Al Quaeda in action. Istanbul 2003.

A massive car bomb exploded at the Consulate in Istanbul, just round the corner in Taksim Square another exploded minutes later outside the HSBC bank building on 21/11/2003. 14 dead in Consulate.3 HSBC staff and 430 injured.

A man who called the semi-official Anatolia news agency claimed that al-Qaeda and the Turkish Islamic militant group IBDA-C had jointly carried out the attacks.

Mr Blair said: "Once again we must affirm that in the face of this terrorism there must be no holding back, no compromise, no hesitation in confronting this menace, in attacking it wherever and whenever we can and in defeating it utterly."

This bombing happened at 9 am, 5 days after 2 synagogues in Istanbul were targeted by suicide bombers.

In early September 2004, 69 people were put on trial. Harun Ilhan, admitted he was one of the bombers."I acknowledge having fought in the ranks of Al-Qaeda and I`m proud of it," he told the judge. "Al-Qaeda aims to combat American imperialism and the zionist regime in order to liberate Muslims."

He apologized to Muslim victims and justified the synagogue bombings - "All Jews are spies of the Zionist regime."

He claimed full responsibility for the attacks.

The bombings "belong to Habib Akdas, Gurcan Bac (another suspect, still on the run) and me — all the others are innocent," Ilhan said.

Akdas was reported killed in Iraq the week previous to the trial during a US raid on Al Anbar, near Fallujah, in a video recording purporting to show his body and delivered to the Turkish news agency Ihlas.

Adnan Ersoz, who said he was in Iran at the time of the bombing said the money was brought to Turkey by an unidentified "Syrian militant, ... 50,000 dollars of it via Europe and the other 100,000 dollars via Iran."

"We cannot speak of an Al-Qaeda branch in Turkey, but there were ties of mutual assistance between the group that committed the bombings and Al-Qaeda, and the money came from Al-Qaeda," he said.

Now that, Mr Jack Straw, does bear the hallmarks of an Al Quaeda bombing. Massive vehicle bomb (who gives a fuck what the explosive was - it worked), Clear, unashamed, proud, public declaration of who did it and why. Evidence of funding.

Now will the logicians, the "terror" experts, Police specialists, academic gurus in Middle East politics - Jack Straw even, please explain how they make that congruent with the London Bombings?

Say it again Ilhan ...

"Al-Qaeda aims to combat American imperialism and the zionist regime in order to liberate Muslims."

He apologized to Muslim victims and justified the synagogue bombings - "All Jews are spies of the Zionist regime."

He claimed full responsibility for the attacks.