VATICAN CORNER
In another round of sick propaganda, Islamic State terrorist have threatened the Vatican and Pope Francis in a poster that was placed on social media showing a masked man in a rear view mirror looking through a car windshield at the Vatican. He has multiple guns, a backpack, and the poster reads “Christmas blood”. Similarly, young Prince George of England and the 2018 soccer World Cup in Russia have been threatened. Other ISIS terrorist videos have stated “You will pay very expensive price for your war on Islam” and “We will take revenge for the blood of Muslims on your land.” An intelligence Group monitoring ISIS activity online says that ISIS has begun making high-profile threats in order to distract from their recent military defeats in Syria and Iraq. Experts think it is unlikely that ISIS forces could enter Rome or the Vatican, but its propaganda machine continues to run, and the group has increasingly turned to lone-wolf supporters to take up their violent cause around the world. So, the experts say it is important to take the threats seriously. The Islamic State sees the Vatican as a symbol of the ‘Crusader’ West and any attack made against it would be widely accepted by all of its followers. Italy and the Vatican have so far not been the victims of terrorist attacks like those that have hit other European cities. This may be in part because although Italy has been a gateway for immigrants into Europe, it does not have a large number of second and third generation immigrants who are susceptible to ISIS recruiters. Another factor is the Italian police with their hardened no nonsense approach developed handling the political terrorism in the 1970s and through years of experience with mafia investigations. Phone tapping regulation is very lax, allowing extremists to be identified quickly and easily. According to the Italian Interior Minister, 70 suspected terrorists have been deported in 2017 so far. Last year four men were arrested in connection with an alleged plot against the Vatican. Commander Christoph Graf of the Swiss Guard said it may be only a matter of time before an attack takes place in Rome, “But we are prepared for it.” He said the Swiss Guard is not just a tourist attraction but a modernized troop capable of facing a terrorist attack if and when necessary. Since the attacks in Barcelona in August where a terrorist’s truck killed 13 and injuring 80, security has been tightened with more snipers and armed policemen on the main artery to St. Peter’s square. Also, many roads have been closed to traffic and a ban on trucks entering the city centers has been in effect since the Berlin Christmas market attack in December, 2016 when a terrorist’s truck killed 12 and injured 56. Another recent fear is a drone attack. Counter-terror police found foreigners had bought toy aircra-s in June and asked how they could modify them. Security so-ware in drones prevent them from flying into no-fly zones, however instructions available online make it easy to override that so-ware. The fear is that ISIS could use drones in Europe to replicate attacks they have already carried out in Syria and Iraq. Let us pray for the safety of Pope Francis and all the faithful who may cross paths with the savage men working for ISIS. Sources: cruxnow.com, newsweek.com, thesun,co.uk, catholic.org, express.co.uk
