ROME, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The Italian government said it was exercising "maximum vigilance" at its foreign embassies given the wave of unrest sweeping across the Middle East.
U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and other members of his staff died last week when the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked. Since the Benghazi incident, U.S. diplomatic outposts in Cairo, Kabul and elsewhere were forced to respond to rising anti-American violence.
Much of the violence has been linked to an anti-Islam film produced in the United States. Though Washington has renounced its intent, many Muslims see the government as responsible for the film's content.
Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said the government there had examined the situation in more than 20 countries and found its interests to be secured.
"We are naturally exercising the maximum vigilance," he said in a statement. "This situation requires a sense of responsibility from each of us in our relations with political Islam."
Terzi said Italian embassies were in a safe position.
The British government last week confirmed that the compound housing the German and British embassies in Khartoum were attacked by demonstrators. London said the British compound suffered minor damage during the attack, though the main building wasn't breached.
"The neighboring German Embassy, which appeared to be the focus of the attack, was set on fire and severely damaged," British Foreign Minister William Hague said in a statement.
