Italy deploys 3,000 soldiers in city centers
ROME —
Italy deployed 3,000 troops to patrol major cities and sensitive areas Monday in a controversial move by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s right wing government to boost security.
Dressed in shirt-sleeve order and equipped with handguns, some 1,000 soldiers joined local police in Rome, Naples, Milan and other urban centers.
Another 1,000 were deployed around potential targets ranging from embassies to railway stations and churches, while a similar number were guarding holding centers for illegal migrants.
But mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno said no soldier would patrol in the historic city center where most tourists are concentrated.
On the island of Lampedusa, where thousands of migrants have arrived from Africa in recent months seeking to enter Europe, 70 air force troops were supplementing police who patrol the perimeter of a reception center.
They are part of another 1,000 troops meant to be deployed around immigration centers.
The Italian left and police unions have criticized the use of troops, accusing Berlusconi’s government of seeking to “militarize” city centers and cover up cuts in spending on defense and security.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, of the anti-immigrant Northern League, said he wanted to “give the public a better perception of security.”
The government which took office in April has linked crime and illegal immigration and passed a series of measures aimed at cracking down on both.
But officials Monday played down the decision to draft in troops.
“In 1992, 20,000 men were sent to Sicily alone” to allow police to concentrate on fighting the Mafia after attacks on judges, deputy chief of the general staff General Mario Buscemi was quoted by Monday’s daily La Repubblica as saying.
The support provided by 3,000 troops spread across Italy would be minor and “essentially symbolic”, he said.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa announced in June that troops would be put at the disposal of regional governments for anti-crime missions. Parliament gave its backing to the measure last week.
Thousands of African migrants seeking to enter Europe have arrived in Lampedusa in recent months.
Of the 11,949 people who landed in Italy in the first six months of 2008, 10,402 arrived in Lampedusa, around double the number for the same period in 2007.
About 1,200 arrived on the holiday island off Sicily last Wednesday and Thursday.
Wire reports
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18 Comments
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undecidedbout08
"Italy deploys 3,000 soldiers in city centers"
Europe grows even more militaristic. I'm surprised Euros still oppose our 2nd Amendment, reading stuff like this:
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OssanULTRA
Illegal immigration is problem everywhere on this planet. There will always be a flow of people from lesser developed places to more devloped places where better earnings can be had. This is true of the United States, Japan, and EU.
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USAPatriot
OssanULTRA; Many people want to go and make a better life in Europe. Italy being easy to access from Africa, is one of the main countries people head to.
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LIBERTAS
"I'm surprised Euros still oppose our 2nd Amendment." Not entirely correct. If one has a good reason to own and carry a firearm on continental Europe, it's possible. I keep one (Sig 9mm) in my friends safe for use when I'm on business in Europe. Ireland & UK do not permit handguns, but shotguns and rifles for farm/hunting use are permitted (with difficulty.) The rate of gun ownership in Europe is high, but unflaunted. Switzerland, as everyone knows is highly armed, and highly controlled. There is a lot of illegal-immigrant property and drug crime in Europe. In Italy particularly. I've actually had to dodge bullets in Rome and Naples several times in the street. The "evil doers" as I see them called here, will shoot first and ask questions later. Good for Berlusconi.
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WilliB
I note that in Europe now they have to protect churches already. The conquest of Europe is moving faster than expected.
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undecidedbout08
Oriana Fallaci basically predicted all of this. How pathetic is Europe...
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skipthesong
mod, I was not referring to the poster, "Impolite to other user"
"The conquest of Europe is moving faster than expected." And they are people who would think you are a crazy racist for saying that, even go as far as jailing you.."
I meant that there are left leaning people in many countries who feel that by saying something as such constitutes a jail sentence... meaning you don't even have a right to speak your mind regardless of what you have been up against such as LIBERITAS. That is what I meant.
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nandakandamanda
I wonder if they have not had some advance warning of an attack?
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FromEurope
When I read the posts above, I can see the military paranoid people’s anxiety.
This is not really a military operation, but to help the police force to fight against the crime (drug dealers, illegal imigrants etc), especially in summer vacation period. The inhabitants are quite happy with this operation. (But obviously not some politicians)
1 soldier patrols with 2 policemen. Military doesn’t have the power of decision. The soldiers just support the police. In Rome, there is no such a military support because the Mayer didn’t want it.
And many posters mix up “Europe” and “Italy”. Italy is a small part of Europe and it’s smaller than the state of California. Italy’s decision is not a decision of Europe.
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proxy
Why not hire more cops? OssanULTRA, thousands of illegal immigrants have left the US and have gone back to Mexico because there is no work in the US.
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RepublicofTexas
I agree with that statement, but recently there has been an anti-immigration backlash throughout the EU and the developed world. The Dutch, the French, the Americans, everyone is starting to believe enough is enough. However, many forget that illegal immigrant/legal immigrant labor is what drove the housing and other booms that took place in countries like the US and Spain. Illegal immigrants are a major component of the US economy and just kicking them out will never work. However, the recent economic slowdown as well as harsher immigration laws and growing public apathy has caused the number of new arrivals to sharply decline in recent years.
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rajakumar
Good move.
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FromEurope
I think it's because they don't need more cops permanently. Most of those soldiers were in Iraq, and now, they don't have many things to do. Since they are payed anyway, it's better to use them rather than hire more cops.
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