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| International |
| Al-Qaeda cathedral plot foiled |
| 2002-06-24 |
| Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said paramilitary police have uncovered a plan to raid Bologna's cathedral through intercepted telephone conversations between several Tunisians and Moroccans with links to a Libyan known as Amsa, considered one of Osama bin Laden's chief operatives in Europe. The targeted cathedral is dedicated to Bologna's patron saint, San Petronio. Its controversial fresco, painted in 1400 by Giovanni da Modena, shows Mohammed being set upon by demons. Being Muslims, they will miss no opportunity to engage in barbarism... Inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, the fresco has been condemned by some Muslims as offensive. Italy's Union of Muslims has asked for Mohammed's face to be wiped out. The Italians looked at them like they were crazy, and probably they are... The plotters were said to be linked to Algeria's radical "Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat." Two months ago Amsa fled to Holland after realizing he was under investigation. He was arrested three weeks ago in London for possession of false identity papers. No right-thinking Muslim would think of having genuine identity papers... From the taped conversations in Milan, the authorities also interpreted what they believed to be signs of plans to attack the U.S. embassy in Amsterdam. "Uh, Mahmud? Whattya wanna do tonight?" "I dunno, Rashid. What do you want to do?" "I dunno. Go to the movies?" "We did that last week. Let's bomb an American embassy." "Hokay." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |