Foreign Minsister: 'Moral Duty' to Increase Military Role in Afghanistan

THE CANADIAN PRESS - Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said (July 28) Italy has a "moral duty" to increase its military role in Afghanistan even if the public is wary of casualties. Frattini says that as a loyal ally of the United States and NATO, Italy is prepared to send its troops to more volatile areas of the country on temporary deployments.Frattini's comments came as he prepared to leave for Washington where he will meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Italy has in the past refused to send troops to combat areas in Afghanistan.
(Reliability: 9.5)

Comment: Frattini's comments coincide with related news that an Italian will take over NATO's top civilian position in Afghanistan, and that another countryman has been named to the top European Union post in the country. Taken collectively, the declaration and appointments signal the Berlusconi administration's willingness -- even enthusiasm -- to invest substantial foreign affairs currency in Afghanistan's rehabilitation. That, in turn, is certain to win it appreciation in Washington, D.C., where a weary Bush administration recognizes it has substantially fewer allies in the central Asian country than it did soon after the Taliban ouster.

Italian Dragnet Arrests 28 for Financing Tamil Separatists

BLOOMBERG -- Italian police arrested (18 June 2008) 28 Sri Lankan nationals in 10 different cities for conspiring to commit terrorist acts, accusing them of raising funds to send home to the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "They had formed an organization that was arranging financial support by collecting a tax, or an extortion payment, from Sri Lankan nationals living here,'' said Palermo prosecutor Antonio Ingroia in a telephone interview. The operation was led by the anti-terrorist police unit in Naples, Ingroia said. The communities of Sri Lankans living in Italy were pressured to contribute money to the LTTE cause, and then the funds were funneled out of Italy through Swiss banks, Ingroia said. "Then we sort of lost track of the money trail,'' he said. Investigators are still trying to determine if they can also charge the collectors for extortion, he said.... Arrests were made in the Italian cities of Naples, Genoa, Milan, Biella, Novara, Mantua, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Rome and Palermo.
(Reliability: 8.5)

Comment: International law enforcement has in 2008 shown growing interest in LTTE training and fund raising outside of Sri Lanka. In April 2008, the Washington Times reported that LTTE had established a presence in the US to help bankroll and equip its secessionist campaign in Sri Lanka.

Italy Revises Caveats for Afghan Troops

ROME (AP) -- Italy has revised some restrictions on Italian soldiers in Afghanistan, allowing them more easily to be deployed temporarily in volatile areas, defense officials said Tuesday (01 July 2008). Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said during a visit to troops in Afghanistan that he had signed off on the revision. Gen. Vincenzo Camporini, the chief of staff, said the changes "are effective." The Defense Ministry confirmed both comments. (Reliability: 9)

Analysis: PM Silvio Berlusconi has telegraphed this move since winning reelection in April 2008. With a greater willingness to engage in combat with Taliban forces, it is likely Italy will see an increase in casualties in the coming months. As they leave their current bases around the capital of Kabul and Herat, in western Afghanistan, Italian troops will likely serve as supplemental troops to Canadian, British and American forces fighting on the front around Kandahar. (Confidence: 8.5)


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