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Italian police arrest terror suspects who may have been targeting Vatican

MILAN (AP) — Islamic extremists suspected in a bomb attack in a Pakistani market that killed more than 100 people had also planned an attack against the Vatican in 2010 that was never carried out, an Italian prosecutor said Friday.

The alleged foiled plot, known to authorities for years, was revealed as prosecutors announced the results of a decade-long investigation into an Italy-based terror network that aimed to stop Pakistan's actions against the Taliban. Police arrested nine suspects related to the probe Friday throughout Italy. Another nine were being sought, three of whom were believed to still be in the country.

Wiretaps collected as part of the investigation gave "signals of some preparation for a possible attack" at the Vatican, prosecutor Mauro Mura told a news conference in Cagliari, Sardinia. That included the arrival in Rome of a Pakistani suicide bomber, Mura said.

The Pakistani eventually left Italy, Mura said, without explaining why. The Italian news agency ANSA reported that there were two suicide bombers and that they were warned off by their associates in Italy when police began executing search warrants in the wider investigation of the Italy-based Islamic terror network.

The Vatican downplayed the significance of the alleged plot.

"From what it appears, this concerns a hypothesis that dates from 2010 which didn't occur. It has therefore no relevance today and no reason for particular concern," said the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.

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FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 file photo, Italian police officers patrol outside St. Peter& …

At the time of the suspected plot to bomb the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI was still reeling from the effects in the Muslim world of a 2006 speech in Regensburg, Germany, in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."

While relations with the Muslim world were eventually repaired, tensions flared again in 2011 when Cairo's al-Azhar institute, the pre-eminent theological school of Sunni Islam, suspended interfaith talks with the Vatican after Benedict called for greater protections for Egypt's minority Christians.

More recently, Italian officials have made clear they take seriously the threat of the Islamic State group to conquer Rome and the seat of Christianity. Security has been beefed up at the Vatican and the head of the Swiss Guards has said they are ready but that they have no information about an imminent threat.

Pope Francis himself has said he realizes he may be a target but that he fears mostly for the innocent crowds who come to see him every time he's in public.

"We are all exposed and we are all afraid," said the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Parolin. "But the pope is very calm for this, it's enough to watch him meeting people with great clarity and serenity."

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People gather at the site of an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan on Wednesday Oct. 28, 2009. A …

The investigation was launched in 2005, but Mura said it was slowed when news of the investigation leaked to the media, alerting the suspects that they were being watched. He also said the process of translating the wiretaps was painstaking.

Authorities said some of five of the suspects were responsible for plotting "numerous bloody acts of terrorism in Pakistan," including the October 2009 explosion in a market in Peshawar in which more than 100 people died. That attack happened on the same day that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, Mura noted.

Some of the suspects were also suspected of organizing attacks against Pakistani police and security forces that were carried out between March 2011 and November 2011, leaving five people dead, Mura said.

The terror ring also was a source of funding for terror operations in Pakistan, gathering donations from the Pakistani and Afghan community in Italy. It also illegally smuggled into Italy Pakistani and Afghani citizens who arrived by plane with false papers.

One of the suspects arrested Friday had a construction business in Sardinia that participated in work for a Group of Eight summit planned for Sardinia but that was later moved to quake-stricken Aquilia, in Abruzzo to boost reconstruction. Another was an imam in the northern province of Bergamo.

Mura also said some of the suspects had very close ties to al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, and that wiretaps included phone calls inquiring about his health. Two were part of bin Laden's security detail, a press release said.

Police said the aim of the terror network was to create an insurrection against the Pakistani government.

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Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.

Official: Al Qaeda hostage killed in CIA drone strike in January, along with an Italian aid worker.

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President Obama personally took responsibility Thursday for the death of an American and an Italian hostage killed in a U.S. counter-terrorism operation in January, but his words appear to be little comfort to the family of the American, who said the U.S. government as a whole has been "inconsistent and disappointing" for years in their time of need.

“I want to thank Congressman John Delaney, Senator Barbara Mikulski, and Senator Ben Cardin -- as well as specific officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation -- for their relentless efforts to free my husband,” Elaine Weinstein, wife to slain hostage Warren Weinstein, said in a statement shortly after the White House's grim announcement. “Unfortunately, the assistance we received from other elements of the U.S. Government was inconsistent and disappointing over the course of three and a half years. We hope that my husband’s death and the others who have faced similar tragedies in recent months will finally prompt the U.S. Government to take its responsibilities seriously and establish a coordinated and consistent approach to supporting hostages and their families.”

Elaine Weinstein also blasted the Pakistani government and military, for whom she said her husband's safe return "should have been a priority for them based on his contributions to their country."

"[B]ut they failed to take action earlier in his captivity when opportunity presented itself, instead treating Warren’s captivity as more of an annoyance than a priority. I hope the nature of our future relationship with Pakistan is reflective of how they prioritize situations such as these," she wrote.

