The United States has warned NATO allies of the
prospect of an Al
Qaida attack on U.S. or Jewish targets in Europe during the Passover
holiday.
U.S. officials said the warning to European allies envisions an attack
by Al Qaida or satellite groups on such installations as synagogues,
community centers as well as U.S. embassies throughout the continent. They
said the countries that appear to be the most likely targets include France
and Italy.
"There is a higher threat level in Italy," U.S. Secretary Colin Powell
said.
The alert also includes a warning of attacks over Easter Sunday on
Americans in such Italian cities as Venice, Florence, Milan and Verona. U.S.
officials said the attacks are meant to assert that Al Qaida remains active
despite the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
"We Americans and Europeans have to stress the prevention of attacks,"
Marvin Cetron, identified as a CIA consultant, told the Italian daily
Corriere della Sera. "We are moving towards a new terrorist season. Al
Qaida, its accomplices and followers are in the process of regrouping
themselves."
Earlier, the State Department designated three organizations based in
the Middle East as terrorist groups. They are the Palestinian Al Aqsa
Martyrs Brigades, the Lebanese-based Usbat Al Ansar and the Algerian
Salafist Group for Call and Combat.
State Department officials described the Salafist Group as dedicated to
the overthrow of the Algerian government and the imposition of
fundamentalist Muslim theocracy. The Salafist is an offshoot of the Armed
Islamic Group which is already on the department's terrorist list.
The Usbat Al Ansar is a Sunni Muslim organization largely based in
Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and has been linked to Al Qaida.
Officials said the Lebanese government has provided Washington with
intelligence information on Usbat Al Ansar.
"This group is banned in Lebanon," State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said. "The government of Lebanon has shared with us valuable
information about the organization."
In all, the State Department has designated 33 groups as foreign
terrorist organizations. U.S. law forbids Americans from providing these
organizations with any financial or other assistance.
