July 20, 2004
By DPA
Haaretz
CAIRO - A statement attributed to Al-Qaida posted on an Islamist website Saturday threatened to stage attacks in Italy if Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi remained in power.
Signed in the name of the Abu Hafs al-Masri brigades, the statement said: "This is the final warning for the people of Italy. You either get rid of incompetent Berlusconi or we will truly burn Italy."
The Abu Haf al-Masri Brigades had claimed responsibility for the March 11 attacks in Madrid and the November 2003 bombings in Istanbul.
"This message is the farthest it could be from a mere threat. It is to warn you that a true catastrophe will happen and we are able to hit our targets with light weapons," the statement said.
Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden gave European governments who have troops in Iraq a July 15 deadline to withdraw from Muslim countries. There are about 3,000 Italians operating in southern Iraq.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/452498.html