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CNN Saturday Morning News

Turkish Police Arrest Suspect in Bombings

Aired November 29, 2003 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Turkish police have arrested a man accused of planning and ordering one of a series of terrorist bombings there. Earlier this morning, police took the suspect to the scene of that synagogue attack. It is a developing story. And we now go live to Istanbul and CNN's Mike Boettcher, who brings us up to date with the very latest information.
Good day to you again, Mike.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good day, Sean.

The man was arrested last Tuesday on November 25. So he's been in custody three days. He was trying to cross a border checkpoint from far southeast Turkey into Iran. He had false identification, false passports. And he was arrested.

Police had been tipped that a man who was involved in the bombings would try to flee to Iran with false identification. And they made a very good arrest according to Turkish police.

Now this morning, the way this was learned about, Turkish reporters heard traffic on two-way radios used by the police that they were going to the Beth Israel synagogue. When reporters arrived there, they found police surrounding a man in handcuffs. This turned out to be the suspect, who according to Turkish police, was explaining to them what they did - what he did in participating in the bombings.

He said he gathered intelligence. He said he then escorted the suicide bomber to the Beth Israel synagogue and then ordered him to attack. Now a total of 20 people have been arrested in connection with these attacks. The police here say they are members of Turkish Hezbollah and another little known violent group called Bayyet el Imam. Turkish police say both groups are associated with an Iraqi terrorist group well known to American officials, called Ansar al- Islam. They're suspected of conducting many terrorist attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq.

So this investigation continues. By no means do they think this man is the absolute mastermind of these attacks. He thinks he's -- they think he is one of the cell leaders. And they're still looking to see who actually ordered this attack in the big picture.

A total of 61 people were killed. And more than 700 were injured when those attacks -- suicide attacks were conducted on November 15th and November 20th here in Istanbul, Turkey -- Sean. CALLEBS: Mike, let's take stock of where we are now. So far, about 20 people have been arrested in connection with these bombings. Authorities have said the four bombers were Turkish nationals who may have links to al Qaeda and trained in either Afghanistan or Iran. Is there information out there that supports that information?

BOETTCHER: Well, there's a lot of information. Our intelligence sources in this region say these men did train overseas. Some of them fought in Chechnya, Afghanistan. Some trained in camps there. Some of them trained or were at camps or locations in Iran, as well.

And this will bring up a very interesting point. What is Iran's role in all of this? The U.S. and other countries in the anti-terror coalition allege that there are many al Qaeda terrorist leaders in Iran. Also, a man named Abu Musab Zarqawi, a close Osama bin Laden associate, is also hiding in Iran. According to our sources, he is believed linked to these two Turkish terrorist groups who conducted this attack. And a lot of investigation is going in trying to make these links to see if indeed this is connected to al Qaeda -- Sean?

CALLEBS: Okay, Mike Boettcher bringing us up to date from Istanbul, Turkey. Mike, thanks again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 29, 2003 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Turkish police have arrested a man accused of planning and ordering one of a series of terrorist bombings there. Earlier this morning, police took the suspect to the scene of that synagogue attack. It is a developing story. And we now go live to Istanbul and CNN's Mike Boettcher, who brings us up to date with the very latest information.
Good day to you again, Mike.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good day, Sean.

The man was arrested last Tuesday on November 25. So he's been in custody three days. He was trying to cross a border checkpoint from far southeast Turkey into Iran. He had false identification, false passports. And he was arrested.

Police had been tipped that a man who was involved in the bombings would try to flee to Iran with false identification. And they made a very good arrest according to Turkish police.

Now this morning, the way this was learned about, Turkish reporters heard traffic on two-way radios used by the police that they were going to the Beth Israel synagogue. When reporters arrived there, they found police surrounding a man in handcuffs. This turned out to be the suspect, who according to Turkish police, was explaining to them what they did - what he did in participating in the bombings.

He said he gathered intelligence. He said he then escorted the suicide bomber to the Beth Israel synagogue and then ordered him to attack. Now a total of 20 people have been arrested in connection with these attacks. The police here say they are members of Turkish Hezbollah and another little known violent group called Bayyet el Imam. Turkish police say both groups are associated with an Iraqi terrorist group well known to American officials, called Ansar al- Islam. They're suspected of conducting many terrorist attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq.

So this investigation continues. By no means do they think this man is the absolute mastermind of these attacks. He thinks he's -- they think he is one of the cell leaders. And they're still looking to see who actually ordered this attack in the big picture.

A total of 61 people were killed. And more than 700 were injured when those attacks -- suicide attacks were conducted on November 15th and November 20th here in Istanbul, Turkey -- Sean. CALLEBS: Mike, let's take stock of where we are now. So far, about 20 people have been arrested in connection with these bombings. Authorities have said the four bombers were Turkish nationals who may have links to al Qaeda and trained in either Afghanistan or Iran. Is there information out there that supports that information?

BOETTCHER: Well, there's a lot of information. Our intelligence sources in this region say these men did train overseas. Some of them fought in Chechnya, Afghanistan. Some trained in camps there. Some of them trained or were at camps or locations in Iran, as well.

And this will bring up a very interesting point. What is Iran's role in all of this? The U.S. and other countries in the anti-terror coalition allege that there are many al Qaeda terrorist leaders in Iran. Also, a man named Abu Musab Zarqawi, a close Osama bin Laden associate, is also hiding in Iran. According to our sources, he is believed linked to these two Turkish terrorist groups who conducted this attack. And a lot of investigation is going in trying to make these links to see if indeed this is connected to al Qaeda -- Sean?

CALLEBS: Okay, Mike Boettcher bringing us up to date from Istanbul, Turkey. Mike, thanks again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com