Vatican denies specific threats, says no to alarmism

Gazzeta del Sud
January 12, 2015

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/123933/Vatican-denies-specific-threats--says-no-to-alarmism.html

Vatican City, January 12 - The Vatican on Monday denied reports that it has been alerted that it could be the next target of Islamist terrorists after last week's attacks in France and called on the media not to feed alarmism. Vatican Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the Holy See had not received "reports of specific risks" from foreign security agencies. "So it is not opportune to feed groundless concerns," he added. Israeli State television reported that American intelligence services have warned the Vatican that it could be the next target for Islamist terrorists on Sunday, as international leaders joined around two million people taking part in a massive anti-terrorism rally in Paris. Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Monday the Italian authorities had found no confirmation to the reports either. "We have done checks in the reporting system with the security authorities of other countries as it is not the case for us," Alfano said. The minister stressed, however, that the level of alert was high as the Vatican is a potential target. "Unfortunately, the Vatican has been mentioned many times by ISIS," he said. "That's why we don't underestimate any hypothesis, not even the most tenuous". Alfano's words echoed statements given earlier on Monday by Diego Parente, the head of the Rome section of the Italian police's DIGOS anti-terror squad. "At the moment there is no confirmation about the threats to the Vatican, but the level of alert is at the maximum," Parente said. "There is not yet any confirmation of this latest alarm". Parente said that the authorities have beefed up security measures in Rome's Jewish quarter and around the city's Jewish school in the wake of the attacks. "(Security) services have been redesigned and strengthened outside all the sensitive (potential) targets," Parente said. He added that these included embassies, monuments, place of worship and offices of news organisations and broadcasters.