Breaking: Suicide attack on US embassy in Ankara kills two
posted at 8:01 am on February 1, 2013 by Ed Morrissey
An unknown group targeted the US embassy in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, with an explosive device. At least two security guards were killed in the explosion and an unknown number of people wounded:
A suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital on Friday and at least two people are dead, a police official said.
An Associated Press journalist saw a body in the street in front of an embassy side entrance. The bomb appeared to have exploded inside the security checkpoint at the entrance of the visa section of the embassy.
Several ambulances were dispatched to the area. An AP journalist saw at least one woman who appeared to be seriously injured being carried into an ambulance.
Private NTV television said two security guards at the entrance were killed.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, and it may not be clear yet exactly what the motive is. Turkey has active terrorist groups both for radical Islam and Kurdish autonomy, although it’s probably not likely that the latter would target the US. On the other hand, al-Qaeda and its affiliates usually go for more dramatic attacks, with multiple bombings and better penetration of targets. The image from CNN shows significant damage to the entrance, but it doesn’t appear that anyone exploited it in a follow-up attack.
CNN is also reporting that this was a suicide-bombing attack.
Update: A bit more from CBS:
CNN’s Turkish service said witnesses had seen the bomber approach the building and enter a gate to the fortified compound. It wasn’t clear whether the bomber entered the building before detonating their explosives.
The switchboard for the U.S. Embassy is operated out of Istanbul. A switchboard operator told CBS News the embassy staff had taken cover following the explosion, explaining why nobody answered phones at the Ankara building.
The U.S. Embassy is located in the heart of Ankara. Photos and video broadcast by Turkish television showed significant damage to a wall and what appeared to be a bullet-proof window in the embassy.
In considering suspects, it might not be too bad to keep this in mind, too:
CBS News senior correspondent John Miller, a former deputy director in the National Intelligence Director’s office, says al Qaeda will be one of the first groups considered as suspect in the attack, but he also notes the recent Israeli airstrike in Syria, for which Damascus and its staunch ally Iran vowed to retaliate. …
“Iran, in terms of retribution, would stack Israel and the U.S. together,” says Miller.
Don’t forget that the US and Germany deployed troops and defensive systems to the Turkey-Syria border after a rocket attack from Syria late last year, too. That may have angered any number of radical groups, as well as Syria and Iran.
We’ll have more on this as it comes.
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*laughs at self* I forgot to add the important part… WORST presidents…..
Turtle317 on May 1, 2013 at 1:50 PM
.
I don’t trust ANYBODY in Federal Law Enforcement, and anyone who says they do is “cowering”.
Lately, there’s been reason to distrust State & Local, but not like the Feds.
Anyone here who ‘listens2alexjones’ will have to speak for him.
Glenn & Co has the inside track on the “whistle-blowers”, and there’s no discredit on him, or his sources.
listens2glenn on May 1, 2013 at 1:52 PM
I expect that the FBI would have informed each person they questioned as to the reason they were seeking the information.
Translation: The FBI told each of these people before they were questioned that the Tsarnaevs were believed to have bombed the Boston Marathon.
I don’t see a “wait and see” here — other than the usual “innocent until proven guilty” part.
unclesmrgol on May 1, 2013 at 1:52 PM
The trolls are hard at work seeking some form of validation and vindication around here. Instead of just personally insulting us, they have taken a tack whereby they try dictating to Admin what are ‘proper’ thread topics, and that we should — if we’re ‘fair’ — give Obama some praise.
Something no longer seems as stable as it used to in the psyche of trolldom.
Liam on May 1, 2013 at 1:54 PM
One thing which is clear from perusing their facebook pages – no assimilation going on with these two. I found exactly one person who had an ‘American’ name – a blonde female.
Buy Danish on May 1, 2013 at 1:57 PM
Credibility with who? You? I’m laughing.
Cindy Munford on May 1, 2013 at 1:57 PM
In the past, I have said that he appears to be a good father and husband.
I wasn’t here when Bush was in office (always missed registration), but was elsewhere and didn’t say much nice or supportive about him either.
You guys get to emotionally invested in politicians. I loathe them. I am not going to be a fan-girl. Government to me is a necessary evil and those associated with it are to be treated with as much skepticism as possible. Unlike you, I guess I learned the lessons of the 1960s (Never trust ‘The Man’ or ‘The Government’) even though I wasn’t born until 1978.
