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Arab newspaper in London claims al Qaeda behind Istanbul blasts
London, Nov 17: London-based Arab language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi has said that al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for the bombings of two Istanbul Synagogues which killed at least 23 people and vowed further attacks.
London, Nov 17: London-based Arab language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi has said that al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for the bombings of two Istanbul Synagogues which killed at least 23 people and vowed further attacks.
The statement, a copy of which was sent to Reuters, also vowed that Osama bin Laden's militant network was planning car bombings against the United States and its allies Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan.
''We had promised that a present for al Quds was coming, God willing, and here is the first strike of this present,'' said the statement, signed by an al Qaeda division called Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri and sent to the newspaper by email.
The same al Qaeda division claimed responsibility for the attack on the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad in August, which killed 23 people. Like the Turkey bombings, the Baghdad assault involved a vehicle loaded with explosives.
''The Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri...detected agents of the Israeli intelligence, Mossad, and after the presence of five agents of this mechanism in two Synagogues in the middle of the Turkish city Istanbul was confirmed, the Mujahideen (holy fighters) carried out their deadly strike.
''The remaining operations are coming, God willing, and by God, Jews around the world will regret that their ancestors even thought about occupying the land of Muslims,'' it said yesterday.
The statement added: ''We tell the criminal Bush and his Arab and Western tails -- especially Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan -- that cars of death will not stop at Baghdad, Riyadh, Istanbul, Nassiriya, Jakarta, etc, until you see them with your own eyes in the middle of the capital of this era's tyrant, America.''
It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the statement. Al-Quds al-Arabi, which has in the past carried al Qaeda statements, said it was similar in style to al Qaeda.
Bureau Report
The statement, a copy of which was sent to Reuters, also vowed that Osama bin Laden's militant network was planning car bombings against the United States and its allies Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan.
''We had promised that a present for al Quds was coming, God willing, and here is the first strike of this present,'' said the statement, signed by an al Qaeda division called Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri and sent to the newspaper by email.
The same al Qaeda division claimed responsibility for the attack on the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad in August, which killed 23 people. Like the Turkey bombings, the Baghdad assault involved a vehicle loaded with explosives.
''The Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri...detected agents of the Israeli intelligence, Mossad, and after the presence of five agents of this mechanism in two Synagogues in the middle of the Turkish city Istanbul was confirmed, the Mujahideen (holy fighters) carried out their deadly strike.
''The remaining operations are coming, God willing, and by God, Jews around the world will regret that their ancestors even thought about occupying the land of Muslims,'' it said yesterday.
The statement added: ''We tell the criminal Bush and his Arab and Western tails -- especially Britain, Italy, Australia and Japan -- that cars of death will not stop at Baghdad, Riyadh, Istanbul, Nassiriya, Jakarta, etc, until you see them with your own eyes in the middle of the capital of this era's tyrant, America.''
It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the statement. Al-Quds al-Arabi, which has in the past carried al Qaeda statements, said it was similar in style to al Qaeda.
Bureau Report