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Italy downplays U.S. terror alert

Italian police on patrol at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

ROME, Italy -- Italian officials are warning against unnecessary fear after the United States said Americans could be the target of attacks in Italian cities this weekend.

The U.S. Embassy in Rome said it had received "credible reports" that unnamed extremist groups were possibly planning attacks against U.S. citizens in Venice, Florence, Milan or Verona over the Easter weekend.

"The U.S. government continues to receive credible reports that extremists are planning additional terrorist actions against U.S. interests," a statement said. "These groups do not distinguish between official and civilian targets."

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said the latest threat mentioned in the U.S. Embassy warning is of an "Islamic nature."

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But he also warned against unnecessary alarm, saying there was no specific evidence suggesting the four cities mentioned were threatened.

"There is no specific threat," Scajola said. "There is a confidential warning that caused us to raise our guard and tighten our security, but we had no specific confirmation."

Scajola said these kind of threats are taken seriously. "We are living in a period of international terrorism, so we take these threats into consideration," he said. "Vigilance is high. Border crossings, airports and train stations are under control."

Millions of tourists from all over the world come to Italy every year, and security officials -- in addition to being concerned about tourists' safety -- are well aware of the potential damage a terrorist attack would bring to Italy's image and tourism industry.

The interior minister says he is going to spend the Easter holidays with his family between Florence and Venice -- two of the cities mentioned in the U.S. alert. That is the best indication, he says, that it is safe to travel there.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also said he saw no cause for alarm.

"We have alerted everyone who could have been alerted, and what we are hearing back from the secret services, the police and the paramilitaries is reassuring," Berlusconi said.

"It seems that there is no reason for concern, besides what we already knew about, that there is a terrorist organisation in our country."

Other Italian officials were critical of the United States for issuing the statement and accused it of playing into the hands of terrorists.

Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino told La Repubblica newspaper that the U.S. Embassy statement "could cause panic even if unintentionally. ... I think the decision to release it was unfortunate and inopportune."

Milan public prosecutor Gerardo D'Ambrosio said: "I think it's a mistake to keep on banging the drum over this sort of thing. It's just what the terrorists want."

Gabriele Albertini, the mayor of Milan, also criticised the U.S. statement.

Security has been stepped up at Duomo Cathedral in Milan

"There is no need for alarmism," he said. "There is no concrete evidence of a threat."

Former Italian ambassador Sergio Romano, writing in the newspaper Corriere della Sera, said: "If terrorism is aimed at creating insecurity then yesterday's (U.S.) statement risks gifting al Qaeda a partial victory without a shot being fired."

The U.S. Embassy statement said possible targets could include facilities where Americans are known to congregate or visit, such as clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools or outdoor recreation events.

It urged Americans to increase their security awareness and to avoid large crowds.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said, "For those who are travelling in Italy -- in specific places that were mentioned -- be prudent, be careful; enjoy yourselves but display some caution in your activities ... (and) travel together."

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher refused to give details about the threats or say who was behind them.

"Frankly, the American that may be under a threat or may encounter the threat doesn't really care who it is that's attacking. So it's not an essential piece of information for us to put out," he said.

Earlier this month, the U.S. warned that extremists were planning terrorist actions against American interests.

That warning was issued after the March 17 attack on worshippers at a Christian church near the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. Two Americans and three other people died in the attack.

-- CNN Rome Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci contributed to this report.