US embassy cable - 03ISTANBUL1744

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 001744 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, ASEC, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: NEW BOMBING WAVE TARGETS BRITISH INSTITUTIONS 
 
 
1.(U) At least two powerful explosions targeting British 
institutions rocked Istanbul shortly before 11 a.m. on 
Thursday, November 20.  The first exploded at 10:55 a.m. at 
the Istanbul headquarters of HSBC Bank in the Levent 
financial district.  Shortly thereafter a tremendously 
powerful explosion struck the British Consulate in the Taksim 
district, in the heart of Istanbul's shopping district (and 
near the former U.S. Consulate).  While Turkish press 
initially reported five explosions, the discrepency appears 
to have resulted from a number of secondary gas explosions. 
Initial reports indicate that 18 people were killed and 358 
wounded, but that total is likely to swiftly rise, given the 
magnitude of the blasts.  British Consul General Roger Short, 
who was seen entering the Consulate shortly before the 
explosion, is now listed as missing. 
 
 
2. (U) The first explosion struck in Levent, Istanbul's 
financial district, at 10:55 a.m., at the Istanbul 
headquarters of the London-based HSBC bank.  Conoffs and 
visiting Terrorist finance team felt the explosion from their 
meeting location with a Turkish bank over half a mile away. 
News photos show extensive damage to the fifteen story 
building, with windows blown in and the building's entrance 
area gutted.  Initial reports are that there were six 
fatalities at the site. 
 
 
3. (U) Moments later, a second even more powerful explosion 
occurred in front of the British Consulate in the Taksim 
district of Istanbul.  That explosion was audible all over 
the city, with a huge cloud of smoke billowing from the site. 
 Later photographs show that the bomb detonated directly in 
front of the Consulate's gate, levelling the entire gatehouse 
and causing major damage to the Consulate and surrounding 
streets, which constitute one of Istanbul's major shopping 
districts.  Ten people are reported dead at the site, but 
that total is also likely to rise. 
 
 
4. (U) Consulate will convene an EAC this afternoon to review 
our security profile in the wake of this ongoing terror 
campaign.  We will also hold a town hall meeting with the 
entire community.  At present, all Consulate employees and 
American dependents have been accounted for. 
 
 
5. (SBU) Consulate will also offer full assistance to our 
British colleagues, including possible office space for 
investigators at the old Consulate building in Beyoglu. 
ARNETT