Suicide Bomber Attacks U.S. Embassy in Turkish Capital

At least two killed, the bomber, and a guard, news reports say

A suicide bomber set off explosives Friday in front of the U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing at least himself and a guard at the entrance gate, news reports say.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. The explosion occurred inside the security checkpoint at the side entrance to the U.S. embassy. Video of the blast shows the embassy door being blown off its hinges, but the inside does not appear to be damaged. Windows of surrounding buildings were also shattered. A Turkish woman and two other guards were wounded in the blast, the Associated Press reports.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack showed a need for international cooperation against terrorism. The U.S. Embassy thanked Turkey in a written statement for "its solidarity and outrage over the incident," the AP reports. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "We are working closely with the Turkish national police to make a full assessment of the damage and the casualties, and to begin an investigation."

The attack is the second on U.S. diplomatic offices in Turkey in the last five years. Three gunmen and three policemen were killed in an attack blamed on al-Qaida-affiliated militants outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul in 2008, the AP wrote.

Via the Associated Press

Should the U.S. increase funding for embassy security around the world?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

I thought Al Qaeda was decimated? How did this happen? Somebody needs to explain this.

[thejimbo]

Sorry Neo, I can't rationally explain this because I'm one of those darned truthers.

[Dan_Tien]

Reports say that the bomber was a leftist, not Al Qaeda: "Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler told reporters that the attacker was Ecevit Sanli, a member of an outlawed leftist group that news media reported as being the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)."

[Canoochee]

@Dan_Tien Al Quaeda is definitely not rightist so your point is moot. I think it depends on the reporter. AP is very unlikely to link anything muslim to terrorism.

[Zazziness]

@Canoochee Al Qaeda is a fundamentalist theocratic group -- they are as far right as it gets.

[Zazziness]

Where did you hear that? Their last leader was taken out but they are still insurgent in Afghanistan and Pakistan, at the least. They also seem to shelter in Saudi Arabia sometimes but we're not supposed to mention that since the Saudis are supposed to be our allies.

[Buckfan4life2]

I thought Hillary and Obama had everything in control and these guys were eating out of our hands. Has the media been misleading me again?

[thejimbo]

"Misleading" is a serious understatement.

[Denizen_Kate]

"... these guys were eating out of our hands." Which guys do you mean?

[Zazziness]

Cite a source because I've never read or heard that anywhere.

[SavageMazx]

What the ment to say was they were taking the money we were handing them.....

[cleverusername]

Any film makers we can throw in jail for this? Wonder if Obama will recruit Kerry to go on an apology tour with him then when that gets old send out a spokeswoman to do it for them.

[cleverusername]

oh and in case you didn't get it the apology tour is to our enemies not to those who were killed by our enemies.

[thejimbo]

Let me guess, it was caused by another YouTube video, no terrorism here...move along, folks!

[scotta]

@thejimbo Bush's fault. He.cut the funding acording to Ms. "I got a Blood Clot for a Brain" Clinton.

[scotta]

That fat white guy who made 911 movie .Michael More

[Food4thoughts]

I want a full blown investigation followed by a congressional hearing. We need to blame someone!

[Buzzfriendly]

Don't forget the strongly worded letter we will need to send to someone.

[RobertJHarsh]

I think stop selling guns to Israel, funding Israel's military and recognizing Palestine as a state would stop all terrorist activity against the US immediately.

[Buzzfriendly]

I for the life of me do not understand our unwavering support for Israel. The US is hardly a Jewish nation so I don't get it. Besides we don't have any damn money to give them anyway.

[RobertJHarsh]

@Buzzfriendly I agree. Those people are becoming a burdensome stone to the US. I have had enough of this terrorist crap against the US and those people are the problem.

[Zazziness]

@Buzzfriendly If you are not a fundamentalist Christian, this is going to strike you as very odd reasoning but unfortunately, it plays a part in U.S. foreign policy. Many evangelical sects are waiting for Armageddon and are firmly convinced that the Jews are God's chosen people and Israel is God's chosen nation; to go against them is to invite God's wrath on the short term and to lose salvation in the long term. Superstition? To me it is but to those who believe it, they believe fanatically and they elect representatives who are savvy enough to know they're going to lose votes from the Bible Belt if they speak against Israel in any way shape or form. It takes real guts for a politician to even hint that he or she doesn't support Israel 1000% no matter what they do.

