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Tunnel Holes Found Near U.S. Embassy
Monday, February 25, 2002
By Nicole Winfield
Associated Press Writer

ROME
Italian authorities are investigating whether holes in the walls of a utility tunnel near the U.S. Embassy in Rome are linked to a group of Moroccan men police suspect were planning an attack on the embassy.

Photographs of the holes, which were large enough for a person to crawl through, have been forwarded to the prosecutor handling the case of nine Moroccans detained last week, Italian newspapers reported Sunday.

The Moroccans were arrested after police raided a Rome apartment Tuesday.

Police said that during the raid, they found a cyanide-based compound and maps of Rome highlighting the U.S. Embassy and the capital's water supply.

In an initial appearance before a judge Sunday, the Moroccans denied they were part of any terrorist group and said they didn't know how the cyanide compound got into the apartment, the ANSA news agency said, citing defense attorneys. The judge ruled the men could be held further.

Investigators examined the tunnels, which hold pipelines for city water, electricity, phone and gas supplies, and discovered the holes on Wednesday night, the news reports said. The tunnel runs along Via Bomcompagni, which is adjacent to the U.S. Embassy.

Investigators believe the holes were made sometime after Jan. 15, the last time authorized work was done in the tunnel, the Italian newspapers said. It was unclear where the holes led.

In a part of the tunnel farther from the embassy, investigators found a ladder and a work uniform that was different from the type used by utility workers, it was reported.

Italian news reports have said the Moroccans are believed to be part of the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, a group linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

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2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan