The Italian cabinet 内阁 gave the green light to the deployment of 500 soldiers for the next three months to combat organized crime in the Naples area. The decision follows the shooting last week of six African immigrants 移民 by the Camorra 克莫拉(犯罪组织)crime syndicate 联合组织. Sabina Castelfranco reports for VOA from Rome.
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Two Italian Army 'Folgore' corps paratroopers look on, while on patrol outside the Palestinian embassy in Rome, 06 Aug 2008 |
The Italian government has decided to call in the army for the second time in less than two months. In August, it started deploying 3,000 soldiers at strategic 战略 sites 地位 across Italy to improve 改进 security and combat 战斗 crime.
The center-right government of Silvio Berlusconi pledged 保证;誓言 to make Italians feel safer as it campaigned in general elections 选举 in April. In an effort to keep its word 遵守诺言, the cabinet gave the green light to the use of 500 soldiers to combat organized crime in the Naples area. The soldiers will be deployed for the next three months.
The decision followed the shooting last Thursday of six immigrants from Ghana, Togo and Liberia in what authorities described as a hit by the Camorra organized crime syndicate. The killings 谋杀 sparked 导致 rioting 骚乱 in the Naples area.
The victims were killed by automatic gunfire as they stood outside a store that sold ethnic 民族 goods 商品 in Castel Volturno, a town of 22,000 people about 20 miles north of Naples. The killings are believed to have been in punishment for trying to compete in the drug trade in a territory considered out of bounds 越界 for anyone but members of the Camorra.
The mayor of Castel Volturno, Francesco Nuzzo, reacted positively to the government's decision to deploy the army.
"We are facing an emergency situation and have to provide an adequate 适当的;足够的, strong and effective response," said Volturno.
Interior 内部的 Minister 大臣 Roberto Maroni said he would be meeting with Defense 防卫 Minister Ignazio La Russa in the next few days to decide exactly how these soldiers will be deployed. For the moment 暂时, they are expected 预料 to be used to patrol 巡查 streets and man checkpoints 检查站 in areas believed to be under the control of the Camorra.