Home>News Center>World
         
 

Europeans ask who's next after London blasts
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-09 07:57

After deadly rush-hour bombings in Spain and Britain just over a year apart, Italians and other U.S. allies in Europe are asking themselves: who's next?

Spain blames al Qaeda for last year's Madrid train bombs and London's police chief has said Thursday's London attacks bore all the hallmarks of the loose Islamist network.

A vocal European proponent of U.S. foreign policy, Italy is a repeated target of Islamic militant threats.

Two different groups claiming affiliation to al Qaeda have warned of attacks on Italy within the past 24 hours alone.

Europeans ask who's next after London blasts
Two Italian police officers patrol a subway station in Milan, July 8, 2005. After deadly rush-hour bombings in Spain and Britain just over a year apart, Italians and other U.S. allies in Europe are asking themselves: who's next? [Reuters]
One group calling itself the Organization of al Qaeda - Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula described Rome as "the capital of infidels" in a menacing message on Friday.

"These threats need to be taken seriously," said Vittorfranco Pisano, a retired American army colonel and Rome-based terrorism consultant.

"Italy is the closest ally of the United States in continental Europe and has become far more active in international affairs."

Italy dispatched extra plain-clothes police to guard public transport, heightened security at airports and said more than 13,000 "sensitive sites" were under special guard. But for many Rome residents, an attack seems inevitable.

"It will happen. Rome is an important city, it's home to the Vatican. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but eventually," said Rita Pesce, waiting for a bus.

BUSH, BLAIR, BERLUSCONI

After the United States and Britain, Italy is the third largest Western member of coalition forces in Iraq, and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi acknowledged that Italy's role in Iraq left it "exposed" to attack.

"Even intelligence (reports) from other countries show the three Bs, Bush, Berlusconi and Blair, are considered the most exposed to this type of risk," he said, referring also to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush.

Denmark has also sent troops to Iraq and found itself threatened along with Italy by the previously unknown "Secret Group of al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe," which also claimed credit for the London blasts.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said terrorists would inevitably "slip through the net" and warned all European nations were ultimately vulnerable.

Poland, which has about 1,700 troops in Iraq and commands a multinational division, played down the threats.

"I wouldn't succumb to emotions because some group, known or unknown, has mentioned us on the Internet," President Aleksander Kwasniewski told public radio.

Ordinary Spaniards still have painful memories of the March 2004 train bombings in Madrid, which killed 191 people. An Islamic militant group claimed the attack, saying it was punishment for Spain's then involvement in the Iraq war.

Three days later, Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was elected. He withdrew troops from Iraq.

Even France, which won support in the Muslim world for opposing the Iraq war, is warning that it too could be a target.

French security experts say the risk is high because it shares intelligence with Washington and London, and has helped leaders in its North African ex-colonies fight Islamic radicals.

Michel Gaudin, head of France's national police force, said the main threat to France came from the radical Algerian Islamist group GSPC and a network recruiting young French nationals to fight in Iraq.

"We are very vigilant, very watchful, notably over recent positions take by the GSPC Algerian group. We know that the threat of a chemical weapons attack is not unrealistic," Gaudin said on Europe 1 radio.



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Australian PM: London blasts death toll is 52
   
Reluctant Londoners return to Underground
   
Death toll from London bombing at 50
   
Toll from London bombing raised above 50
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 久久久久久久久久久久久久久久久久| 午夜黄色福利视频| 91香蕉国产线观看免费全集| 成人免费看www网址入口| 久久久精品人妻无码专区不卡| 欧洲美女与动zozo| 亚洲精品自在在线观看| 秋霞理论最新三级理论最| 国产亚洲精品91| 99riav视频国产在线看| 国产精品亚洲精品青青青| 91综合久久婷婷久久| 天堂网在线观看在线观看精品| 上海大一18cm男生宿舍飞机| 日批视频在线看| 久久午夜宫电影网| 日韩欧美亚洲综合一区二区| 亚洲中文字幕无码日韩| 欧美成人精品第一区二区三区| 亚洲精品美女在线观看播放| 真希友田视频中文字幕在线看| 午夜内射中出视频| 美女免费精品高清毛片在线视 | 久久久久无码专区亚洲AV| 暖暖免费高清日本一区二区三区| 亚洲三级在线观看| 欧美国产日本高清不卡| 亚洲国产综合无码一区| 欧美日韩在线一区二区三区| 亚洲毛片在线看| 欧美视频免费在线播放| 亚洲综合色一区二区三区小说| 理论片午午伦夜理片影院99| 免费在线观看亚洲| 白洁和邻居几个老头| 免费一级毛片在线播放傲雪网| 第四色亚洲色图| 免费看h片的网站| 粉嫩虎白女m3n8视频| 免费乱码中文字幕网站| 看看黄色一级片|