European Parliament head condemns mail attacks

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 06, 2004

European Parliament head condemns mail attacks

European Parliament (EP) President Pat Cox condemned Monday the mail attacks against the EP after three separate letter bombs addressed to the EP members were found on Monday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

European Parliament (EP) President Pat Cox condemned Monday the mail attacks against the EP after three separate letter bombs addressed to the EP members were found on Monday.

"We strongly condemn these acts which amount to a criminal conspiracy against democracy. We are asking members of European Parliament (MEPs), together with their families and staff, to be alert in their homes, their offices in the European Parliament and in their constituencies," said Cox in a written statement.

He pledged to intensify security measures and scanning procedures and to fully cooperate with the police and security authorities.

Earlier Monday morning, a postal parcel addressed to German MEPHans-Gert Poettering exploded when an EP employee opened it, igniting widespread alert all over the EP. Later, a similar letterbomb was sent to Spanish MEP Jose Ignacio Salafranca in his EP office and a third package was sent to British MEP Gary Titley in his constituency office in Manchester of Britain.

Cox's spokesman David Harley said the Belgian police are now working with EP security services to "rescan and recheck the tens of thousands of packages which have been sent to the European Parliament in recent weeks."

The EP receives 5000-8000 items of mails a day on average.

Apart from the EP, some other institutions or their leaders of the European Unions were recently assaulted by mail attacks.

On December 27 of last year, European Commission President Romano Prodi got a bomb in the post. Similar post bags were later sent to Europol and Eurojust, and the boss of the European CentralBank.

Questions?Comments? Click here

European Parliament to Back 'Taiwan Independence'?

European Parliament Votes for Stronger Common Defense Policy

Will China's rise trigger Sino-US confrontation? ( 47 Messages)

China may participate in reconstruction of Iraq ( 8 Messages)

Gas field blowout kills 191in SW China, 290-odd hospitalized ( 32 Messages)

HK singer Anita Mui dies of cancer ( 7 Messages)

China offers emergency humanitarian aid to Iran ( 14 Messages)