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Pope Francis Reveals Two Assassination Attempts Foiled by British Intelligence and Iraqi Police During 2021 Iraq Visit

Dec 17, 2024, 03:43 PM

Pope Francis has disclosed in his forthcoming autobiography, 'Hope,' that he narrowly escaped two assassination attempts during his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021. The attempts involved a woman carrying explosives and a van speeding towards Mosul with the intent to attack during his visit. The plots were thwarted by the Iraqi police, who intercepted and killed the attackers, following a tip-off from British intelligence. Despite being advised against the trip due to high security risks and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Pope Francis felt compelled to proceed, marking the first papal visit to Iraq. The autobiography, co-authored with Italian writer Carlo Musso, is set to be released in January 2025 across more than 80 countries. Pope Francis celebrated his 88th birthday on the day these revelations were shared.