ITALY: The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, yesterday played down US warnings of possible terrorist attacks in Italy over the Easter weekend, writes Paddy Agnew, from Rome.
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Berlusconi commented on US administration warnings that unnamed extremist groups were planning attacks against US citizens in four major cities - Florence, Milan, Venice and Verona.
"We have alerted everyone who could have been alerted and what we are hearing back from the secret services, the police and the paramilitaries is reassuring. It seems there is no reason for concern, besides what we already knew about, that there is a terrorist organisation in our country," said Mr Berlusconi.
On Wednesday, US officials claimed they had received "credible reports" of possible terrorist actions in Italy by groups which did not distinguish between official and civilian targets, adding that restaurants, schools and outdoor events were among possible targets.
Also on Wednesday, the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, speaking in Washington, had warned US citizens travelling to Italy to be vigilant, saying: "For those who are travelling to Italy - in specific places that were mentioned - be prudent, be careful. Enjoy yourselves but display some caution in your activities where you are; travel together."
While Mr Berlusconi played down the terrorist threats, his Defence Minister, Mr Antonio Martino, was more critical of the US administration.
He told the Rome daily, La Repubblica, yesterday: "That statement could cause panic even if unintentionally. I think the decision to release it was unfortunate and inopportune." Nor was Mr Martino alone in his criticism of the US warnings. In a comment in the Milan daily, Corriere Della Sera, the former Italian ambassador to the USSR, Mr Sergio Romano, yesterday wrote: "If terrorism is aimed at creating insecurity then yesterday's \ statement risks gifting al-Qaeda a partial victory without a shot being fired."
Inevitably, hoteliers, restaurateurs and others involved in the tourist trade were also critical of the US warnings, with Mr Paolo Giacalone, president of the Italian Hoteliers' Association, commenting: "I totally disagree with such a generic alarmism since it hurts a sector of the economy that is very exposed."