Editorial
In Italy there is the "maximum anti-terrorism alert” even if you have no information on “hostile initiatives in preparation” by jihadist groups. This is what emerges from the Interior Ministry, after the tragedy in Moscow and in view of the meeting of National Committee for Public Order and Security, which will be held tomorrow in Rome to discuss the implementation of stricter security measures for the 250 main "objectives" in our territory. Measures aimed at protecting Christian churches and synagogues, embassies, ministries, museums, shopping centers, chain stores, train stations and airports.
Maximum attention will be on the occasion of the celebrations of the Holy Easter, especially close to the areas of interest around the Vatican. Above all, we fear the risk of emulation and the possibility that sensitive targets (over 1000) are targeted by so-called lone wolves. Consequently, concentric controls have already been in place in the squares since October 7, after the Hamas attack in Israel, with uniformed and plainclothes officers and the use of personnel expert in drone control.
Furthermore, the anti-terrorism teams of the special forces have been strengthened, and in-depth checks are underway on guests of hotels, holiday homes and bed & breakfasts, as well as on vehicle rentals. Surveillance on Islamic extremism is constant, with checks on those who have recently entered Italy and on those who are in reception centers for migrants. The attention of the intelligence is directed above all to the subjects already known for radicalization and to the approximately 150 Foreign fighter Italians (registered in 2023 by mininterno), the fighters who returned from Syria, Libya, Ukraine and the Russian separatist republics.
Reactions to the Moscow attack
To defuse Moscow's accusations against Ukraine, the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, declared that there is “nono evidence that Kiev was involved in the massacre", while the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, strongly condemned the attack in Moscow, as did the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and NATO spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah.
The Russian ambassador to Italy, Alexey Paramonov hot said: “We are still processing the shock”. This was echoed by the US Secretary of State, Antony blinken who spoke of a "heinous crime". The Chinese president Xi Jinping sent his condolences to Putin and expressed “solidarity with the Russian people“, same words also expressed by the French president Emmanuel Macron. While the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, expressed concern about the future: “We hope that the attack is not the pretext for an escalation of violence."
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