It has committed deadlier attacks, on September 11 and in Bali, but never before has al Qaeda struck three times in such quick succession. Intelligence chiefs were quick to point to Osama bin Laden’s network as the likeliest suspect behind twin bombings that killed at least 25 people in Istanbul on Thursday. Its hand was also seen behind the bombings of two synagogues in Istanbul last Saturday and a residential compound in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, earlier this month. With three suspected attacks in less than two weeks, the group that President Bush vowed to “smoke out,” hunt down and bring to justice now appears to be in the middle of its most sustained burst of activity since the hijacked airliner attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It has also reaffirmed its ability to strike at the time of its choosing: while Bush was on a high-profile visit to London, standing side-by-side with his closest ally Tony Blair and proclaiming their joint determination to win the war on terror. Full Story
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