Straw blames al-Qaeda for attacks on UK targets in Istanbul
IRNA
Berlin, Nov 20, IRNA -- The al-Qaeda terror network London, Nov. 20, IRNA - Foreign Secretary Jack Straw suggested Thursday that the al-Qaeda network was behind the bombing of two British targets in Istanbul, in which at least 15 people are thought to have been killed. "At this stage we cannot say for certain who has been responsible for this appalling act of terrorism...but I am afraid to say it has all the hallmarks of the international terrorism practised by al Qaeda and the associated organisations," Straw said. Issuing a statement on the steps of the Prime Minister`s Office in Downing Street, where Tony Blair was holding talks with US President George W. Bush, he said that the blasts re-emphasised the "the fact that we face a very serious threat from international terrorism." The Foreign Secretary rejected claims that the war in Iraq had made Britain a more likely target for terrorists, saying that September 11 attacks had taken place before the recent military campaign. He said that three or four employees at the British consulate, where the fist blast occurred in Istanbul Thursday, were not accounted for. A second blast took place outside the HSBC bank in the city. At least 160 people were reported to have been injured in both explosions that followed bomb attacks near two synagogues in Istanbul last week. The British ambassador to Turkey was said to be leaving Ankara and heading for Istanbul to assess the situation. HC/215 End
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