders of countries would get murdered by terrorists?

We owe a debt of gratitude to Turkey -- so does the entire world

I totally agree. this is FAR too serious a matter to lightly be making jokes. !!!!!!!!!!

[randog]

Ted Danson Is Dating Shrillary.

And quite the lesbian pair, they are.

[randog]

I bet Turkey is laughing at all the hullaballoo over a few naked terrorist prisoners.

Also, remember how quickly the Jordanians got a confession from the terrorists about their chemical weapons plot?

I hear it's a long road to Gitmo, too.

[freebilly]

Must be tremendous lamentation and gnashing of teeth over at DU....

[SAMWolf]

Bump.

[Migraine]

Alpaslan Toprak, was among those held, he said. Television footage showed him being escorted by police, grinning.

Old Al will be grinnin' some more when old Ali-Bubba gets ahold of him in that Turkish slammer.