Ankara, Turkey: Yet another example

Very little is being reported regarding the attempted terrorist bombing in Turkey. Nor did bombings in Mexico recently.

Are some of our leaders picking and choosing just what to determine as terrorism and what simply to dismiss as something else. It seems to me that some of our leaders are playing politics with the lives of many of the international community.

Are we saying that the recent bombings down in Mexico along its pipelines, however internal, are not terrorism? Why are they so quick to distance themselves from such events in the world and then when a potential cell is discovered in America they seek to undermine its relevance to the war on terror. Ala Fort Dix.

The attempted bombing of a Turkish food market in the streets of Ankara, Turkey should be another reminder and demonstrate to the world that it is not merely the American presence in Iraq that is fueling the desire for radical Islamic fundamentalists to wage war on civilians.

Turkey, an ally to the US, celebrates the anniversary of the military coup of 1980 today and the attempted bombing uncovered by Turkish police either was to correlate to the anniversary of 9/11 or the coup. It is unclear at this point as to the real target, but the blue minibus packed with 1, 300 pounds of suspected sodium nitrate, a chemical fertilizer, was discovered parked in a multi-level parking area near a large city food market.

Turkey, a Muslim but secular country, has also been battling both rebels of the (PKK) Kurdistans Wokers party as well as Muslim extremists thought to be parts of Al Queda's network. The US has a major air base for operation in the ME in the southern part of Turkey (Incirlik) that could also be a prime target for attack in the region.

in 2003 Al Queda was responsible for a similar attack in Instanbul that killed 60 and wounded hundreds when vans loaded with explosives slammed into two synagogues. This attempted bombing is very similar in method and tactic as that of the one in 2003. Earlier this year, a suicide bomber killed 9 and wounded 121 Turks when a shopping center was targeted.

Turkey, a major ally in the war on terror, is becoming another front largely due to its association
with the West but more so because it represents a Muslim country that has been able to succeed as a secular state. Al Queda would like nothing more than to pull Turkey into a conflict with the Kurds to exapnd this conflict and divide the West and its Middle Eastern allies.

The result certainly will be that the U.S. will remain in Northern Iraq for some time as a buffer between Turkey and the Kurds in Northern Iraq. The Turks have raised concern that much of the explosives are coming into Turkey by way of Iraq and the PKK is using the border area as a safe haven from Turkish forces. The Turks have from time to time in the last few years chased those elements of the PKK and rebel forces into Iraq.

The leadership of the U.S. government and those seeking leadership must begin to recognize that Iraq is but one front on this war on terror. We are so focused on Iraq, but other areas like the Phillipines, Turkey, and southeast Asia are experiencing the reach of our enemy as well.