Today the Pakistani government said it can "fully understand this tragic loss," having lost "thousands of innocent civilians in the war against terrorism."

The White House recently ordered a full review of how the U.S. deals with hostage situations, in the wake of the deaths of several Americans either in the clutches of al Qaeda or at the hands of the al Qaeda offshoot ISIS. U.S. officials told ABC News significant changes will be recommended in the coming weeks.

Weinstein was killed along with Italian aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto in a CIA drone strike in mid-January in Pakistan's tribal area, a U.S. official told ABC News Thursday.

"I want to express our grief and condolences for the families of two hostages," Obama said Thursday from the White House briefing room, noting that at the time, the U.S. believed no civilians were present at the site.

"Since 9/11, our counter-terrorism efforts have prevented terrorism attacks and saved innocent lives, both here in America and around the world, and that determination to protect innocent life only makes the loss of these two men especially painful for all of us," he added. "It is a cruel and bitter truth that in the fog of war generally and our fight against terrorists specifically, mistakes, sometimes deadly mistakes, can occur. But one of the things that sets America apart from many other nations, one of the things that makes us exceptional is our willingness to confront squarely our imperfections and to learn from our mistakes."

That strike and another just days later also took out two American members of al Qaeda, Ahmed Farouq and Adam Gadahn. Neither, officials said, were the intended targets of the strike.

Prior to Thursday's announcement, the U.S. government had acknowledged killing four Americans in drone strikes since 2009 -- only one of whom, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, was an intended target.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A leading politician in Ukraine published documents Friday that he says show the country's richest man is plotting to incite unrest to ensure the government steers clear of reforms that would hurt his business.

Parliament deputy Mustafa Nayyem, a respected former reporter, wrote in an article on the Ukrainska Pravda website that protest marches this week by miners had been coordinated by an energy company owned by billionaire Rinat Akhmetov.

Hundreds of miners have gathered outside government buildings in the capital over recent days in calls for the resignation of the energy minister and for guarantees on a moratorium on mine closures.

Demonstrators have also demanded that the government suspend purchases of coal from overseas. That measure was prompted by the ongoing war against Russian-backed separatists in the east, where Ukraine's most productive coal mines are located.

The concern among supporters of Ukraine's coal industry is that cheaper foreign fuel could undermine the viability of domestic production.

Akhmetov's DTEK holding company controls the bulk of Ukraine's coal industry, much of which is located in conflict-hit areas in the east. The government has recently adopted measures to eliminate subsidies for loss-making parts of the coal sector.

DTEK has since its creation in 2006 steadily acquired large chunks of Ukraine's power and coal production sector.

Akhmetov, who has ultimate control over DTEK, was estimated in the most recent Forbes rich list to be worth $7.1 billion. He was a senior figure in the ruling party of former President Viktor Yanukovych, who was deposed in a public revolt last year.

DTEK said in a statement it could not account for the provenance of documents presented by Nayyem, but stopped short of denying they were genuine. The company has previously denied it is behind miners' protests that have taken place over recent months.

The alleged DTEK plan of action in a memorandum reproduced by Nayyem details measures on how to incite what it terms an "energy revolt."

One aim of the strategy outlined in the documents includes using "the rising fear of losses of jobs and salaries to cast the unprofessional (energy) minister as an enemy."

DTEK described Nayyem's claims as an attempt to divert public attention from poor management of Ukraine's energy sector.

The prospect of a confrontation between the government and Akhmetov will reawaken fears of political instability sparked in March, when the president was forced to dismiss another truculent billionaire as a regional governor. Kolomoysky, who has major interests in oil and banking, locked horns with the authorities following moves to wrest important energy companies from his control.

ADEN (Reuters) - Fighting between Yemen's warring factions raged in southern and central parts of the country and air strikes hit Houthi militia forces in Aden on Friday, but there were no fresh moves toward dialogue.

Saudi Arabia says it is winding down its month-old bombing operation against the Iran-allied Houthis and forces loyal to Yemen's former president. But Riyadh pounded targets with at least 20 airstrikes across Yemen on Thursday and 10 more on Friday.

The civilian death toll from the fighting and airstrikes since the bombing started on March 26 has reached an estimated 551 people, the United Nations said on Friday. Its children's agency UNICEF said at least 115 children were among the dead.

Washington and other Western countries backing the Saudi-led aerial campaign have grown increasingly worried about the humanitarian crisis on the ground and also about the risk of Sunni Muslim jihadist groups taking advantage of the chaos.

Islamic State, which has had little presence in Yemen, released late on Thursday a video it said showed members of the group in the country conducting military exercises and pledging to attack the Houthis, who are from the Zaydi Shi'ite sect.

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A man looks at his home which was damaged by a shell which landed from a nearby missile base after t …

Saudi Arabia has called a meeting with major U.N. aid agencies and others to discuss improving aid deliveries to Yemen, which have been hindered by the naval blockade, Saudi officials and U.N. sources said.

