U.S.: ‘Credible threat’ of major attack in Italy

MSNBC.COM ^ | Updated: 5:56 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2003 | MSNBC

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

My Mom and her side of the family are from southern Italy. People back there are very frustrated in general. Illegal immigration, particularly Muslims is out of control. Things are bad. Crime is up. I could see them looking for someone to blame but I don't think they hate Americans per se. They're still clamoring to come over here.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

More info here.

[Shermy]

Maybe because of the American bases were there.

After 9/11 there was a strong, international lefty attempt to frame Osama as merely responding to American evils, all real no matter how ridiculous. Also Israel to a degree. I think that's fallen by the wayside, but some are still pushing it.

[Mo1]

A post of yours from October



http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1009871/posts?page=11#11

Leading Sunni and Other Sheikhs Herald the Coming Conquest of Rome (We Will Control the Vatican)
BTW, google "romiyya"

BTW2, Antarctica? I'd think the "two eclipse" theory would be locally visable to the mid east.

[Mo1]

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://archives.desinfos.com/memri/memri_447Islam-Rome.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3DRomiyya%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8

A certain number of sheiks, whose sheik sunnite Youssef Al-Qaradhawi, announce the conquest of Rome by Islam

Certain Moslem dignitaries predicted the conquest of Rome by Islam, in accordance with the prophecy of Mahomet, conquest which represents the topic of many sermons of Friday. The sheik Youssef Al-Qaradhawi, one of the religious authorities most influential of Islam sunnite, frequently evokes it in his television broadcast and account in the development of its religious decrees holds some. Here some of the remarks made by Al-Qaradhawi and others imams:

Al-Qaradhawi: Islam will turn over to Europe as a conqueror

[Shermy]

Yeah, I'd been thinking about the "Romiyya" angle for a while, after reading the MEMRI piece and doing some net surfing.

The eclipse thing didn't come true...I was right! :) Hope I'm not right about the Romiyya attack...

[Peach]

Thank you.

[Smogger]

As a Christian, I find such behavior shameful.

Whatever.

[Smogger]

Not to re-start an argument, because I respect your position, but my husband just reminded me that the Bishop who made his shameful remarks yesterday is the VATICAN SPOKESMAN.

He's not that VATICAN SPOKESMAN. He is the President of Justice and Peace, Titular Archbishop of Segermes.

[Mo1]

I can see how these terrorists would want to attack the Vatican

I hope you are wrong also

[ladyjane]

all non-essential personnel are to leave Saudia Arabia immediately,

This doesn't mean Saudi Arabia will be the center of a major attack. It only means Saudi won't be a good place to be if there is a major attack somewhere.

[Peach]

I was wrong. He is one of the Pope's most senior advisors, as well as the president of justice and peace. How's that for a title of a man who is so into justice and peace that he can't articulate a little pity for the innocents of Iraq who have been butchered for decades.

It is generally understood that when one's senior advisor says something, they are speaking for the organization. Considering the Vatican has not condemned the remarks speaks for itself.

My intent is not to be disagreeable with you. We will have to agree to disagree about this matter.

[mhking]

Christmas Eve service at St. Peter's? [eyebrow raises]

[Aggie Mama]

What's frightening, is I can see that exact scenario in my mind's eye. What's even more frightening than that is the thought that the UN and others would still say that we have to "play nice" if something like that occurred.

[Salvation]

**Isn't it weird that we're probably in the middle of another Holy War....like we have read about and thought could never happen again.**

So true.

I have a long list of urls about China persecuting Christians, also!

[Salvation]

Italy Boosts Vatican Security After Threat Warning

[cajungirl]

It would be a dumb move on the part of the terrorists to attack any Christian symbol. That would mobilize the world, I think. But then the capacity of the left to deny a threat continues to shock me.

[mathurine]

I am aggravated when Islamic people complain that the terrorists don't represent "true islam." and I would say that if this Cardinal who is a very high Catholic personage is making remarks which are not what Catholics should agree with, the Pope could repudiate them in 15 seconds, send that Cardinal to a monestary, and condemn Saddam as the horror that he was and is; but so far the Supreme Pontiff has not. I have no more respect for a diffident Catholic than for a diffident Islamic hierarchy. Neither one shows an abundance of common sense, neither one seems quite up to the job in the 21st century. Other people are going to have to lead because these fellow in long dresses and funny headgear either won't or can't.

[JulieRNR21]

There has been a 'response' although not official:

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2003/12/17/142238.shtml

News Max:

All About the Anti-American Cardinal Who Sobs for Saddam

The virulently anti-American Cardinal Renato Martino, who whined about the capture of poor widdle Saddam Hussein, "has not ceased being an embarrassment to his superiors" at the Vatican, a top American Catholic and Vatican insider says.

Despite the fact that the leftist media have joyfully reported Martino's concern about the damage to the supposed dignity and prestige of the mass murderer Hussein and presented his silly remarks as representing the views of the Vatican, the truth is that the cardinal speaks only for himself, and to the dismay of his superiors, the insider reports.

Writing in National Review Online, Michael Novak, a prominent American Catholic with close ties to the Vatican, explains that Martino, a recent appointee to the church's Institute for Justice and Peace, was in no way speaking for the Vatican when he bemoaned what he saw as the humiliation of one of the world's worst genocidal maniacs when the disheveled tyrant was shown being examined by an American medic.

"When I was in Rome last February, Cardinal Martino was already under heavy fire for his intemperate and irrepressible anti-Americanism," Novak writes. "Even those who before the war leaned more to the French/German position than to the American were dismayed by his uncalled-for comments."

Under the title "There he goes again!" Novak reports that Il Foglio, an Italian newspaper, ran a story Dec. 16 noting frustration at the Vatican's Secretariat of State, with what it called "the imprudent, irascible anti-Americanism of Cardinal Martino, an unfortunate recent appointment (late last year) to the Institute for Justice and Peace."

According to Novak, the newspaper reported yesterday that the Vatican's Secretary of State Cardinal Sodano, who is in effect the Holy See's prime minister, "not only changed the whole title of the document on World Peace released today but also edited out the most offensive passages of Cardinal Martino, from whose department the draft arrived in the last few days."

"The title, for example, went from 'International Law, a Way of Peace,' to the less ideological 'An Ever Timely Commitment: Teaching Peace.' Other rhetorical flourishes were also edited out, according to Il Foglio.

In contrast to Martino's intemperate statements reflecting his anti-American, pro-appeasement views, Novak reports that "the immense relief experienced by the Catholic community in Iraq since the fall of Saddam has not gone unappreciated at the Vatican. In general, now that the American-led Coalition has acted firmly and with far better results than predicted last February by various spokesmen in the Vatican (they did not all speak with one voice), the Vatican has tried to help with the transition to a more just, peaceful, tolerant, and democratic Iraq."

In short, the cardinal's behavior brings to mind the old observation that the Catholic Church has survived for 2,000 years in spite of bishops and cardinals.

[El Gato]

What about the important symbols of Christianity in the Holy Land? Seems unlikely that terrorists would open up a new front at the Vatican.

Certainly Bethlehem and Jerusalem are more at the heart of Christianity than Rome. Rome is merely the home of one branch, a very important one to be sure, of Christiandom.