Turkey Says Foreign Terrorists May Be Behind Suicide Blasts

Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, a little-known group with ties to Al Qaeda, is taking responsibility for Sunday's coordinated bombings of two Jewish synagogues in Istanbul. The group has also claimed responsibility for the bombings of the UN headquarters in Iraq in August and of the Baghdad hotel used by the Iraqi Governing Council in October. Neither of the past claims has been substantiated. The bombings, which killed 23 Jews and Muslims, are assumed to be in response to Turkey's close ties to the US and relatively congenial relations with Israel. Some government officials have commented that whenever there is instability in the gulf region, Turkey comes under attack, which is what happened following the first Gulf War in 1991. The governing Justice and Development Party – which has worked hard to prove itself secular to Turkey's populace – is expected to respond by reaffirming its commitment to western ties and distancing itself from conservative Islamist groups. – YaleGlobal