Anarchy in Europe?
We discuss the possible motives and intentions behind the recent spate of parcel bomb attacks.
A parcel bomb was defused by police on Monday outside the Greek embassy in Rome. No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the incident followed explosions at the embassies of Switzerland and Chile last week in which two people were injured.
Those two attacks were claimed by an Italian group called the Informal Anarchist Federation. It is a group which Italian intelligence officials describe as being ‘an alliance of organisations united by a belief in revolutionary armed action.’
The attacks in Rome are similar those in Greece last month. More than a dozen parcel bombs were sent to various embassies in Athens. Devices were also intercepted on their way to Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president.
The attacks were suspected of being orchestrated by another anarchist group – the Conspiracy of Fire Cells which was formed during the Greek riots of 2008. Intelligence reports say there are links between the Italian and Greek organisations.
But who are these groups and what do they want to achieve with their attacks?
Inside Story, with presenter Shiulie Gosh, discusses with James Walston, a professor of international relations at the American University of Rome; Brady Kiesling, a former diplomat for the the US embassy in Athens who is currently working on a book on political violence in Greece; and Will Geddes, a security analylst from International corporate protection, ICP Group.
This episode of Inside Story aired from Tuesday, December 28, 2010.