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| Europe |
| Italian Official: State of Alert in Europe |
| 2005-07-07 |
| ROME (AP) - The whole of Europe was in a state of alert Thursday following a series of bombings in London, while security officials were assessing Italian security and Italy's airports raised their alert level to a maximum, Italian officials said. Italy's European commissioner called the explosions in central London on Thursday a terrorist strike against Europe. ``What has happened is the tragic confirmation that terrorism strikes once more at the heart of Europe,'' said Franco Frattini, Europe's commissioner for justice and home affairs, in comments reported by Italian news agencies and confirmed by his office. ``It's necessary to immediately activate coordination between intelligence and police services, and offer England all the help possible,'' Frattini said. Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said Italy was not alone in calling a state of alert, but that all of Europe was stepping up vigilance, according to the minister's office. Italian security officials were meeting to assess the situation and decide what measures could be taken, the ministry said. Other countries that have announced increased security at shopping centers, airports, railways and subways include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, the Netherlands, France and Spain, which was hit by deadly al-Qaida-linked bombings last year. Belgium's prime minister asked emergency response officials to assess security in the Belgian capital, Brussels, which houses European Union and NATO headquarters. Italian airports were functioning on a maximum alert, the civil aviation authority said. National airline Alitalia said its schedule of flights for London airports was not changed, however, following the blasts. Frattini said in separate comments that he was in constant contact with British authorities and with his commission office, and that the European Commission would meet next week to discuss new rapid reaction measures against terrorist attacks. Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi sent a message to Queen Elizabeth II, expressing ``consternation and horror'' at the ``bloody attacks,'' and expressed condolences for the victims. Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who was attending the G-8 summit in Scotland, had been in touch with Pisanu through his spokesman and was informed of the situation following the blasts in London, Italian diplomatic sources at the summit said. The Italian Foreign Ministry said it had no reports of Italian casualties. Italy's parliament suspended work in both its houses Thursday as a sign of solidarity after the explosions were reported. The Italian lower house suspended work for 15 minutes following news of the explosions, while the Senate called off its session until the afternoon, parliamentary officials said. The Milan stock exchange said it had no plans to close. |
| Posted by:Steve |