Eurabia Alert, and an update on this story. “Italy: Al-Qaeda allies ‘may carry out attacks’,” from AdnKronos International, November 7:
Rome, 6 Nov. (AKI) – Italy was susceptible to terror attacks by allies of the Al-Qaeda network, the interior minister Roberto Maroni said on Friday. Maroni warned there were terror cells that identified with Al-Qaeda and they had “authorisation” to carry out attacks in Italy.
“Al-Qaeda is not present in Italy, however we are investigating terror cells who identify with it and have somehow obtained authorisation from Al-Qaeda,” said Maroni.
He was speaking during a media conference at Rome’s foreign press club.
“We are very worried,” he said, warning that terrorists could be training in Italy to carry out attacks inside the country.
“We think there could be terror cells in Italy that are being created, financed and trained to carry out attacks against us.”
Maroni said after the attack last month by a Libyan citizen against an army barracks in the northern city of Milan that “the conditions have changed” and that the event marked a “turning-point” in regard to this type of activity in Italy.
Early in October, an Italian soldier was injured after a 35-year-old Libyan Mohammed Game allegedly exploded a bomb at the entrance of the ‘Santa Barbara’ barracks using rudimentary explosives reportedly made of solid nitrate.
Two other alleged accomplices, an Egyptian and a Libyan, were arrested after the attack.
While Game suffered severe injuries to his face and his hand was amputated, no others were injured.
According to Maroni, before the attack by the Libyan, Italian cells would collect funds and recruit people to carry out attacks abroad.