AN airborne attack against US President George W. Bush may have been planned during the Group of Eight summit in Genoa two months ago, Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero said on Wednesday. He said indications such an attack may be planned caused authorities to close the airspace over the Italian city during the July 20-22 meeting. ”What I know is that intelligence (services) in Italy knew that something as an air attack was considered to be possible and that was the reason why we have closed the airspace in Genoa during the days of the G8 summit,” he said. ”But more than that, I do not know,” he said, reacting to statements by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who reportedly said Islamic extremists had planned to kill Bush. – Sapa-AFP
Wednesday September 26, 2001