Two bomb incidents in four days have Italians worried that the country may be seeing a resurgence of domestic political terrorism similar to the extremist campaigns of the 1970s and 80s. A bomb planted atop the Milan cathedral was defused Dec. 18 just hours before it was timed to explode; four days later a blast occurred in the offices of the communist newspaper Il Manifesto in central Rome, injuring only the suspected bomber. Some analysts say, however, that the bombings may simply be tied to the upcoming general election in April. Bomb incidents are not uncommon in Italy in election campaigns, and these incidents may represent efforts by extremists to make their voices heard.
