Has Italy Gone Mad? 3,000 soldiers deployed for crackdown on illegal immigration and crime

detail of photo from the London Independent/Reuters, click here for link



"The mayor of Taormina, Sicily asks "have we gone mad? ... the last murder in Taormina was committed in the 1960s." the Guardian

There are already soldiers in Rome, Milan, Palermo, and Naples, with suggestions that troops will also be sent to smaller towns in Sicily.

What justifies 3,000 soldiers patrolling the streets of Italy? The recent decision to fingerprint all the Roma (Gypsy) children in Italy is now being followed by a more forceful position of a military presence.

When has there been a time in recent western history that soldiers have patrolled the streets of a city arresting undocumented immigrants?

click here for link to Guardian video
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Italian soldiers on the streets of Rome
The Guardian - London
August 4, 2008

Hundreds of soldiers have been patrolling the streets of Italian cities in a crackdown on street crime and illegal immigration...

In Rome, some 400 troops were deployed at underground and overland rail stations and at a centre housing immigrants.

...Soldiers were also deployed in Naples, Bologna and Palermo, while further troops were stationed at immigration centres to prevent escapes.

The defence ministry announced the further deployment of soldiers over coming days, reaching a total of 3,000.

In the most controversial part of the exercise, about 1,000 troops will be sent on patrol alongside the police in large Italian cities such as Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin. The move has prompted critics to warn of the militarisation of the cities....

for link to complete Guardian article click here

ANSA English Media Service
August 4, 2008 Monday 2:44 PM CET

TROOPS TAKE TO STREETS IN ITALIAN CITIES

Rome

The scheme has come under heavy fire from the centre-left opposition, who say the deployment is a stunt to meet an alleged crime and immigration emergency which is not borne out by statistics. They also predict it will backfire by scaring tourists off while doing little to deter criminals. But La Russa defended the plan, reiterating that only ''vandals, rapists and those who commit theft and robbery'' have anything to fear from the presence of the soldiers. ''These men have no intention of striking terror in any normal citizen - only the criminals,'' he said. ''Ask those who live in zones at risk, ask those who live near Milan's central station where there have been nine rapes in just a few weeks whether we are responding to the requests of the citizens,'' he added.

In Rome, which with over 1,000 troops will have the largest contingent of armed forces, around 400 soldiers went on duty on Monday at suburban metro stations and sensitive sites. ''As you can see, there are no soldiers patrolling the historic centre, but only at sites such as embassies, at stations and at the immigration holding centre on the outskirts of the city - in other words, in places where they will not influence the daily life of residents,'' said Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, who has pledged to make sure the capital will not look like a city under siege. Alemanno said last week that he would not allow mixed street patrols of troops and police in the historic centre in a bid to keep the city's tourist-friendly image.

Meanwhile, a mixed patrol at the suburban metro station of Anagnina on Monday nabbed a Romanian pickpocket just a few hours after going on duty after an elderly woman had her wallet stolen.

TROOPS SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY. The troops who will guard embassies, government buildings, immigration holding centres and other sensitive sites have been placed at the disposal of 16 mayors in cities ranging from Agrigento, Siracusa, Bari and Naples in the south to Turin and Milan in the north. This will free up police for regular crime fighting. The remaining 1,000 troops will patrol the streets of Bari, Catania, Milan, Naples, Padua, Palermo, Padua, Rome, Turin and Verona. Patrol troops are dressed in fatigues and will carry only small arms while those guarding sensitive sites have body armour and machine guns. City prefects will set rules of engagement at regular meetings on public order. Rome has the most soldiers on the streets, 195, followed by Milan with 170 and Naples with 150. The troops will be deployed for six months, but the government has said it may extend the scheme for a further six months if it proves successful. Troops from the army, navy, air force and paramilitary police are being deployed under the scheme.

from Lexis Nexis

for article on troops in Italy in the London Independent click here