Italy closed airspace to prevent attack on Bush

Italy closed Genoa's airspace to prevent an airborne attack on the G8 summit in July.

Italy's Deputy Premier says the security measures were a result of a threat to kill Mr Bush by using an aircraft.

The measures included closing the airspace and installing anti-aircraft missiles at Genoa airport.

Gianfranco Fini said: "Islamic extremists were said to be trying to hit Bush in the air."

His comments come after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Egypt had passed on information to Washington about a G8 threat following a video made by bin Laden.

This confirmed several reports in the weeks before the July summit, which warned of threats by Osama bin Laden to assassinate G8 leaders at the gathering.

Mr Mubarak was quoted by the French daily Le Figaro as saying: "He had spoken of assassinating President Bush and other heads of state in Rome.

He went on: "It was a matter of a plane stuffed with explosives. Precautions were taken then. But no one had imagined that Boeings filled with passengers would slam into buildings."

Mr Bush did make an official visit to Rome after the Genoa meeting, but other world leaders didn't.

Story filed: 16:46 Wednesday 26th September 2001

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_408705.html?menu=news.latestheadlines

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 26, 2001