More news from World Politics Review on the three Moroccan terror suspects in Italy — one of whom was the imam at the local mosque. Earlier today, Carlo De Stefano, head of the Italian anti-terrorism police unit, accused the men of "using the mosque as an international terrorism training camp." Stefano also revealed that the men have ties to the 2004 Madrid bombers. Items seized by the police in the raids include bomb-making chemicals, a Boeing 747 airplane manual and photographs of Rome's Fiumicino airport.

In the house of the first Imam, police found 60 "highly toxic" chemical substances that could be used for bomb-making, some of which appeared to have been stolen from the laboratories of Perugia's University.

According to a police report, the small mosque was used to train jihadists on how to use explosives, pilot a Boeing 747, safely reach conflict zones, and to write encrypted messages. Fighting techniques were also taught, while propaganda videos were shown to children attending the mosque.

Plants of the local waterworks, maps of Italian cities, and seven photographs of Rome's Fiumicino airport were also found during inspections.

Carlo de Stefano, antiterrorism head of the Italian police, revealed that the cell had links to the March 2004 Madrid bombers. Giuliano Amato, Italy's interior minister, congratulated the police for having thwarted "very concrete risks." The Imam of Perugia's mosque, in an interview with newspaper Il Messaggero, stressed "the need to distinguish between people who associate themselves with these violent episodes, and those that go to the mosque only to pray."

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