Pope Francis Assassination Plot in Iraq Foiled by British Intelligence Tip-Off

Pope Francis’s forthcoming autobiography reveals that a scheme to assassinate him during his March 2021 visit to Iraq was thwarted thanks to information provided by British intelligence. Upon his arrival in Baghdad, the Pope recounts being informed that an event he was scheduled to attend was the target of two suicide bombers. These assailants were later intercepted and eliminated, as stated in passages from the book published by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The three-day visit, conducted amidst the coronavirus pandemic, marked the first time a pope had ever traveled to Iraq and necessitated a robust security presence. In the preceding years, Iraq had experienced a surge in sectarian violence, characterized by clashes between Shia and Sunni Muslims and the persecution of religious minorities. The nation’s Christian population had significantly diminished, having been specifically targeted by the Islamic State group and other Sunni extremists. Within the autobiography excerpts, Pope Francis states that “almost everyone advised me against” the trip, yet he felt he “had to do it.” He explains that British intelligence unearthed the plot and alerted Iraqi police, who then informed his security team upon his arrival. The Pope quotes: “A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading towards Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit,” and adds, “And a van had also set off at great speed with the same intention.” He further recounts asking a security official the next day about the fate of the potential attackers. “The [official] replied laconically: ‘They are no more’. The Iraqi police had intercepted them and blown them up,” the Pope wrote. The book, titled *Hope*, is scheduled for release on 14 January. Reuters news agency reported that the Vatican did not provide an immediate response when asked for comment.