This has been a busy month for ISIS (Islamic State In Syria), or ISIL (Islamic State in the Levant) if you are running with the Administration’s moniker for the best financed jihadi threat the world has known in a long time. They beheaded photojournalist James Foley , they kidnapped more than 3,000 Yazidi women and girls. Now they are hatching plans to possibly attack not only the southern border of the United States but the head of the Catholic Church-and arguably the most prominent symbol of Christianity itself-Pope Francis.

Although the Italian newspaper Il Tempo reports that Israeli sources recently told the paper that the Pope is “in the crosshairs of ISIS”, the Vatican denies it. According to the newspaper Pope Francis is possibly being targeted by the terrorist group due to his symbolism as the “the greatest exponent of the Christian religions” and as the “bearer of false truth.” According to the article, Italy has been experiencing problems with jihadi sentiment being spread throughout the country due to immigrants from embattled Bosnia who have been “underestimated” with regards to their involvement in recruiting jihadis from the West to join various terror groups in the Middle East. In fact the report labels Italy the “springboard” for such activity throughout Europe. Could the Vatican be in denial? It certainly is possible, considering that the leader of the free world just announced Thursday in his White House press conference that the U.S. has no solid strategy for dealing with the ISIS threat.

Evidently there are well documented connections between the Bosnian veterans living in Italy and ISIS, the excerpt below is taken from a Google translation of the Il Tempo article:

“Among the veterans of the war in Bosnia, and which today are among the militants of Al-Baghdadi, some people have come under the magnifying glass of counter-terrorism since the late 90s, when in Bologna and Naples were dismantled two structures support to the GIA, the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria later became the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat and subsequently involved in the war in Bosnia at the time being. All of the defendants were sentenced to lesser penalties, as deemed guilty of common crimes, forgery, theft and arms trafficking, but all continued to propagate their beliefs jihadist from prison. Some, among them Jarraya Khalil, said “the Colonel,” became the imam improvised “attracted” in the continuation is held outside the EU is some Italians who decided to embrace the Islamist cause. The chain has also included Bosnian Bosnic Bilal, a former imam of Cremona who currently plays in the higher ranks of the Isis. Just Bilal, therefore, has been in our country and has had the opportunity to preach in the north-east. In short, an explosive mixture that in Italy also due to the excessive permeability of borders thanks to the continual arrivals of immigrants, often without an identity.”

Hmm, “continual arrival of immigrants, often without identity”, now what does that sound like? Ah yes! How about the onslaught of illegals still streaming across our southern borders! So if ISIS is reportedly planning to attack the U.S. using the non-existent southern border with Mexico, then why would it be so far fetched to believe that Bosnian militants in Italy could be persuaded by ISIS to attack the Pope?

I think the Swiss Guard should take note from the Israeli’s and make preparations to protect the pontiff in the coming year. I would not put anything past these people-after all they sawed off the head of a Western journalist and released a slickly produced video worthy of an advertising agency. Offing the spiritual leader of Christians across the world wouldn’t be an off-putting thing for them at all.