Vatican on hit list...(AP)

[PatPatriot]

Leader: Terrorists Planned To Attack Vatican On Christmas
WKMG-TV Local ^ News ^ | 27 Dec 03 | The Associated Press.


Posted on 12/27/2003 8:09:14 AM PST by dpa5923


Leader: Terrorists Planned To Attack Vatican On Christmas Security Tightened Around Vatican In Recent Weeks

POSTED: 10:05 AM EST December 27, 2003 UPDATED: 10:28 AM EST December 27, 2003

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."



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[petyos]

I think even if they just think about the touching the Vatican, the whole world will pull together and would just wipe all the Arab countries right off the map

 

[KMAN]

It looks pretty clear to me that the world needs to work together and find these extremists and cut their balls off. If this planned attack is true, it's obvious it's not just Americans these jackoffs are after, it's all Christians, for that matter it every religion different than their's.

KMAN

 

[BoratSagdiyev]

Hey dipshits. Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were considered terrorists at the time, as were the Israeli "freedom fighters" after WW2. Rather than looking at thier supposed planned actions does anyone have any time to look at the reason for their actions? Don't get me wrong, if I lost a family member to a suicide bombing I do not know what my outlook would be. But one thing I know for sure, if someone is willing to take thier own life for what they believe in then they must be pretty damn desperate and don't see any other method to be effective. Hard liners do not seem to be the answer concessions have to be made. 3 hours ago I was talking to someone who served in the Israeli army. What he said to me was that Yitzhak Rabin was goin to give the Palistinians 99% of thier demands, the exeption being not allowing 3 million Palistinians to settle in Gaza,West Bank, etc. from Syria and Jordan. Is this true?

 

[BoratSagdiyev]

In other words if they touched the Vatican the whole Christian world would rally and eliminate kick ass on Muslims?I am Christian by birth but I think that we are all in this thing called life together. Islam was a reaction to the dissilusionment felt by those considered the descendant of Noah's som Ham. Do you know what the bible says the descendands of Ham are destined to spend thier life doing? Being the servants of the descendents of Shem Noah's other son.Patriot read the passages from Genesis detailing this and then tell me what you would feel if you were born in that region. Unless you think that it was your destiny to be born in a western country and screw it "just bomb them all" is your take on things.