Berlusconi Says Vatican Was Target on Xmas - Report

Reuters ^ | December 27, 2003

[sarcasm]

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in an interview published on Saturday that he had information before Christmas about a ``precise'' threat of a terrorist attack on Rome and the Vatican planned for Christmas Day.

Berlusconi said in the interview with the Libero newspaper, conducted on Christmas Eve, that he had precise intelligence that there were plans to hijack a plane above the Vatican.

No one was immediately available for comment at the prime minister's office. The Vatican said it had no immediate comment.

[Rollee]

Hear, hear! Let's get this over with, once and for all. Your tag line says it all.

[Rollee]

He will probably ask for our help, and tell us it's our duty to do so.

[thathamiltonwoman]

I'd much rather see the sign of the cross X in "Xmas" than that "G-d" which looks childish, an embarrassement, or a curse word.

X is supposed to be Greek for Christ so I don't mind that. Many Jews and Christians tend not write out the name of God as they feel that the name of God shouldn't be treated like an ordinary word.

[Trytophan Man]

I almost wish there had been an atempted attack on Vatican City as it'd wake up some of those riticuled us over Iraq.

That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard on this forum or anywhere else. WOW!

[Trytophan Man]

Perhaps the Pope-ster might be a bit less critical of US policy if they take a hit.

What you said has to be the most ignorant thing I have ever read. WOW!

[Savage Beast]

Everything that you have said (post #37) is correct.

Many people of the West, perhaps most, have the will to prevail over Islam--though many do not--but the fundamental problem, that prevents their understanding the situation for what it is and halting the spread of Islam, is the inseperability, within Islam, of religion and state (i.e. the worldwide political movement), and the inability of the people of the West to understand that Islam is as much a political movement as a religion and that it must be treated as a political movement.

The overt, declared goal of Islam is worldwide conquest, by violence if necessary, reduction of non-Muslims to dhimmitude, and the establishment of the shariah as international law. This is a political movement.

Western nations can confront Islam as an aggressive, imperialist, violent political movement without abandoning their commitment to freedom of religion. They must recognize this and proceed accordingly.

The display of religious symbols, such as crosses, stars of David, et al. can and should be permitted. Symbols of Islam, a political movement, should be banned.

In some nations, Nazi emblems are banned.

In some parts of the U.S., Confederate flags are banned.

The basic problem is Western confusion, a confusion that Muslims aggressively exploit.

[Valin]

Berlusconi denies Vatican attack quotes
Sat 27 December, 2003 16:26



ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has denied quotes attributed to him in a newspaper report that said he had received information about a plan to attack the Vatican on Christmas Day.

The article published on Saturday in the Milan newspaper Libero quoted Berlusconi as saying he had received "precise and verified news of an attack on Rome on Christmas Day... A hijacked plane above the Vatican... An attack from the sky."

Berlusconi issued a one-sentence statement a few hours after the article appeared in which he implied that the journalist who wrote the article, Renato Farina, had made up quotes. A spokeswoman for his office confirmed that this was his meaning.

Farina told Reuters: "I did not invent anything." He described himself as a friend of Berlusconi.

Libero is a right-leaning newspaper that is sympathetic to Berlusconi and has published several lengthy interviews with him in the past.

Earlier, the same spokeswoman at Berlusconi's office said Berlusconi and Farina had had "a private conversation" on Christmas Eve -- the conversation on which the article was based -- but the prime minister had not granted Libero an interview.

The prime minister's statement was a play on words, punning on Farina, which means flour in Italian, and the colloquial expression "not flour from your sack", which means "not your own work".

"The quotes in the Libero article are flour from Farina's sack," Berlusconi wrote -- implying that they were of Farina's own invention.

Christmas celebrations at the Vatican led by Pope John Paul passed without incident and there were no reports of any foiled attack.

The Vatican's chief spokesman said he did not comment on security matters.

Italian police boosted security at the Vatican and around churches before Christmas, though the Interior Ministry said on December 18 it had received no specific threats.

The Conciliazione, a broad avenue running from the river Tiber to St Peter's Square, has been closed to traffic from midnight until 7 a.m. since December 15, an unprecedented measure.

Italy has been on heightened alert for terror attacks since a suicide bomber killed 19 Italians last month in a strike against a military police headquarters in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya.

[Valin]

However it is impossible to know the depth or extent of this nonparticipation.


The best figure I've seen is 90%. Now 10% of 1+billion is a pretty large number...but it's still only 10%.

[redhead]

"I am sort of curious,,does the Vatican have security up to the task of deterring a terrorist attack? I have the idea all they have are a bunch of old geezers looking ceremonial.

The Swiss Guard is 100 picked men, the cream of Swiss military, who are, I believe, trained commandos as well as ceremonial guards. They have been guarding the Vatican for several hundred years. They are young, strong, and dedicated.

[Trajan88]

If the Vatican were to be hit by such terrorism, a modern-day Crusade would truely be the mother of all battles... and the Middle East will NOT win.

Trajan88

[Capt. Tom]

Good post.

I would like to add this comment. which I posted on another thread. This would pertain to the religious aspect of Islam and how to deal with it.

but how do we deal with this problem?

Corrupt the religion.
We have to make Islam change to Islam Lite. Basically the same religion without the bloody hands aspect.

We have to start with Saudi Arabia and their support of the Wahaabis, like Osama bin Laden.

It is very difficult to stamp out a religion because we all know death is a certainty, and want to have a big brother in the sky.

If you can convince Christians homosexuality is OK , who knows maybe we can corrupt Muslims into believing infidels should not be killed.

Failing that; we are going to have to kill them. -Tom

[battlegearboat]

Don't read much, huh?

Run the flag up on your homepage so we can see where you hail from T-Man.

[autoresponder]

I'll be modern:

Hillarious Hkaa

Rollicking Rdaa

Kwazy Kzaa

[Trytophan Man]

Don't read much, huh? Run the flag up on your homepage so we can see where you hail from T-Man.

I heard that Y'all okey's don't read much.

[battlegearboat]

That's Okie to you newbie.

[gg188]

Excellent comments from both of you. Bump

[hotpotato]

Please don't use Xmas for Christmas.

Why not? It's been used for hundreds of years.

From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Languate, Fourth Edition, 2000

SYLLABICATION:X·mas

NOUN: Christmas.

ETYMOLOGY:From X, the Greek letter chi, first letter of Greek Khrstos, Christ. See Christ.

USAGE NOTE: Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of , “Christ.” In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, “Christian.” But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening pronounced (ksms). Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Mehmet Ali Agca

[Savage Beast]

The world hopes that Islam will evolve into something nearer to the heart's desire. History unfortunately is not encouraging. Nevertheless, anything is possible, and we must hope for the best and work for the best but prepare for the worst.

[doberville]

Thank you. Your response was far more precise and better explained than mine.