Former Nineveh Governor denies assassination attempt on Pope Francis during 2021 Iraq visit
Shafaq News/ Former Nineveh Governor Najm Al-Jubouri responded to Pope Francis's recent revelation about an assassination attempt during his visit to Iraq in 2021, denying any such incident occurred.
Al-Jubouri stated that “the Pope's visit in March 2021 was meticulously planned with no security threats or incidents. The visit was pre-planned at the highest levels, with multiple teams arriving days in advance to ensure the Pope's safety from his entry into Nineveh, through his visit to the old city, and his trips to Alqosh and Hamdaniya.”
“Teams included personnel from Nineveh, Baghdad, British and American security teams, and a specialized Iraqi intelligence team.”
He added, “No report indicated any threat to the Pope's life, and all security operations and directives in Nineveh were issued under my direct supervision.”
Al-Jubouri added that if there had been any threat to a figure as significant as the Pope, international security protocols would have necessitated canceling the visit, which did not happen, proving there was no threat.
He noted that “Nineveh enjoyed a high level of security and stability during that period, allowing the Pope to visit the city comfortably. The Pope's visit was not the only one; it was followed by French President Emmanuel Macron's visit, who toured the old city and visited several sites without any security incidents.”
“The talk of an assassination attempt might stem from some security entities' attempts to achieve media gains or draw attention, or possibly from incorrect intelligence reaching the Pope.”
“We never heard of or saw any evidence of this alleged attempt, and it is surprising that such claims are being made now, especially since we in Iraq were unaware of these rumors,” he concluded.
Pope Francis had revealed that he was the target of “a suicide bombing attempt” during his visit to Iraq three years ago. In an excerpt published Tuesday from his upcoming autobiography, the Pope said the police informed him that “at least two known suicide bombers were targeting an event he was supposed to attend.”
According to the excerpt published by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the Pope wrote, “A woman loaded with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading to Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit, and a small truck was speeding with the same intent.”
The Pope said British intelligence informed the Vatican about the assassination attempt. He asked a security official the next day what happened to the potential suicide bombers. “The commander replied briefly: They are no longer there; the Iraqi police intercepted and neutralized them,” Pope Francis wrote.