Violent clashes continued between the Houthis and local militias near the Khor Maksar district of Aden on Friday, residents said, as well as in Taiz and al-Dhala.

Heavy fighting in Marib province east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa killed 15 people, tribal sources there said, as the Houthi militia and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh tried to advance into the rugged Sirwah district.

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Renewed airstrikes, days after Riyadh announced the end of its main bombing campaign, hit the 35th Brigade in Taiz, a Yemen army unit loyal to Saleh whose troops have clashed this week with militiamen supporting President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

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Members of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), ride on the back of a truck on a street in Taiz …

Four weeks of air raids have had limited impact on the lightly armed and mobile Houthi guerrilla fighters, but have significantly degraded army units loyal to Saleh, Western diplomats say.

Splitting the alliance between the Houthis and Saleh is seen as pivotal to any chance of success for the Saudi-led coalition in its goal of pushing the militia back towards its northern heartland, resuming peace talks and restoring Hadi to Sanaa.

Several army units have announced in recent days that they were pledging their loyalty to Hadi after fighting alongside Saleh or sitting on the sidelines. But those switches do not yet appear to have swung the balance of fighting on the ground.

Separately, a spokesman for Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi rejected on Friday as untrue local media reports that the Houthis had released him after weeks of detention.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Mohammed Ghobari in Cairo. Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Gareth Jones)

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Angelina Jolie Scolds UN's Highest Body

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Actress Angelina Jolie pleaded with world powers Friday to help the millions of Syrian refugees, sharply criticizing the U.N. Security Council for being paralyzed by its division over Syria's four-year conflict.

Jolie briefed the council as special envoy for the U.N. on refugee issues. Syria's ambassador said simply of her presence, "She's beautiful."

Jolie spoke during a full day of briefings on Syria that also included details of a new series of talks next month in Geneva aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis. The U.N. humanitarian chief made a powerful call for sanctions against those blocking the delivery of aid.

Nearly 4 million Syrians have fled the conflict into neighboring countries, which warn they are dangerously overstretched.

"We cannot look at Syria, and the evil that has arisen from the ashes of indecision, and think this is not the lowest point in the world's inability to protect and defend the innocent," Jolie said.

Jolie, who said she has made 11 visits to Syrian refugees in the region since the crisis began in 2011, called strongly for the political will to act. She said the council's powers lie unused because its members cannot agree on how to address the conflict.

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U.N. Special Envoy for Refugees and Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, left, confers, during her appeara …

Russia, a top Syria ally and backed by China, has vetoed multiple council resolutions on Syria, including an effort last year to refer the situation there to the International Criminal Court. British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, in his final council meeting, urged his colleagues to try again and said his "greatest regret" in his post was their collective failure to end the conflict.

Jolie said she would like to see the foreign minister of each of the 15 council members come to the table to negotiate a political solution. She also urged council members to visit Syrian refugees and see the crisis for themselves.

In addition, Jolie spoke briefly about the rising migrant crisis on the Mediterranean, where more than 1,300 migrants fleeing Syria and other places have drowned at sea over the past three weeks.

"It is sickening to see thousands of refugees drowning on the doorstep of the world's wealthiest continent," she said. "No one risks the lives of their children in this way except out of utter desperation."

The world continues to struggle to find a political solution to the conflict, and the U.N. special envoy to Syria warned council members that the talks in Geneva next month should not be seen as negotiations.

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U.N. Special Envoy for Refugees and Hollywood star Angelina Jolie arrives to brief the U.N. Security …

Staffan de Mistura said he intends to meet separately with a range of parties if they are ready to move on to negotiations, and he will report results to the U.N. chief by the end of June. The envoy ruled out including the Islamic State group in the talks.

A U.N. diplomat for key Syria ally Iran indicated it would be happy to attend as long as there are no preconditions. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Meanwhile, the U.N.'s outgoing humanitarian coordinator, Valerie Amos, challenged the divided council to mandate a fact-finding mission into the roughly 440,000 Syrians who are besieged in Syria and risk death by starvation, dehydration and the lack of medical care.

"The government, armed and terrorist groups continue to kill, maim, rape, torture and take Syria to new lows that seemed unimaginable a few years ago," she said.

The council should mandate the negotiation of humanitarian pauses to allow the delivery of aid, Amos said, and it should enforce an arms embargo and sanctions for the "shocking lack of respect for the most basic rules of international humanitarian law," including intentional blockage of aid.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told the council that existing resolutions on the crisis "are currently being ridiculed by the Syrian regime."

The U.N. refugee chief, Antonio Guterres, told the council that 14 million people are now displaced in the "interlinked crises" in Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State group seized territory in the past year.

He called for "massively increased support" for Syria's neighbors under the flood of refugees, pointing out that as Lebanon and Jordan are considered middle-income countries, the World Bank can't give them grants for efforts to deal with the "severe demographic shock they have endured."