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Bomb Explodes at Site of Upcoming G8 Meeting
A letter bomb blew up in the hands of a police officer Monday, seriously wounding him and fueling fears of violence at a summit that will bring world leaders to Genoa this week.
Hours later, a second mail bomb blast ripped one policeman's arm off and wounded another in Avezzano, hundreds of miles away, state television reported. Deputy Premier Gianfranco Fini said the explosions were not linked.
In Genoa, where leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations begin a three-day summit Friday, an envelope exploded just after a postal carrier delivered it to a neighborhood station of the Carabinieri, Italy's paramilitary police force.
The officer, a young man whose name was not released, was wounded in the hands and one eye. He underwent surgery and risks losing sight in the eye, officials said.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility, said a Carabinieri spokesman, Maurizio Riu. Groups that plan protests during the G-8 summit condemned the violence.
The bomb in Avezzano, in central Italy's Abruzzo region, also exploded in a police station. Investigators said it was linked to an extortion attempt on a local businessman with no connection to Genoa.
Police in Genoa said the force of the blast left them with little evidence. The envelope was practically destroyed and it was unclear whether investigators would be able to make out the postmark, the Italian news agency ANSA said.
Genoa is edgy ahead of the summit, which is to bring the leaders of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia to the northwestern port city. Tens of thousands of protesters, including some who have threatened violence, are also expected.
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