As I told you yesterday, I didn’t care about Gitmo under Bush and I don’t care about it now. Indefinite detention is consistent with the law of war, ie, the Hague Conventions. Under constitutional law, the only civil liberty that enemy combatants have is to a right of habeas corpus. The enemy combatants should be happy that Bush was President when they were captured and not FDR. Had it been FDR, they would have been tried before a military tribunal and, if found guilty, convicted within a time-frame of about 12-13 months, INCLUDING AN APPEAL TO THE SUPREME COURT.
I oppose NDAA because of its implications for AMERICAN CITIZENS.
As far as the so-called ‘Muslim World’ is concerned, read:
The Mo Doctrine
(For those of you, who are unaware, “Mo” is a nickname of mine)
Resist We Much on May 1, 2013 at 1:58 PM
I’m guessing that before they were arrested these suspects were repeatedly asked on several separate occasions …
“Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me? Something you may have forgotten and just remembered? Or that you think is unimportant?”
farsighted on May 1, 2013 at 1:58 PM
Liberals always presume they know better. Why, you ask? Because it feels good!
Liam on May 1, 2013 at 1:59 PM
Jabber its that kind of day
cmsinaz on May 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM
You are very gullible if you think that hack is an independent. I am yet to see a Republican talking point she hasn’t posted.
She tries to differentiate herself from the other fringe posters by claiming she is some sort of independent libertarian. Only ones who fall for it are the same old posters who do nothing but post attacks on the President every single day.
Rather than enjoy life like most Americans, they go around b*tching and moaning about how they want their country back. Fools.
HotAirLib on May 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM
Your “Republican Hack” license is hereby revoked! :-)
Liam on May 1, 2013 at 2:02 PM
I might also add, although I am UNCLEAR on the exact wording on the “rules of war” as it were under the Geneva Accords, that any combatant captured “out of uniform” as it were, would not even be offered a military tribunal.
The standard practice was to terminate on the spot.
I guess those Gitmo detainees might count themselves fortunate we didn’t adhere to the exact letter of the “rules of war?”
Turtle317 on May 1, 2013 at 2:03 PM
HotAirLib on May 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM
I don not think that you know what the word “fool” means. For instant illumination, please look in the mirror.
kingsjester on May 1, 2013 at 2:03 PM
Or Obama, for that matter. He just kills ‘em.
He is working hard to keep enemy combatants OUT of Gitmo.
Jabberwock on May 1, 2013 at 2:04 PM
Here you go, Verb, this guy sums up my feelings on the so-called ‘Muslim World’:
Resist We Much on May 1, 2013 at 2:05 PM
That’s pretty funny coming from someone who’s political belief is to CONSTANTLY change we live.
Jabberwock on May 1, 2013 at 2:07 PM
Yeah, ‘cuz errybuddy knows dat Republicans support dat homo-marriage, drug decriminalisation, legalisation of prostitution in communities that decide they want it, eliminating ALL dat corporate welfare, ‘specially does ethanol subsidies and farm subsidies to dem red states, etc.
Resist We Much on May 1, 2013 at 2:09 PM
He’s too busy only coming here during his lunch break. He’s been here for two hours. Some lunch break.
He obviously can’t get enough of getting kicked around by “fools.”
CurtZHP on May 1, 2013 at 2:09 PM
.
Obama has NOT been a failure at actually accomplishing what his intentions have always been. That’s what Rush meant after the 2008 election, when he stated, “I hope Obama FAILS.” Unfortunately, Rush’s hopes were for naught.
“Club Gitmo” has been a great success, as a POW camp. To hell with the force-feedings; I say “let ‘em starve.”
You’re not doing a very good job of justifying your judgement of it as being a “disaster.”
listens2glenn on May 1, 2013 at 2:12 PM
Well, it’s past noon on humpday. So we are now sliding towards a weekend.
Hope tomorrow is better for you.
Jabberwock on May 1, 2013 at 2:13 PM
Yeah, stupid, complicit…or scared.
