Vatican was terror target on Christmas: Berlusconi
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in an interview published on Saturday that he had information before Christmas about a "precise" threat of a terrorist attack on Rome and the Vatican planned for Christmas Day.  
 
Mr Berlusconi said in the interview with the Libero newspaper, conducted on Christmas Eve, that he had precise intelligence that there were plans to hijack a plane above the Vatican.  
 
Christmas celebrations at the Vatican led by Pope John Paul passed without incident, and there were no reports of any foiled attack.  
 
A Vatican spokesman, asked about Mr Berlusconi's comments, said he did not comment on security matters.  
 
"The threat from terrorism is extremely high at this moment. I've spent today (December 24) in Rome to deal with the situation," Mr Berlusconi said in the interview.  
 
"Now I'm calm. It will pass... I don't say this out of fatalism but because I am aware that our defences are very high. If that is what they have organised, they won't make it."  
 
He gave no details of who was believed to be behind such a planned attack or of any measures taken to prevent it.