On April 24th, the Italian authorities apprehended eighteen people suspected to be part of an al-Qaeda linked terrorist cell related to a 2010 Vatican terror plot.  Professor Yonah Alexander,Senior Fellow and Director of the Potomac Institute’s International Center on Terrorism Studies, spoke with Hearst Television last week about the recently re-exposed terror plot on the Vatican.

Pope Francis’s message of tolerance and his strong leadership make the Vatican a prime target.  “This is exactly what the terrorists want to eliminate. They want to advance intolerance and extremism and violence, and therefore the Pope is a potential target and the Vatican is a symbol of Christianity,” Professor Yonah Alexander stated. 

The Vatican released a statement suggesting they are not worried about the threat.

Watch the news story here: http://www.koco.com/politics/suspects-arrested-in-vatican-terror-plot/32684620