Vatican security head: no immediate threat of attack by Islamic State
March 03, 2015
The Vatican’s top security officer has said that although the Islamic State has threatened to attack the Vatican, there are no reports of any planned attack.
“The threat exists,” said Domenico Giani, the chief of the Vatican’s internal police force. “But the existence of a threat is one thing and planning an attack is another. At this time, we have not been informed of any plans to attack the Vatican or the Holy Father.”
Speaking to the Italian monthly Polizia Moderna, Giani said that alongside the possibility of an attack by Islamic terrorists, the Vatican is also aware of “the risk of action by individuals, which is more dangerous because it is unpredictable.”
Giani said that Vatican security officers must work within the parameters set by Pope Francis, who has made it clear that he will not be deterred from having close contact with the public. Giani said that police “must adapt to his style, and not the other way around.”
Giani heads the Vatican gendarmerie, a police force separate from the Swiss Guard. The latter is responsible for the personal security of the Pope.
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