Al Qaeda warns Britain

Al Qaeda delivered a warning today that Britons would be targeted with more atrocities after the Istanbul attack. In a statement claiming responsibility for the massive bomb blasts and the death of consul general Roger Short it said: "The cars of death will not stop."

The statement on an Islamist website said Britain would be singled out for its support for America. "Let Britain and its people know that its alliance with America will not bring it peace or prosperity."

It added: "Our real war, which will begin soon, will have no boundaries and will show no mercy towards the tyrant of the era and his allies."

They claimed Mr Short, 59, was singled out in the attack on the British Consulate.

The statement said the diplomat was the prime target because of his "extensive experience in combating Islam" and because he is considered the "mastermind" of British policy in the area.

Police sources in Turkey said they believe the Islamic militants who carried out the attack had been watching the mission to maximise the impact.

The statement, which is difficult to authenticate, was issued by a group claiming to be the Abu Hafz al-Masri Brigades, which earlier claimed responsibility for bombing two synagogues in Turkey last Saturday.

It said it had targeted British interests in Turkey to "shatter the peace of Britain ... which battles Islam".

The words appeared on the Al Mujahidoun website, which has in the past carried similar statements it said came from al Qaeda. They said Turkey, which has an overwhelmingly Muslim majority, had been singled out because of its ties to the United States and Israel.

The statement said: "In Turkey today, the vanguards of the Abu Hafz al-Masri Brigades targeted the British consul, Roger Short, because of his extensive experience in combating Islam and because he is considered the mastermind of British policy in the region comprising Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran.

"Our cars of death struck the consulate building. As for the British bank headquarters, this is a bastion of the British economy and let Britain and its people know that its alliance with America will not bring it prosperity or security."

The group then struck an apologetic note for the number of Muslim casualties saying this was due to a "car of death" which had been "inappropriately positioned".

The statement reinforced comments by Turkish police today who said they believed the bomb at the consulate was timed specifically to kill the diplomat, one of four British victims of twin suicide bombs which killed 27. Mr Short was working in an office in the consulate gatehouse when the bombers struck.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who flew to Istanbul to see for himself the mayhem of broken masonry, burned-out cars and shattered glass, said today that it was clear the attack had been well planned. "They had reconnoitred the building - that is obvious," he said.

Mr Straw had an emotional meeting late last night with Mr Short's widow, Victoria, and one of her daughters, and today paid tribute to them. He said: "They were both showing very great courage and fortitude in the face of this terrible tragedy."

Tony Blair also paid tribute to the diplomat. His official spokesman said that as well as sending his deepest sympathy to the victims of the attack and the government and people of Turkey, Mr Blair was particularly sending his condolences to Mr Short's family.

The spokesman said: "Roger Short was a dedicated diplomat. He served his country with honour, dignity and distinction, as the genuine warmth of the tributes in the papers today made clear. He was a professional and his country was fortunate to have him as our consul general in Istanbul."

The consul general had just entered his office when the bomb exploded. His wife had gone out to get milk for coffee she was brewing at the consulate. She was in a café when she saw a van marked as a catering truck driving towards the building. Seconds later it exploded.

The office was to the front of the building and took the impact. The brief time between Mr Short leavinghis car and entering the building suggests a sophisticated surveillance operation by the terrorists.

Sources said staff at the consulate had been given a detailed security briefing days before the first set of suicide car bombs in Istanbul last week.

The mission had also received a series of hoax bomb warnings in the months leading up to the attack. The security briefing is believed to have been given after intelligence was received from London.

Despite the security alert Mr Short's office had not been moved from its vulnerable position close to the gates of the mission to more secure rooms overlooking the gardens at the rear.