Suicide Bomber Strikes in Taksim Square, Istanbul
 

Over thirty people injured, so far no report of fatalities except the bomber.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/wo...html?src=twrhp

We are in Instanbul now amd were in Taksim Square yesterday. It is also near where Otherchelebi lives. I believe he is OK but will write him.

People were out and about today doing their business without a greater police presence,

The nytimes news is somewhat exaggerated and misleading.

- i live only half a kilometer away, from the location
- the explosion took place at the door of a police bus when the bomber tried to enter the bus. The bus was parked off a wall at one end of taksim Square.
- The statue is not in the middle of the square but close to that side.
- This area does not have much pedestrian traffic and is also mostly filled with police vehicles.
- It is not an area where tourists would be expected to walk.
- however it is 40-60 meters from the entrance of Istiklal street which is usually jam-packed on Sundays.
- It is highly likely that this was a PKK atrocity, because they announced that they will attack government and security targets, very recently.
- This was an attack on the police and not the public. The bomber was trying to enter the police bus and blow it there.
- It is also not likely that it is a religious fundamentalist action, because it is has been alleged with detailed information and evidence by a police chief who was in charge of information gathering in the past that the police has been thoroughly infiltrated by a very large, rich and influential islamic fundamentalist group operating from the united States.

The good news is that aduchamp1 is fine in istanbul, although he could only get two numbers on the Lotto.

I think that we would not have heard from him if he had gotten all six numbers.

His hotel is on the tram line, and i do not know why, but for some reason i keep on thinking of the Kingston Trio song "MTA", but in reverse.

Otherchelebi appears to be in shock.

Cold, what do you expect? a bomb and Adu hitting within a few days of each. .....as the train rumbles by...

We are leaving Friday and do not need any other encouragement such as bombs. We have a long history of bombings, killings, riots, and criminal activities that occurred before, during, and after our travels.

Glad to hear you're both well, and no, I don't believe that either of you were specifically targeted.

Sympathy for the victims, though.

Glad to hear you're both well, and no, I don't believe that either of you were specifically targeted.

Darn, I was feeling important for a moment or two.

Looking forward to visiting your great city arriving on Nov 12! Like typical news reports, the incidents are usually exaggerated especially in the American press.