Washington must relent

The twin truck bombs that killed 25 and injured hundreds at two synagogues in Istanbul on Sunday was a grim reminder that the United States-led war against international terrorism is far from over. Last week Saudi Arabia, this week Istanbul. Where next?

The US is bogged down in Afghanistan. All indications point to failure. The Saudi-born dissident leader of Al-Qa'eda, Osama Bin Laden, is still at large. His network, in conjunction with now underground forces of the ousted Taliban regime, is inflicting serious losses on US forces in major Afghan cities. Apart from Kabul and a few garrison towns the country is basically beyond American control.

In Iraq, American troops are hounded by resistance fighters. American, Italian, British and Polish troops are coming home not in triumph but in bags. Iraqi insurgent ground-fire caused the crash of two US helicopters on Saturday killing at least 18 US soldiers.

Meanwhile Washington has banned media coverage of the sad procession of coffins whose occupant's lives were sacrificed for a dubious cause. Nothing now assures us that the US-led war against terror will not lead to more death and destruction by terrorists.

America is not only losing the war against terror, it is encouraging an entire generation of young women and men in the Arab and Muslim worlds to embrace violence with unprecedented fervour.

Washington must urgently rethink its strategy of warring against terror. The ideal may be just, but the tactics are disastrous. Not only do US citizens suffer the consequences, but innocent people in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and next week, wherever.