| A loose confederation of cells, a common enemy in the West, a string of bombs planted to sow terror. Sounds like the work of Islamic fundamentalists? No, last week it was European anarchist groups that were accused of firing off a chain of letter bombs to key E.U. leaders and institutions. No one was hurt in at least four incidents, beginning with a wired-up book sent to the wife of European Commission President Romano Prodi at his home in Bologna. Similar explosive devices targeted the headquarters of the European Central Bank, Europol and Eurojust — the E.U. body charged with fighting cross-border crime — and all the packages traced back to Bologna. Authorities halted all outgoing parcels destined for E.U. addresses from the northern Italian city. But investigators believe that the anarchist network is international in scope, with Spanish, Greek and German cells. An Italian investigator says the European anarchists have taken tactical cues from al-Qaeda, evolving into a far-flung array of cells united by ideology and targets rather than coordination from a central command. "The different [anarchist] groups fall under the same ideological umbrella but don’t necessarily work together," the investigator told Time. He estimates that there are at least 500 dangerous members of these groups across Europe. |