Italy faces high risk of attack by Muslim radicals

via metimes.com : 

August 1, 2007

ROME --  Italy faces "heightened risks" of attack and an influx of Muslim radicals, an intelligence services report said Wednesday, citing 60 threats in the first half of 2007.

The semi-annual report, unveiled at a news conference, said that the threats aimed at Italy from within or abroad were of "variable credibility and magnitude."

But the threats by international jihadist groups pose "heightened risks for our country," said the report covering January through June.

Italy saw a "rise in Islamic meeting places, which, even if they are primarily organized and frequented by law-abiding people, remain potentially exposed to infiltration by radicals," the report said.

It highlighted "networks of north African origin" while stating that "interactions or contacts with other radical milieu from the Balkans, the Middle East, or central Asia" were also possible.

The intelligence services also outlined risks facing Italian personnel taking part in overseas missions.

"The attack on the Spanish contingent of [the UN peacekeeping force] FINUL in Lebanon [in late June] requires being alert to the possibility of similar risks concerning the Italian contingent," the report said.

Italy took over command of FINUL, a force of some 13,000 peacekeepers including some 2,500 Italians, in February.

The intelligence agencies also pointed to a risk of attack within Italy by anarchists whose "designs remain unchanged" despite the arrests in February of 15 people suspected of belonging to a far-left cell of the Red Brigades.

tags: world  politics  itali  

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