Qaeda-Linked Cells 'To Hit Italy' After Aug. 15 Truce

[DEMonstate]

DUBAI (Reuters) - A militant group claiming links to al Qaeda said on Saturday its cells in Italy were ready to strike if the country did not withdraw troops from Iraq before an Aug. 15 deadline it set a week ago.

"The truce we had offered you ... to withdraw your troops has almost ended. Our cells in Rome and in all other Italian cities are prepared and ready to carry out their mission after the end of the truce on the 15th of this month," said a statement signed by Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades -- al Qaeda Organization.

"You won't feel safe in your homes. Each place will be a target after the end of the truce and the targets have been defined," it said.

Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades sent a statement last weekend to the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper giving Italy 15 days to withdraw its forces from Iraq or face attacks.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=DTODUILQDTZJECRBAE0CFFA?type=worldNews&storyID=5902855

[aquart]

1. Italians only appear easy going.

My feeling is you shouldn't annoy them.

[lebkuchen]

2. Spain negotiated

and got their butts out from where they didn't belong. They're safe and happy now.

Maybe Italy will learn by example.

[Blind Tiresias]

3. Al Q can wreak serious havoc in Europe

Italy, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Denmark, Bulgaria and Britain are extremely vulnerable. I think Al Q's best bet is to strike in these places. Lots of unemployed, pissed off Muslim youths in Europe. I fully believe that militant Islam is poised to succeed where they failed (Tours, Lepanto, Vienna).

[Kinkistyle]

4. All Al-Q has to do is make empty threats

...and they can cause tons of "damage" because everyone is running around trying to secure and lock everything down - wasting money and manpower. Sweet deal.

[lockdown]

5. Abu Hafs al-Masri is some bloke in a bedsit

or might as well be, it's ridiculous how the media continue to give these statements any credence. Abu Hafs al-Masri claim responsibility for all kinds of shit including the 2003 blackouts in the US, they're a discredited joke.

Doesn't stop the White House using these missives as the basis for terror alerts of course...