Posted on 10/05/2002 6:31:05 AM PDT by veronica
ROME (Reuters) - Italian police said Saturday they had arrested three Egyptian fishermen suspected of plotting to attack a cemetery of American war dead south of Rome.
Explosives and maps highlighting the Nettuno American Cemetery and Memorial in the town of Anzio were seized in an apartment in Italy belonging to one of the men, a police official said.
"They were preparing a symbolic attack against the American cemetery," the official said, adding police suspected the men were tied to Islamic terrorism.
The Egyptians, aged 30 to 45, were arrested Friday but have not been formally charged. Police said they had been living in Italy and had legal working papers.
Italian media quoted the men as denying the allegations, one saying they had used the explosives for fishing.
Two of the Egyptians were arrested in their apartments and the third was seized on a fishing boat, police said. Police also found a map of Rome's international Fiumicino airport and maps highlighting some McDonald's restaurants.
The American Cemetery in Anzio was completed in 1956, and more than 7,000 U.S. soldiers killed during World War II are buried there. It has been visited by former U.S. presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.
U.S. authorities have indicated that a mosque and Islamic center in Milan might be the financial hub of the European operation of al Qaeda, blamed for the September 11 attacks on the United States last year.
Italy has made more than 40 arrests on anti-terrorism grounds over the last 12 months, but prosecutors have had only mixed success in winning convictions against suspected al Qaeda members.
Four Tunisians suspected of being al Qaeda members were jailed earlier this year for five years in Italy's first conviction of terrorist suspects since September 11.
A group of Moroccans who had been arrested on suspicion of plotting to poison Rome's water network with a potentially lethal chemical compound were later freed.
Maybe they were just interested in doing a PETA-like protest at the Mickey D's.
More brave, Usama-suckers.
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The continued existence of the obscenity called 'islam' on this planet in unacceptable. But their fellow travelers in our midst have, so far, presented an obstacle to their destruction.
Fortunately, the stupidity of the moslem is such that they will almost certainly provide sufficient outrage at some point to open a window of opportunity for those disposed to liquidate them to do so on a grand scale.
Incidents like this one are helpful toward that end.
This article both saddened and angered me. These scumbags are capable of anything.
To Italy: We have some 8x7 foot cells ready for these idiots at Gitmo where they can observe some U.S. servicemen (and women) close up.
I am not a pyschologist and do not play one on TV, but if you are only happy around men who are required to have the same thinking, then Islam seems to be a great place for "men to love men"
I guess the violence which seems to be associated with this cult is a result of "men" confused about how to express their new found "brotherhood".
Maybe they should move the Taliban to SF so they can stop killing innocent women and children.
THE REPUBLICANS TOOK BACK THE SENATE.
I've got to hand it to the Italians, they are really on the ball. My impression of them as an effective ally has skyrocketed over the last year.
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