Threat to Students in Italy May Be Joke, U.S. Aides Say

Letters threatening harm to students at U.S. university branches in Italy if Iraq is attacked appear to be a bad practical joke, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

“American and Italian officials now believe the letters were a hoax,” said a State Department official, who asked to remain unidentified. “There is strong doubt that we will ever uncover who wrote the letters.”

However, Italian police and university officials are maintaining increased security patrols and surveillance of the campuses, reflecting fears that any terrorist threat should be considered seriously.

U.S. government officials issued warnings earlier this month to college officials with students abroad after six American university branches in Florence received identical letters threatening to harm the students if U.S. forces strike Iraq. The letters were signed by the “Secret Popular Revolutionary Movement,” a previously unknown organization.

State Department officials said they do not have the letters, which were turned over to Italian police officials after college officials received them between Oct. 31 and Nov. 8. They declined to describe or release the contents of the letters.

Previous reports listed the six schools as the Florence branches of Georgetown, Syracuse, Florida, the California State University system, Pepperdine and Michigan. State Department officials said, however, that they could not confirm that those schools are involved.

“If the imperialist Americans attack Iraqi territory, we will hit hard American interests” on the campuses, said the letters, according to Italian news reports.

Of the estimated 3,000 U.S. students studying in Italy, about 15 to 20 have returned home in the wake of the threats, officials said. One official said that some of the schools offered any student wishing to return home full course credit for unfinished studies and said final exams would be waived.

Ann Jones, director of public relations at Georgetown, said the Washington-based university has about 16 students, a professor and his family participating in an undergraduate program in Florence. None have returned to the United States, she said.

“We’re cooperating fully with the State Department,” she said. “If they told us to bring the students back, then that’s what we would do.”

David Denny, a State Department spokesman, said embassy officials and Italian police do not believe that American students are in danger. But, he said, officials have told the students and their families to be more cautious in their appearance and behavior.

“Italian authorities are keeping close watch on the universities,” he said.