Article

2003-12-19 Europe

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Posted by Steve 2003-12-19 9:23:57 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Well...if he is telling the truth about Binny..this will certainly be a big boost to finding him.

I've always been of the mindset that Binny would not be able to stay away from the lime-light so long and I still think that's true. But if he is alive...we'll find him now.

Posted by B 2003-12-19 9:33:10 AM|| 2003-12-19 9:33:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 More from AP:
Adnan Ersoz, who was captured Monday in Istanbul, confessed that he underwent explosives training in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Police said in a statement a man was seized as he entered the country upon his arrival by plane. They did not identify the man or give details but said they had been hunting him. The semiofficial Anatolia news agency also quoted police sources as saying that Ersoz was the suspect. The police statement said the man told interrogators that "a local structure has been established in Turkey in link to an international terrorist organization." Intelligence officials said the statement was referring to al-Qaida. "He is one of the top guys who met with bin Laden and received his blessing for the attacks," the intelligence official said.
Intelligence officials already have named Habip Aktas and Ibrahim Kus as two conspirators who met with bin Laden in 2002 and received his consent and approval to stage terrorist attacks in Turkey. It was not clear if Ersoz participated that meeting or met separately with bin Laden, the official said.
Ersoz was expected to be charged with involvement in the bombings later Friday. The official said that Ersoz was believed to be a messenger between the al-Qaida and the Turkish militants. Aktas and Kus are still at large. The intelligence official identified another key but lower ranking suspect as Gokhan Bac, who also was at large. Bac was suspected of preparing the bomb with another captured militant, Fevzi Yitiz. Ersoz was captured in Istanbul only one week after Turkish forces arrested Yitiz after he sneaked into Turkey from Iran. Ersoz's name was first learned by the police during the interrogation of another key suspect Yusuf Polat, captured earlier. In his interrogation, Ersoz allegedly confirmed that their first target was a Turkish military base used by the United States in southern Turkey, but militants stymied by tight security bombed two synagogues on Nov. 15 and the British Consulate and a London-based bank in Istanbul only five days later. The daily newspaper Hurriyet also reported Friday that Ersoz has said the militants have been preparing for the attacks for about two years.

Posted by Steve 2003-12-19 9:54:44 AM|| 2003-12-19 9:54:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Another tidbit: NTV said Ersoz was among four ringleaders of the group behind the blasts, which it called the Union of Imams. It said about 500 members of this little-known group were at large.
NTV said the authorities had drawn up a list of 12 radical Islamist groups, most of them very small, believed to be active in Turkey, including the Union of Imams and IBDA-C.

Posted by Steve 2003-12-19 10:04:59 AM|| 2003-12-19 10:04:59 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Gee, I didn't know Iman's had a Union. Wonder if we can get them all to strike. Would we have to ululate silently?

Posted by mhw 2003-12-19 10:20:06 AM|| 2003-12-19 10:20:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 How come we haven't heard from Murat recently on this? Oh that's right, because he was wrong about the Kurds being behind it. I still say Turkey needs to take the Syria connection more seriously.

Posted by Spot 2003-12-19 11:47:15 AM|| 2003-12-19 11:47:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 You're right Spot. Just like a cop, you can't find a troll when you need one:)

Posted by whitecollar redneck 2003-12-19 1:56:35 PM|| 2003-12-19 1:56:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 ...is being interrogated for three days
Does that mean "for three days now," or, "for the next three days," or what? A mistranslation, no doubt, but an amusing image nonetheless. Heh.

Posted by Glenn (not Reynolds) 2003-12-19 3:38:48 PM|| 2003-12-19 3:38:48 PM|| Front Page Top

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