CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: In Rome, police are investigating a possible terrorist plot centered on utility tunnels underneath the city. There are some questions about whether the United States Embassy may have been a target. We'll get the latest now from CNN Rome Bureau Chief, Alessio Vinci.</s>ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Evidence that the embassy may have been the target of a terrorist threat, the discovery of a hole carved into an underground passageway near the embassy building. The U.S. State Department in Washington says, "we were informed about the existence of a hole. We are investigating it." Italian investigators and security officials here refused to comment on the ongoing investigation, but the Italian media, quoting unnamed sources, say an attack against the U.S. Embassy here might have been days if not just hours away. Last week, Italian police raided this apartment in a Rome suburb, finding maps of the city's underground water system, and another map with the location of the U.S. Embassy circled. A large quantity of a cyanide compound was also found. The substance, while not as toxic as pure cyanide, can produce deadly fumes if mixed with hot acid. The raid resulted in the arrest of four Moroccan nationals. Another five were arrested by the end of the week. There is no proof the nine suspected terrorists are linked to the hole found near the embassy, but after five hours of interrogation, the investigative judge charged the men with subversive association. Defense lawyers denied the suspects were involved in a plot to attack the embassy, saying the substance found in the apartment did not belong to their clients. Security around the U.S. Embassy is tight, and police are on high alert. A security meeting between Italian and U.S. Embassy officials is expected to take place Monday morning. Alessio Vinci, CNN, Rome.
Italian Police Investigate Possible Terrorist Plot Against U.S. Embassy