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| U.S. Main Beneficiary of Istanbul Blasts: Analysts |
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| WhatDFish |
| 11/24/03 at 00:36:10 |
| U.S. Main Beneficiary of Istanbul Blasts: Analysts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, November 21 2003 @ 04:47 PM EST The blasts are set to corner Erdogan "After simultaneous bombings against two synagogues in Istanbul five days earlier, Turkish press reports said Turkey and Israel are to join forces for sharing intelligence .." By SA'AD ABDUL MAJID & AMIR HEIDER ISTANBUL - The United States is the most to benefit from the two simultaneous explosions that rocked British targets in Istanbul, according to a number of Arab and Turkish analysts. “Shortly after the shuddering blasts, the U.S. was quick to blame al-Qaeda,” said Mustafa El-Labbad, the editor-in-chief of Sharq Nama magazine, specialized in Turkish and Central Asia affairs. Pointing a finger at Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda group could give Washington a new justification to press on with its alleged anti-terrorism combat policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, Labbad averred. Given the fact that the explosions shattered the British consulate and HSBC bank compound, they could be used to alleviate domestic and international pressures on Downing Street pertaining to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, Labbad further opined. As U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced their insistence on completing their military mission in Iraq and alleged fight against terrorism, tens of thousands of Britons took to the streets in massive protests against their policies. As the world continued to condemn the deadly bombings, the United States and Britain warned of more similar attacks in Turkey. The British police are also sending 16 anti-terrorist officers to Istanbul to assist the Turkish authorities. Embarrassing Government Many analysts were of the opinion that the Thursday attacks against the British targets in Istanbul could be rather meant to embarrass the ruling Development and Justice Party. “They could show how the government is unable to provide security and stability for the country, raising calls for the return of the military establishment to decision-making institutions,” said Labad. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan admitted gaps in intelligence that helped the attackers carry out their plots. The Egyptian analyst said Israel is also to gain from the attacks, as it could force Ankara to bow to pressures concerning regional issues. After simultaneous bombings against two synagogues in Istanbul five days earlier, Turkish press reports said Turkey and Israel are to join forces for sharing intelligence for cracking down on a number of “Islamic and terrorist groups in the region”. Israel and Turkey have already inked a military deal in 1996, and cooperated in many water joint ventures - a trend that has irked many in the predominantly-Muslim countries of the region jeered by the long-standing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The result is that Turkey will be more attached to the cooperation with the U.S. and Israel, in a way favorable to both countries, Maher Qinaq, a former Turkish intelligence official told Al-Qanat channel. For Milliyet managing editor Mohamed Ali Yalmaz, the attacks could be an attempt to dissuade Ankara from its current regional policy. Yalmaz was quoted by CNN Turkey as saying that Arabs and Muslims are to lose, as the current Islamic-oriented government in Turkey haven’t had the best of its times after the series of explosions left more than 50 people dead and more than 500 dead in less than a week. For a CNN political analyst, the Thursday blasts came at a time some “radical Islamic organizations” feel unease over the close cooperation between the Turkish government and the West, and attempts designated to close gaps between Islam and the west. They are flaring up clash of civilizations and cultures, said the analyst. Source: IslamOnLine - www.islamonline.net |
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