Italian police on Wednesday
detained a 22-year-old Somali imam and asylum seeker suspected
of planning an attack on Rome.
The man was taken into custody at the migrant reception
centre he was living in, near the capital of the southern region
of Molise, Campobasso.
The imam, who was not named, was recorded saying, according
to court documents, "let's start from Italy, let's go to Rome
and start with the station".
"The war is still continuing, Charlie Hebdo was just the
beginning of what is happening now," the imam went on.
He added: "there's a simpler road, that of equipping
oneself and blowing oneself up, that's the simplest way".
The imam reportedly told fellow residents of the reception
centre that they had to organise a "market" for jihad and God
had ordered them to kill, police said according to transcripts
of his preaching.
"This month the jihad market is being organised, and the
Prophet prepares soldiers this month against idolaters and
fights against the enemies of God," he reportedly said.
"So profit from this month, rush to be the first. God
ordered you to kill his enemies and wage jihad in his name,
preach religion and the sharia and punish the sinner".
Having taken on the role of spiritual guide, police said,
at the end of the ritual teaching he prayed for ISIS and
fighters who kill themselves for the cause.
Prosecutors in Campobasso stressed he had been detained on
strong suspicions that he was planning a terrorist attack in
Rome.
"We have precise technical evidence about the possibility
that he was organising an attack in Rome," said Campobasso Chief
Prosecutor Armando D'Alterio.
The imam was detained at a migrant reception centre at
Campomarino, near Campobasso.
Investigators suspect he was planning to flee the centre
and probably head for Rome on Wednesday.
The imam preached in favour of ISIS, al-Qaeda and
al-Shabab, urging the other migrants in the reception centre to
take violent action to carry out jihad, police said.
D'Alterio, the Campobasso chief prosecutor, called it an
"intense and vehement proselytism" against the West.
Some worshippers walked out of his prayer sessions because
they were alarmed at the content of his preaching, police said.
Just over two months of intense investigation, backed by
phone tapping, hidden cameras and bugs, enabled the Campobasso
section of the DIGOS security police to grasp the real scope of
the imam's words as well as his intentions, police said.
The imam reportedly praised the November 13 Paris terror
attacks that killed 130 people as well as martyrdom, urging his
fellow residents to join the jihad and follow him first to Rome
and then to Syria, police said.
With a hidden camera, police filmed the man while he
watched a great deal of videos showing terrorist attacks, police
said.
This material was seized to help police with their
inquiries.
Political reactions to the case were mixed.
Rightwing populist Northern League leader Matteo Salvini
pounced on the case to say: "(Premier Matteo) Renzi is an
accomplice!" because of Italy's policy on migrants.
"If I were in his place, blanket checks and mass
expulsions. Italians are at risk because of Renzi and (Italian
President Sergio) Mattarella".
Giorgia Meloni of the rightwing Fratelli d'Italia
(Brothers of Italy) party said "the policy of doors open to all,
without any controls and pretending there is no problem linked
to Muslim immigration, is a criminal policy that puts all
Italians in danger".
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano replied: "Zero risk does
not exist but the Campobasso arrest shows that the system of
prevention is working.
"We must not get distracted and our sincere thanks goes to
the police for their work".
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