STORM2K

Explosions rock Istanbul

CNN.com report:

Thursday, November 20, 2003 Posted: 4:51 AM EST (0951 GMT)

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- A series of explosions have rocked Istanbul, Turkey's largest city Istanbul, ripping the fronts off buildings and showering debris across streets.

One blast destroyed part of the HSBC Bank headquarters and a second hit a site near the British consulate, CNN Turk said. A third was reported outside a popular shopping mall.

Geokhan Guvens, of CNN Turk, said three people died in the first explosion in the area of the HSBC Bank, in the Levent district, and scores of others were injured. No other casualties have been confirmed.

Pictures from the mall showed people with blood on their faces, their clothes covered with dust. Cars in the streets were badly damaged.

"It's a very, very busy areas... It's very chaotic. Nobody knows what's happening," said Chris Kitrinost, an English teacher who works near the British consulate. "The damage is extreme."

He said the neighborhood is "very very pedestrian" and he had feared for the school's safety after last weekend's suicide attacks.

"I walked by the consulate every day and I've been concerned because traffic has continued to drive by," Kitrinos said. "I was worried about the proximity (to the consulate), I was afraid for myself and now, of course it's happened."

The British consulate was targeted in April when an explosive device was hurled at the building, the UK's Press Association reported. No one was injured on that occasion.

The Istanbul stock exchange halted trading following the blasts, Reuters reported.

... Now you know why here in Europe we are against war in Iraq...

Isn't this the prime week for death and destruction that was posted a couple of weeks ago by maybe Beer? It had to do with Ramadan (sp) and the dates of the 16th thru the 29th or something like that?

What are the reactions to all this violence from the people in Italy, Paolo?

We're scared. We're sourrounded by Islam.
I'm proud to be Italian these days: we've had our peacekeepers killed in Nassiryah, and during the large people partecipation last tuesday to the state funerals nobody, at least as far as I am concerned, was asking for revenge...
That's make me pride to be Italian, pride to work for peace and really sad that our Carabinieri and soldiers, those that defended muslims in Serbia for the last 8years, have been sent there to be killed by muslims.
They should have never been sent there, not at the present conditons (invaders and not peacekeepers).

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/11 ... index.html

These kind of bombings that are coordinated in different places at the same time and objectives of allies of the US have all the fingerprints of Al-Qaeda in it.The latest figures are 15 dead and 320 injured.

17 dead as of the last account I saw.

Yes we are in the final week of Ramadan. The question is where is the next one. The latest one in Turkey looks like a huge success for them. They hit British interests and I read the the Turkish stock market started to tank before trading was stopped.

The above graph list terrorist attacks before 1998...



... and for the year 2000.

Seems to me Paolo, that the terrorist were alive and well before we invaded Iraq. Before 9/11 and the War on Terrorism for that matter.
For further statistics go here:

http://www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/index.html

or...

http://www.fattyboombatty.com/moreterroristacts.htm

This is very tragic.

Terrorist attacks we had before in western europe were mainly due by internal causes, not as a respond of an invasion (we have red brigades and others here, Ireland is a well known problem, Israel another, Spain has their Basc terrorists etc...).
I mean, our terrorists are not exporting their attacks, while now the escalation is quite clear. At least to me, probably not to you.

PaolofromRome wrote:Terrorist attacks we had before in western europe were mainly due by internal causes, not as a respond of an invasion (we have red brigades and others here, Ireland is a well known problem, Israel another, Spain has their Basc terrorists etc...).
I mean, our terrorists are not exporting their attacks, while now the escalation is quite clear. At least to me, probably not to you.

Arab terrorist bombed European targets throughout the 80's and early 90's. Disco bombings of the 80's. Lockerbie airline bombing in the early 90's just to name a few.

And then? Give me the graphics after "war on terror" showing a rate of zero all over the world (not because all the "others" are dead anyway), and I will make my mind up.
At present, war on terror is not giving any help to decrease my fears.
Is it working on yours? Guess not.

Hmmmm seems only yesterday I was telling Widre that this was coming. But, he still continues to defend.

Very saddened for those people of Istanbul hurt by those cowards. Many prayers going out to them and their families!! We Americans know how they are feeling right now.

Who's widre???

By the way, it's totally the other way round! We knew it before, it's you that now feel how we feel!!!!

PaolofromRome wrote:Who's widre???

By the way, it's totally the other way round! We knew it before, it's you that now feel how we feel!!!!

So you are saying that your country accepted all these terrorist threats and knew about them right? Your country did nothing about it but accept it? And you are dissing the United States and Bush because we do not take crap from any coward?!!

Nope, I'm saying that invading Iraq has been a big mistake, that will make terrorism stronger than ever

PaolofromRome wrote:Nope, I'm saying that invading Iraq has been a big mistake, that will make terrorism stronger than ever

...and doing nothing got us 3000 citizens killed and our economy damaged. You say you knew and did nothing. We did it your way and 9/11 was the result. I think we will try it our way now.

Oh yeah, to get your economy resuscitate let's drop drow the rest of the world.

Of course now you will tell one more time that war in Iraq, since is not due to resuscitate your economy and to have oil control, is done to stop terrorism and free poor Iraquis.
For the time being, it has not stopped terrorism this much. Deny it if u can.

Doing nothing didn't stop it. Now we will do it our way.

Our economy is already on the rebound. Where would the rest of the worlds be without ours? In the toilet that where. We actually are arguing here because we have 6% unemployment. That means 94% are employed. How is it in Italy? Even our people in "poverty" make more then the poor in other countries. Our stock market is up 17% since the year 2000. Our GDP grew 7.4% last quarter and consumer confidence continues to rise.

I know it kills the EU to accept this, but the US has a strong need to face down those who threaten us. Your early post prove that you believe that avoiding the problem or appeasement is your choice to keep you safe. In our case we have the burden and power to take these things on without help if need be. We always can count on Great Britian, but if the rest of Europe wants to sit out, then fine. Here is the kicker, the EU hates that even when it stomps its feet and says no...we, the US can and will do what we think is right.

France, Germany, Italy....you guys can not do this type of thing on your own and you envy the US and England for taking a stand that these countries know they do not have the stomach for. Now....you deny it? Show me facts to dispute it? Can you guarantee that if we do nothing that there would not be another 9/11...or Cole bombing...or embassy bombings? Maybe you can guarantee only in Italy...but hey...thats the point. Lookin out for number 1 while turning to number 2. The US is tired of doing that.

You have offered us no proof that this war with Iraq makes the cowards stronger. I do not see how this could make the cowards stronger. At least we had the guts to go after them!! What has your country done? They have sat back and let innocent people get killed and for what? Cowards is the word I use for anyone who allows terrorism in any shape form or fashion.

Actually, the War on Terror has worked...there has not been any more terrorist attacks in the USA since 9/11; many plans were foiled, such as a plan to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge...