(Italian) Leader: Terrorists Planned To Attack Vatican On Christmas

WKMG 6 (AP) ^ | December 27, 2003

[ElkGroveDan]

ROME -- Terrorists planned to attack the Vatican with a hijacked plane on Christmas Day, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said in a newspaper interview published Saturday.

Berlusconi told Milan's Libero newspaper of a "precise and verified news of an attack on Rome on Christmas Day."

"A hijacked plane into the Vatican," Berlusconi is quoted as saying. "An attack from the sky, is that clear? The threat of terrorism is very high in this instant. I passed Christmas Eve in Rome to deal with the situation. Now I feel calm. It will pass."

He added, "It isn't fatalism, but the knowledge of having our guard up. If they organized this, they will not pull it off."

Berlusconi gave no further details in the interview about who the intended hijackers were, where the information came from and how the attack was thwarted.

Security has been tightened around the Vatican in recent weeks amid reports that churches could become terrorist targets. During Christmas celebrations, Italian police guarded the perimeter of the vast St. Peter's Square and pilgrims entering the basilica passed through metal detectors.

The Vatican refused Saturday to respond to questions about a possible Christmas threat.

Papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a statement, "As in every case of suspected or valid information regarding security themes, I have no comment to make."

Berlusconi's office issued its own statement Saturday, saying the premier's remarks did not amount to official declarations.

"Premier Silvio Berlusconi gave no interview. One cannot confuse a quick exchange of Christmas greetings with political declarations," it said.

The premier also was quoted by Libero as saying he received information in November of another planned attack, on the subways of Milan and Rome.

"There were those who insisted that the stations be closed," Berlusconi is quoted as saying. "I took on myself the responsibility for avoiding certain measures. They would had the same effect on the minds of people as an attack, they would have killed us inside, with dramatic social and economic consequences.

"Terrorism wants to make us close up. I preferred to double up the safety checks."

[Dog]

Why should we defend Europe......they shove our noses in every chance they get.......so if AQ decides to make one of the appeasers a target.......they are on their own.

[ConservativeConvert]

If this had been successful, all of Europe would have been galvanized toward the War on Terror.

Hate to say it, but they won't get it until they get hit.

[Gritty]

I am not a Catholic, so I don't look at the Vatican as a "religious shrine".

But, having visited there, I look at it as an incomparable and irreplaceable repository for some of the grandest building, painting, art, objects, and culture of many centuries of the Western World.

When I say it is "irreplaceable", I mean just that. It is a treasure which the Catholic Church has collected and preserved for the Glory of God and it indeed gives Him and His creation the glory.

If the Islamics were to destroy it, it would simply be an atrocity beyond reckoning. If they succeed in destroying the Vatican, Mecca should be next.

Christianity can spiritually survive without bowing to the Vatican. Islamics can't spiritually survive without bowing or hadjiing to Mecca. If it were gone, they would be like a hive of bees with a destroyed nest and queen; doomed!

If they insist on that type of war, we should bring it to them and let them suffer the consequences of their fanaticism.

[Calpernia]

I believe it was suspected that one of the AirFrance planes OR terrorists was bound for Las Vegas.

[vladog]

You know all these reported 'almost attacks' reminds me of teenage boys bragging about how many girls they've had. When in reality all they've had is 'Rosie Palm'.

[Calpernia]

Even the Vatican? Now if you said, the Effle Tower....No arguements from me; but the Vatican?

[Dog]

Not Vatican..

[Calpernia]

Bush did say we were taking the war to the terrorists.

[Calpernia]

[Publius6961]

What do they have planned for the future, lobbing grenades into kindergarten schools?

Too Late. Where have you been? They have been doing that for years.
I do not choose to refer to them as sandmaggots and mangy dogs lightly.

[Guillermo]

No, it's always been a religous war to them.

Osama and the rest of the Wahhabist clerics have always preached that the goals of Christians and Jews is to destroy Islam, and that they must fight back.

If it's not a religious war, what is it then?

[uncbob]

You mean after the Pope kissed the Koran and condemned the War In Iraq they are still mad at him ???????

[PAR35]

I don't believe that the US had ANY carriers in the Med on 12/25.

[monkeywrench]

I wonder if the french will accuse Berscoloni of fabricating this threat to help his poll numbers?

[Calpernia]

If we did, what is your opinion about one of ours shooting it down since it wasn't on our land? We were taking the war to the terrorists.

[FairOpinion]

"You mean after the Pope kissed the Koran and condemned the War In Iraq they are still mad at him ???????"

==

Well, he did stop short of converting to Islam and turning the Vatican into a mosque...

[ElkGroveDan]

I am not a Catholic, so I don't look at the Vatican as a "religious shrine".

What an odd thing to say.

I look at the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount as religious shrines, though I am neither Jewish nor Muslim. I also look at the structure across the street as a home, even though I don't live there.

[kms61]

Two years later, and many people here still don't get it. The terrorists would love nothing better than for us to hit Mecca. Talk like that is playing right into their hands.