The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

Nov. 24 -- — The investigation into last week's Istanbul bombings have now identified the four suicide bombers. Three of the men came from Bingol, a town in eastern Turkey, and were associated with Turkish Hezbollah, a violent Islamist group, according to local officials in the province.

Turkish Hezbollah, which is not connected to the Lebanese Hezbollah, was originally supported by Turkish security as a counter-weight to the Marxist Kurdish rebels of the PKK. Turkish officials also state that several of the suicide bombing suspects were trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001.

Last Friday the U.S. issued a world wide warning in response to increased communications intercepts in terrorist circles indicating that another major attack against Americans was imminent. A National Security Council meeeting was held on Friday afternoon to discuss the threats, but U.S. officials decided not to elevate the threat level to Orange.

TURKISH BOMBINGS INVESTIGATIONTurkish Suspects Tied to Guerrillas Government's backing of Islamic group arouses scrutiny after blasts. The article investigates the link between the bombers and Turkish Hezbollah. (Washington Post)

Bomb Attacks Were Planned in Internet Café

The devastating suicide bombings in Istanbul last week were planned in an internet café in the remote eastern Turkish town of Bingol and coordinated with al Qaeda. (Sunday Telegraph)

Anguished Turks Wrestle With an Internal EnemyThe suspected bombers are believed to have been among hundreds of Turks who received training in the use of explosives and ultimately fought in Iran, Pakistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Afghanistan, officials said. (LA Times)

Turks Make More Arrests as U.S. Issues Worldwide Warning of AttacksTurkey has rounded up more suspects over the twin truck bombings in Istanbul, as the United States issued a worldwide warning that the al Qaeda network may strike again. (AFP)

Turkish PM Questions Al Qaeda Role as Istanbul Prays For Bomb VictimsTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan questioned whether the massive Istanbul bombings were the work of the al Qaeda terror network, as the city's British community joined in solemn prayers for the dead. (AFP)

THE WAR ON TERROR

REGIONAL REPORTS

United KingdomLondon Terror Plot Reportedly Thwarted A chemical firm alerted authorities to a potential terrorist plot after a London-based group tried to buy half a ton of a toxic substance, a company spokesman said Saturday. (AP)

MI5 Hunts Terrorists Plotting Major U.K. OutrageSecurity services are said to be hunting two cells of al Qaeda terrorists whom they believe are preparing to carry out a terror "spectacular" in Britain. (The Herald)

Saudi ArabiaAl Qaeda Ordered Saudi Bombing From IranA senior al Qaeda militant orchestrated the bombing of a residential compound in Saudi Arabia earlier this month by telephone from Iran, a Saudi newspaper says. Okaz newspaper, quoting informed sources on Sunday, said the militant network's security chief Saif al Adel gave orders for the attack in the capital Riyadh by satellite phone. (Reuters)