(By Sandra Cordon).
Italy is a "potential target"
for Islamic terrorists because of its "symbolic value as the
epicenter of Christianity", Italy's intelligence services told
parliament Friday.
But as yet no "activities or plans" by Islamic terror
groups to conduct attacks have been uncovered, officials added.
Their warnings follow previous Islamic State (ISIS) threats
that their jihadists had the Vatican and Pope Francis in their
sights.
ISIS has even published photoshopped images of its black
flag flying over a conquered St. Peter's Square, although
Vatican officials have steadfastly said that they aren't aware
of particular threats to centre of the Catholic faith.
Images of the destruction of the Colosseum have also been
posted by ISIS.
Italy, and Europe as a whole, has become more concerned
with threats from ISIS as jihadists gain ground in northern
Libya not far from the Mediterranean coast, and alarmingly close
to southern Italy.
Some fear that ISIS could use Libya, which is currently
being torn apart by civil war with two rival governments, as a
staging ground for attacks in Italy and further north into the
rest of Europe.
Italy "is ready to do its part in Libya," but within the
context of measures led by the United Nations, Foreign Minister
Paolo Gentiloni told the Lower House earlier Friday.
But that does not mean that Western nations were planning
to return to medieval Crusades against Islam, he added.
Rather, they only want to assist troubled states like Libya
in establishing freedom and democracy.
"From our side, there is no crusade nor adventures, there
is the consideration of the fact that we must fight to defend
democracy and freedom," said Gentiloni.
"Italy will do everything to defend its security,
counteracting this barbarism," from ISIS terrorists.
Still, the Italian peninsula could become a "fallback" post
for extremists returning to Europe after fighting alongside ISIS
and other extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, Friday's security
report said.
It added that agents have recorded a "significant increase"
in the flow of aspiring combatants from Europe to the Middle
East in 2014.
At least 3,000 fighters left from Europe, including over
500 from the Balkans.
"The specific threat to Italy must be evaluated not only in
terms of sporadic national cases but also and most
importantly...the possibility that extremists who left for
Syria from other European countries could fall back on Italy,"
the report said.
Meanwhile, intelligence agents said there is also a risk of
attacks in Italy and Europe from the wives, girlfriends, and
other female relatives of ISIS combatants who are "attracted by
the heroism of their menfolk".
Their report to parliament described "a new generation of
jihadists" is growing in Europe.
They are young, often experts in computer science, and with
little doctrinal training, according to the report.
The European Union is "permeable to proselytism and
recruitment" and "there are multiplying signals of the
ideological cooptation of aspiring mujahedeens," the report
said.
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