PattyJ on May 1, 2013 at 2:16 PM
Resist We Much on May 1, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Sounding more and more like Joker was not as naïve as leftys make him out to be. Sounding just as involved as bro was. Also sounds more and more that mommy left for Russia because she knew her sons were going to do the dirty. Also wondering when Katherine will be arrested for texting hubby to warn him. The feds can’t let her go when they’re arresting others for obstruction
skeeterbite on May 1, 2013 at 2:22 PM
I should have qualified it that he failed this country, from my perspective anyways. , but you are right, he didn’t fail his hard core socialist nutty base, unfortunately..
jimver on May 1, 2013 at 2:25 PM
But those were the good ole Bush’s times…Obama does now adhere full heartedly to the Geneva convention and the terminate on spot’ ‘provision’ …see his unequivocal engagement in the drone war :)
jimver on May 1, 2013 at 2:31 PM
Now this is just my opinion…
But Glenn is an opportunistic hack. He thrives off of creating and then selling fearful conspiracies. The fact is he delivered nada following his oh so ominous promise to (after giving the government one last chance to tell ‘THE TRUTH’).
He got his site traffic to spike for a few days, but now he’s back to where he was – though he’s satiated the fans. So all’s well as planned for him.
And now I hear he’s very suspicious of the drop in gold.
What does it all mean?
Stay tuned….book to follow.
verbaluce on May 1, 2013 at 2:37 PM
Hey they lived in Cambridge. Hotbed of smartness, oh, and illegal aliens, oh, and welfare mooches, oh, and terrorists. You own it Mass.
jake49 on May 1, 2013 at 3:09 PM
Choices, unlike the main stream media who can’t get off the dead azzes if the story looks like it is off their ideological radar, i.e. Benghazi, Gosnell, green energy boondoggles. You should be afraid of who decides what needs to be known.
Cindy Munford on May 1, 2013 at 3:15 PM
But Joe-kar told them not to tell the FBI.
Time for the FBI to frog-march them through the landfill to find those backpacks full of fireworks.
I wonder if they face Mecca when they pray for freedom.
Steve Z on May 1, 2013 at 3:36 PM
We’re lucky all these bastards are just stone stupid. If you and I were planning this, we would have dumped the backpacks full of fireworks nine months ago. Five states away. Not the day after, with the aid of mouth-breathing co-conspirators who can’t be bothered to find a dumpster more than two minutes walk from the front door of the bomber.
TexasDan on May 1, 2013 at 4:08 PM
Shepard Smith at FOX has trouble, like most liberals, getting his head around why young people don’t do the right thing.
First, they are raised to.
Second, society does not reward that kind of behavior. Being a “rat” is worse than telling the truth and saving lives.
Third, and most importantly, THESE idiots are from the same area of the world as the two bombers. They have no problem with what the two did.
It really is that simple. In time, we’ll find out they knew about it ahead of time to.
archer52 on May 1, 2013 at 5:06 PM
Not are, are not raised to.
archer52 on May 1, 2013 at 5:07 PM
We must stop all muslim immigration. That includes student visas, work visas, refugee visas, and green card admission. If this saves the life of a single child, we must do it.
Do it for eight-year old Martin Richard.
slickwillie2001 on May 1, 2013 at 5:17 PM
I even have a problem with that, since it appears that he regularly took his children to hear the lunatic-knuckledragger Jeremiah Wright. That’s pretty close to child abuse, imho.
slickwillie2001 on May 1, 2013 at 5:35 PM
Right. Your ad hominems are bit more sophisticated, no? We rubes don’t even know when you’re insulting us. Right?
As to the point, it was fair. You rant on about us jumping to conclusions in the very thread where one of the first comments you made was being dismissive about the liberal wet dream article of all time begging for it to be a white conservative.
Ignore me because you’re a hypocrite? If you must.
hawkdriver on May 1, 2013 at 5:57 PM
Sure. The pressure cooker is the key, it can turn relatively slow burning pyrotechics into a bomb by holding back the building pressure until the metal can ruptures.
They bought fireworks that they knew contained the best stuff, likely only removed the mortar charge itself and the flash-bang fast-burning parts. The really-slow burning parts that make the pretty colors would be discarded. That part of the fireworks is not much different from common road flares.
Knowing which fireworks were the best to buy, and taking them apart and extracting the best contents is something they would have either learned by experimentation, or had guidance from aQ types.
slickwillie2001 on May 1, 2013 at 6:56 PM
+1
SparkPlug on May 1, 2013 at 7:37 PM
I would expected that a lot of students were repositioning their fireworks stash after the bombing.
pedestrian on May 2, 2013 at 11:00 AM
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