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Topic: Pope's Funeral (Read 136 times)

lakelady
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Pope's Funeral
« on: Apr 6^th, 2005, 11:23am »

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Anti-Terror Forces Ready for Pope Funeral

By AIDAN LEWIS

ROME (AP) - Italian air force jets are ready to scramble. Police are burrowing through the labyrinth of drains and aqueducts under the city looking for bombs. Snipers are staked out on strategic rooftops.

The millions of people and the 200 foreign delegations expected for Pope John Paul II's funeral Friday offer a tempting target for any terrorist group hoping to score a spectacular strike. Authorities insist they have taken all possible measures to prevent such an attack.

``Precautions have been taken for airports, stations and all the other places where people gather,'' said an official of the Rome prefect's office, which is responsible for coordinating the security apparatus.

Air traffic over central Rome likely will be banned Friday, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The military-civilian airport of Ciampino may be closed to commercial flights, and traffic to and from the main airport at Fiumicino, 16 miles from Rome, may be curtailed, the official said.

Radar is scanning the air for any irregular activity, ready to alert pilots on standby. Helicopters have begun regular patrols.

Italy has not been a direct target of international terrorism in recent years. But in the 1970s and 1980s, the Italian Red Brigades cowed the nation, and Palestinian groups struck with devastating effectiveness.

But like all European security networks, Italy has heightened its anti-terror efforts following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and last year's train bombings in Madrid.

The Europeans have strengthened their cross-border cooperation and the sharing of information, though many experts say it has not gone far enough.

Italian authorities have arrested dozens of suspects, aided by a new international terrorism charge introduced following the New York attacks.

In Milan, where prosecutors have investigated Muslim extremist cells based in the north of Italy, a judge handed down the first al-Qaida-related guilty verdict since the Sept. 11 attacks, convicting seven Tunisians for helping recruits for al-Qaida get fake documents.

The suspects included Essid Sami Ben Khemais, the alleged logistics head of Osama bin Laden's terrorist operations in Europe.

However, other cases have fallen apart, including one against nine Moroccans accused separately of planning an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Rome.

Dozens of monarchs, presidents and prime ministers will attend John Paul II's funeral, including President Bush, former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Authorities also are expecting as many as 4 million pilgrims, mourners and tourists. Poland's Foreign Ministry said 2 million people were expected from that country alone.

The 10,000 police normally deployed in Rome will be reinforced with nearly 6,500 additional agents from around Italy, the Interior Ministry said. About 5,000 will be deployed around the Vatican and Rome, with the rest providing escorts to the official delegations.

Provisions include armored cars, bomb-disposal teams with dogs, and 800 motorcycle escorts.

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Pau
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Re: Pope's Funeral
« Reply #1 on: Apr 7^th, 2005, 2:02am »

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ohh.. I hope his funeral would be a peaceful one... and yeah with all those personalities going over the Vatican would really heighten the security risk of the city.... our president and one cardinal (there are 2 cardinals in the Philippines) is coming over to the Vatican as well to pay their rights and the cardinal to join the voting for the next pope....

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Jenna
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Re: Pope's Funeral
« Reply #2 on: Apr 8^th, 2005, 7:28pm »

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I am not Catholic, but I cried when I heard about his death. I always find it heart breaking when such a religous figure passes away. Cry

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