Gość: ALLAN GREENSPAN
IP: *.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com
22.11.03, 00:05
Israel extends hand to Turkey, warns Europe against apathy
By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP
Advertisement
Mossad chief Meir Dagan traveled to Turkey this week to offer anti-terror
expertise after a wave of suicide bombings in Istanbul killed at least 50
people and wounded hundreds, Channel 2 reported Friday.
Dagan shared with Turkish officials Israel's experience in dealing with
suicide bombings during three years of fighting with Palestinians. Channel
Two did not give an exact date for Dagan's trip or say how long he stayed.
Dagan's trip was part of an Israeli campaign to make countries around the
world understand that terror is not just an Israeli problem and every
country should work to stop it, the TV said.
"It is not just Israel anymore but a danger to the whole free world. There
is no compromise with terror," ime Minister Sharon was quoted as saying on
Thursday.
An official from the Prime Minister's office, which oversees the Mossad,
would not comment on the report.
Also on Friday, Israel warned European nations that "they would be next" on
the al-Qaida hit list, and that Europe and the so-called moderate Muslim
states had no choice but to join the battle against fundamentalist Islamic
terrorism.
"The Europeans are not really aware of the seriousness of this phenomenon of
international terrorism, which has not hit them yet," Israeli government
spokesman Avi Pazner told AFP.
"The risk is closing down on them and the free world must unite to stop this
tidal wave of blind violence which has already struck America, Indonesia,
Thailand, the Philippines, Tunisia, Morocco and Saudi Arabia," he said.
On Thursday, former Mossad chief Shabtai Shavit said that European and
Muslim countries now had no choice but to join the free world against
Islamic terrorism. "WW3 has started and the battlefield in this war is
everywhere," Shavit said on Channel 10.
Senior security officials in Israel refused to comment this week when asked
if Turkey and Israel were cooperating in efforts to combat terrorism. But
they claimed to know who was behind the bombings and said they were
connected to al-Qaida.
Turkish and U.S. authorities have also pointed blame at al-Qaida for the
simultaneous bombings Thursday at the British consulate and a London-based
bank in Istanbul and two other suicide attacks on Nov. 15 at synagogues in
the city.
After the attacks, Israel jumped to Turkey's aide, sending a rescue team for
the synagogue bombings and offering to send blood donations. Much of the
sympathy in Israel stems from the belief that Turkey was targeted due to its
ties with Israel, which are based on a broad military agreement signed in
1996.
According to an Israeli intelligence source, Turkey was targeted "because it
is on the threshold of Europe, because of its secular and pro-Western regime
and because it is seeking to join the European Union."
"Choosing Turkey as a target for terrorist attacks, and hitting Jewish or
Western interests is tantamount to warning Europe it is next on the list,"
Pazner said.
Hebrew language newspapers warned against European apathy.
"This war of the worlds is now underway. But not everyone in the West
understands yet that they could be the next stop. Sleeper cells such as the
ones that operated in Turkey are spread throughout the countries of Western
Europe," the Yediot Aharonot said.
"Now it is just a matter of making a decision in the Al-Qaeda umbrella
organization: When and whom to strike. Has it been blocked in one place? It
will continue and strike in another place. Jihad is a malignant disease. But
Europe continues to sleep," the top-selling daily added.
