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| Europe | |
| Statement Threatens Attacks Vs. Italy | |
| 2004-07-16 | |
A statement purportedly written by an al-Qaida-linked group threatened to launch attacks on Italian soil if Premier Silvio Berlusconi remains in office. The statement, signed by the Brigades of Abu Hafs al-Masri and posted Friday on an Internet site known for carrying extremist Islamic content, follows the expiration of a three-month offer of a terrorism truce purportedly made by Osama bin Laden to European states, including Italy. "Either you get rid of the inefficient Berlusconi, or we will really burn Italy," the undated statement said, adding, "Berlusconi is dragging you into more blood plus absolute slavery to America."The Italian government didn't immediately respond to the new threat. Berlusconi, a staunch supporter of President Bush, said recently that the Italian contingent would stay in Iraq until democracy takes hold. The premier, however, has faced strong opposition for his pro-U.S. stance, and many here have called for a troops' withdrawal. The Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade is a shadowy group that takes its name from a top al-Qaida lieutenant who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan in 2001. It has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks on Western targets, including the March 11 train bombings in Madrid. Counterterrorism experts question whether the group has any agents capable of launching attacks and say some of its claims are obviously false or exaggerated. The latest statement attributed to the group urges Italians to get rid of their premier or "the next message will be on your land not on the Internet," threatening to use "unconventional weapons" in a strike similar to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. "We are in Italy, and not one of you is safe so long as you refuse our sheik's (bin Laden's) offer (for a truce)," said the statement, which appeared in Italian and Arabic. "We will turn his promise into reality. A bloodbath similar to Sept. 11 awaits you," the statement said. "We are able to aim at qualitative targets with unconventional weapons that will cause a grand catastrophe."
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 Wonder if that because Kerry bothered to get a security briefing finally. He must have had to get his head half way out of his anal cavity to do so. |
| Posted by: FlameBait93268 2004-07-16 11:32:54 PM |
| #5 Whoa-vertigo. Just read that after reading Kerry now endorses pre-emption (kinda). Somebody get some oxygen over here, quickly! |
| Posted by: jules 187 2004-07-16 5:57:25 PM |
| #4 Jules 187 - Your post made the phrase "slippery slope" come to mind, which led to recalling this classic, though it's not really on-topic... "If a man once indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he next comes to drinking and sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." --Thomas DeQuincy Sorry (Peshawar!) I just thought you might appreciate DeQuincy's wit. :-) |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-16 5:33:51 PM |
| #3 Get the Philippines and Spanish out of Iraq, get the Jews out of the world completely-it all boils down to the same thing-do whatever we say or you die...then again, we may kill you anyway. A few nations give in and look at the incentive it has provided jihadis to repeat their crude tactics. It puts more nations in danger. |
| Posted by: jules 187 2004-07-16 5:28:50 PM |
| #2 Can anyone doubt that threats like this will soon be forthcoming against our other allies, and of course, against George Bush? WWIII indeed, or is it WWIV? |
| Posted by: RMcLeod 2004-07-16 5:00:21 PM |
| #1 "Either you get rid of the inefficient Berlusconi, or we will really burn Italy," the undated statement said, adding, "Berlusconi is dragging you into more blood plus absolute slavery to America." Binny, or whoever is in charge, is getting frisky from the Spanish and PI successes. But in Italy, this could also backfire. The Italians are not the wusses like the Spanish were, if we have the executed Italian hostage as an example. The interesting thing here is that they are trying to make regime change by blackmail, rather than to just get Italy out of Iraq. The pieces are moving and being placed. A hit will surely be made if the Italians do not capitualte. WWIII is upon us, and that's a fact, Jack. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-07-16 4:50:41 PM |