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| Italy arrests 142 in anti-terrorism sweep |
| Saturday, July 09, 2005 |
Prompted by London bombings, police step up patrols around Milan
Police said Saturday they had arrested 142 people in a two-day anti-terrorism security sweep around Milan prompted by the bombings two days earlier in London.
Some 2,000 carabinieri fanned out across the Lombardy region, stepping up patrols around train stations, subways, commercial centers and other sensitive sites, the regional commander of the paramilitary police, Gen. Antonio Girone, said in a phone interview.
Girone said the operation was focusing on Milan because it had been the major focus of Italian investigations into Islamic terrorism and because it �could be a major risk of possible attacks.� He said the measures were designed to make people �feel calmer after the London attacks.�
Of those arrested, 84 were immigrants and authorities issued 52 expulsion orders, he said. Most of those arrested were accused on drug, petty theft or immigration-related charges, he said.
The operation was one of the most visible signs of stepped up security measures around Italy following Thursday�s attacks in London and threats that Italy might be targeted as well for its support of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
posted by Jay Are @ 3:35:00 PM   |
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