easyand
07-19-2005, 07:29 AM
Threat made by same group as London and Madrid bombs
(ANSA) - Rome, July 18 - A fundamentalist Islamist group has given Italy an ultimatum to pull its troops out of Iraq within a month or face a terrorist campaign on its territory .
The threat was contained in a message posted on the internet by the Abu Hafs al-Masri group, the same which on July 9 claimed responsibility for the terrorist bomb attacks in London two days earlier and the bomb attacks in Madrid in March of last year .
Experts believe this new threat may be part of a media campaign to incite fear in European countries which have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan .
In fact, along with Italy the threat was addressed to Britain, Denmark and "other countries which still have troops deployed on Iraqi territory." If these countries do not pull out their troops by the deadline, the terrorist group promised to "bring a bloody and savage war directly to the heart of Europe." This was not the first time that the al-Masri group has threatened Italy. On August 29 of last year a similar message was posted on the net, announcing an attack on Italy but sparing the Vatican .
"We will attack only where it hurts, in order to force the garbage Italian troops to leave Iraq," the group said .
In the same message, the Islamic group said rumors that it wanted to attack the Vatican were "totally without foundation" and were "only an attempt by the Italian secret service to give a wrong image of the Mujaeddin." The al-Masri brigades took their name from the nom de guerre of one of al Qaeda leaders, Egyptian Mohammed Atef, who was killed by American troops in Afghanistan in the autumn of 2001 .
Aside from the recent attacks in Europe, they have also claimed responsibility for the attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003, which left 20 dead, and n the synagogue in Istanbul on November 15 of the same year, which claimed 25 lives .
Culture Minister Rocco Buttiglione said here on Monday that tourists need not be concerned over security at Italy's museums and historical sites. A special commission has been set up, he explained, to examined how security against possible terrorist attacks can be stepped up. Among the measures being examined, the minister added, are banning nap sacks, backpacks and large bag inside museums and historic or artistic sites, installing metal detectors and increasing security personnel. Decisions on these measures will be made in the short term, Buttiglione said .
(ANSA) - Rome, July 18 - A fundamentalist Islamist group has given Italy an ultimatum to pull its troops out of Iraq within a month or face a terrorist campaign on its territory .
The threat was contained in a message posted on the internet by the Abu Hafs al-Masri group, the same which on July 9 claimed responsibility for the terrorist bomb attacks in London two days earlier and the bomb attacks in Madrid in March of last year .
Experts believe this new threat may be part of a media campaign to incite fear in European countries which have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan .
In fact, along with Italy the threat was addressed to Britain, Denmark and "other countries which still have troops deployed on Iraqi territory." If these countries do not pull out their troops by the deadline, the terrorist group promised to "bring a bloody and savage war directly to the heart of Europe." This was not the first time that the al-Masri group has threatened Italy. On August 29 of last year a similar message was posted on the net, announcing an attack on Italy but sparing the Vatican .
"We will attack only where it hurts, in order to force the garbage Italian troops to leave Iraq," the group said .
In the same message, the Islamic group said rumors that it wanted to attack the Vatican were "totally without foundation" and were "only an attempt by the Italian secret service to give a wrong image of the Mujaeddin." The al-Masri brigades took their name from the nom de guerre of one of al Qaeda leaders, Egyptian Mohammed Atef, who was killed by American troops in Afghanistan in the autumn of 2001 .
Aside from the recent attacks in Europe, they have also claimed responsibility for the attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003, which left 20 dead, and n the synagogue in Istanbul on November 15 of the same year, which claimed 25 lives .
Culture Minister Rocco Buttiglione said here on Monday that tourists need not be concerned over security at Italy's museums and historical sites. A special commission has been set up, he explained, to examined how security against possible terrorist attacks can be stepped up. Among the measures being examined, the minister added, are banning nap sacks, backpacks and large bag inside museums and historic or artistic sites, installing metal detectors and increasing security personnel. Decisions on these measures will be made in the short term, Buttiglione said .