| William J. Kole | |
| The Associated Press |
Thursday, April 07, 2005
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ROME - Anti-aircraft rocket launchers are in place around Rome, and a navy warship armed with torpedoes is patrolling the coastline near the capital. Those and other security measures are Italy's menacing message to terrorists ahead of Pope John Paul II's funeral.
Although Italian authorities are playing down the threat of an attack, they're also taking no chances: Friday's funeral will draw millions of pilgrims along with dozens of monarchs, presidents and prime ministers.
There are plenty of reasons why terrorists might consider a strike, foremost among them Italy's involvement in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, and an ongoing investigation into alleged al-Qaeda cells in the northern city of Milan.
And there are plenty of potential targets: U.S. President George W. Bush, who arrived in Rome yesterday and viewed the pope's remains; former U.S. presidents George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton; U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Tony Blair; UN Secretary General Kofi Annan; and a host of other world leaders and VIPs, including the presidents of Iran and Syria. Prime Minister Paul Martin and his wife, Sheila, will be there for Canada.
The influx of scores of bodyguards accompanying the heads of state was sure to vex the Vatican, which frowns on guns inside the Holy See, though it grudgingly makes exceptions.
A deputy of Achille Serra, who heads the Rome prefect's office, one of several agencies responsible for security ahead of the pope's funeral, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press "the current international situation and the number of people in the piazza call for measures of great attention."
Authorities have no indications of a terrorist plot in the making, the official said.
Col. Massimo Fogari, a spokesman for the Defence Ministry, said anti-aircraft missiles were already in place around the capital. He would not say how many, or confirm Italian media reports that rockets had been positioned on the hills overlooking Vatican City.
A navy torpedo boat has been sailing up and down the coast near Rome, Col. Fogari said. Italy's air force will be ready to scramble fighter jets during the funeral, and snipers will take up positions on rooftops, officials said.
Additional measures include intensified armed patrols on the Tiber River that flows through Rome. Air space within an eight-kilometre radius will be closed during the funeral, and traffic at Leonardo Da Vinci Airport will be reduced. Ciampino Airport, used for both civilian and military flights, will be shut down, along with a smaller airport used by private and sightseeing planes.
Italy's elite Carabinieri military police increased their presence across the capital, part of an effort to bolster Rome's 10,000 police ranks by 6,500 and step up patrols with bomb-sniffing dogs. Yesterday, a police helicopter made repeated low, sweeping passes over the city.
Pope John Paul II - 1920-2005
