Outrage in Italy over US security warning

ROME (Reuters) - A U.S. security alert advising Americans of possible pre-election violence in Italy set off a storm of controversy on Thursday with the centre-left opposition saying it created a "climate of fear".

The United States cited the possible threat of an al Qaeda attack ahead of the April 9-10 ballot and also pointed to the risk of domestic rallies turning violent after opponents of the conservative prime minister rioted in Milan this month.

An nail-bomb injured police and at least 40 people were arrested.

Centre-left leader Romano Prodi, who is accused by his political foes of being weak on terrorism and tolerant of leftist radical violence, called the U.S. ambassador to Italy to demand an explanation.

"The U.S. alert surprised me. It creates a climate of fear and is not needed," said Prodi, who is leading in opinion polls.

"He (the U.S. ambassador) told me that

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-03-23T153444Z_01_L23613112_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-ITALY-ELECTIONS.xml

Shocked!

other countries to feign terror on our behalf of the republicans come 2006. They stop at nothing.