ROME - Videotapes of a key al-Qaida suspect urging followers to destroy Rome have reportedly been found by Italian police, heightening concerns about security in Italy and at the Vatican ahead of Easter.

Tapes featuring Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric named by Britain as the spiritual inspiration for the lead Sept. 11 hijacker, were found during recent raids in the northern Italian town of Cremona, weekly news magazine Panorama reported on Friday.

“We must destroy Rome,” Qatada is reported as saying on the tapes. Qatada was arrested in October 2002 and has been held in a British prison for over a year under emergency powers.

“The destruction must be carried out by sword. Those who will destroy Rome are already preparing the swords. Rome will not be conquered with the word but with the force of arms,” Qatada says in transcripts of the videotapes seen by Panorama.

The tapes were found in Cremona in February during the arrests of a handful of Muslim leaders suspected of plotting to bomb Milan’s metro and Gothic cathedral.

“Rome is a cross. The West is a cross and Romans are the owners of the cross. Muslims’ target is the West. We will split Rome open,” he is reported as saying.

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-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 02, 2004

Answers

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-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 02, 2004.

So what would happen if the Vatican was attacked? What if the pope were killed along with many high-ups in the Church? What would us Catholics do?

-- Jacob (jacobrainey@hotmail.com), April 02, 2004.

Elect a new pope and found a new base of Operations. This may surprise you, btu Popes have been assasinated before, and the Church still stands. Have faith, it may even galvinise action if such a thing wher to happen, but I do hope sincerly that it doesnt. I just know that if it does, the Chruch woudl survive.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), April 03, 2004.

Good. God did say the gates of hell would never prevail. :)

-- Jacob (jacobrainey@hotmail.com), April 03, 2004.

Bill,

Does this have anything to do with the Vatican issueing a press release on Wednesday downplaying its opposition to the war in Iraq and the war on terror being waged by the U.S.?

-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), April 03, 2004.

Something even more sacry to ponder than terrorists blowing up the Vatican is the absolut anger and vengence that would be on the Eternal Father if such an atrocity were to take place. Just imagine what God would do to the earth for such a crime.

Those terrorists do not know how much the Holy Spirit can devastate the earth if they push it too far. But God is all forgiving... and that never ceases to amaze me

-- Andrew (andyhbk96@hotmail.com), April 03, 2004.

Brian asked, "Does this have anything to do with the Vatican issueing a press release on Wednesday downplaying its opposition to the war in Iraq and the war on terror being waged by the U.S.? "

I doubt it. I think the Vatican's position on these two items has been 'spun' by the left in Europe and the US.

What we all need to understand is that this war on terrorism is a world war based on ideologies and will get a lot worse before it gets better, if it follows the pattern of all previous wars.

In Christ,
Bill

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), April 03, 2004.