[Buzzfriendly]

@Zazziness As an Atheist I didn't know that nor does it surprise me now that you stated it. It does however reenforce my position that we definitely don't need to be borrowing from China to give to Israel.

[DARSB]

Interesting this attack took place after Turkey sided with Western governments against Syria's Assad regime.

[bsking]

It's interesting that this is the eighth Embassy attack while senator Clinton was pretending to be " the best secretary of state ever" .

:'( besides what does it really matter at this point ? she did everything she could do .

[Buzzfriendly]

I have a better question why are we (US) trusting and selling F-16 to Turkey but our own government doesn't trust its own citizens to have more than 10 bullets in a gun?

[Food4thoughts]

Well regulated militia?

[DARSB]

Oh, easy answer - because we kill each other at much higher rates than anyone else kills us.

[Buzzfriendly]

@Food4thoughts I thought that would have meant our countries militia but I guess we failed to mention that.

[Buzzfriendly]

@DARSB Well I certainly can't argue with you on that one.

[Food4thoughts]

@Buzzfriendly I think it applies to us too...we just call it the National Guard now.

[mimi57]

I think we may need to take some time from the "frilly little distractions" and truly try
to spend some time on Foreign matters and a very flailing economy...the attacks
seem to be increasing...and in the mean time we are all distracted by 'fluff'. Oh well,
maybe someone will start taking really important things more seriously...and then
again, maybe not..

[SavageMazx]

If they didn't take it seriously when terrorists killed a US senator what's it going to take?

[Hireman]

These attacks are always troubling, but let's reserve judgment until we start seeing more facts. So far, we know there are dead, and that should be respected.

[KyleMFb]

Increasing security isn't going to stop Someone from driving a car bomb up to the front gates and blowing it up. I smell another useless witch hunt coming from those right wing nut jobs

[Vance1]

Suicide Bomber Attacks U.S. Embassy in Turkish Capital

"The last day of" The Hillary admin!!

[Your_Name_Here]

It's just soooooo... interesting that there has been no retaliation toward the US for the 'alleged' killing of the Al-Qaeda leader.

[Denizen_Kate]

It's quite possible there have been many, but perhaps our intelligence sources have thwarted attempts. How would you or I know?

[Your_Name_Here]

@Denizen_Kate I personally don't give our intelligence sources credit for being too intelligent. Don't forget I was in the military, worked for the government and spent a lot of time with weapons and things that explode. Attacks on the US just because they don't like our hair were commonplace and then once we kill their leader they go find other things to do. Like Judge Judy says, "If it doesn't make sense it isn't true!"

[NTBFW]

We are a nation trying to fight a religion that isn't tied to a specific country. They are determined to bring us down and so far it looks like they are winning. We beat them in one place they move. We try to appease them they attack us more. You say if we throw Israel under the bus then they will leave us alone. Israel is an ally. You don't give up your allies to appease your enemy. They do want to destroy Israel but after that do you really believe they will stop stacking us? Not until we completely become a Muslim country. The idea that we need to be careful not to offend the Muslims is getting old. They have offended me. They need to do some apologizing themselves.

[2b1ask1]

I thought Al Qaeda was on the run.....What happened Hussein? You Moron! Of course like Hillary said...."What difference does it make?"

[mudpike]

Withdraw all US personnel from all countries except those few who remain our allies. Stop sending ANY & ALL monies & AID to all dictator , despot led terrorist mooslem or socialist run countries. They hate America anyhow - who needs them ? Keep those trillions of dollars here , use the money to stop the 'enslavement' of the working class , balance the budget for once in 5 years & let them kill each other over their piles of sand. If it wasn't for Western technology , they'd still be about 3 weeks out of the stone age.

[MadAmerican]

Another po dunk country we need to leave.

[Fishbone345]

I'd like another option. Stop creating Embassies across the globe. To answer either way with whats given is to show support for having embassies everywhere.

[Asdwee2]

Yeah spend more money on security that could not prevent this or anything else from happening anyway. we americans take damage but wont fight back because we may cause an international incident even though we should have every right to defend our embassies

[SignifiedNBlue]

Inside job by liberals? LoL
Another distraction from paying Americas debt? Im telling you Obama is going to somehow use his,executor powerszm not to,pay the debt lok