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U.S. alert sparks political row Rome, March 23 - A security alert by the United States advising Americans to take "precautions" while visiting Italy ahead of next month's election fuelled tension on Thursday between Premier Silvio Berlusconi and opposition leader Romano Prodi . The State Department advisory warned of possible attacks by al Qaeda terrorists as well as street demonstrations by domestic radical groups opposed to Berlusconi, similar to a protest that sparked rioting in Milan earlier this month . "Demonstrations may be large, but even peaceful demonstrations have the potential to escalate into violence. Some of the demonstrations may be announced; others may be spontaneous," said the alert, posted on the US Rome embassy site . "On March 11, demonstrations by 'No Global' and anarchist groups in Milan became violent, resulting in broken windows and streets blockages; 15 police officers were injured and 40-45 individuals were arrested." Americans in Italy were urged to "avoid areas where crowds are expected to gather, take common sense precautions and closely follow media reports" . Italy holds general elections April 9 and 10 . The State Department also recalled that Italy remained a potential target for international terrorist attack because of its role in multinational operations in Afghanistan and Iraq . Prodi expressed concern that the alert "so close to the election could create a climate of anxiety," stressing that it was "pointless" . The centre-left leader said he had asked US ambassador to Italy Ronald Spogli "for an explanation" and had been told the advisory was "routine" procedure . Berlusconi subsequently accused Prodi of "meddling" in US affairs, adding that Washington "had every right" to launch the advisory . "The alert is meant for Americans," said the premier, specifying that it had not been launched because of information provided by the Italian government . The premier reassured Italians, saying the government was being "extremely careful" in monitoring possible terrorist threats to the country . He said Prodi's outburst was aimed at "covering up the fact that the centre left includes people who practise violence" among its supporters. He also accused the left of sending violent opponents at his electoral rallies, referring to heckling and scuffling at a rally in Genoa this week . After warning on Wednesday that the country was facing a "democratic emergency" the premier accused Prodi of "wanting to bring to parliament the ringleader of those who rely on violence," referring to a hard-left No Global activist . Prodi retorted that he had learned that the alert had been launched by Washington because Italian authorities had expressed "reason for concern ahead of the elections." He accused the government of "not caring about the damage caused to the country," adding that it had used the alert as an electoral ploy, hoping to steer attention from the real issues at stake . Shortly after Prodi's charges, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters there were "no political motivations" behind the security alert . Berlusconi is one of US President George W. Bush's staunchest supporters but Washington has also stressed it will happily work with any government which comes to power . --------------------------------------------------- Please help our fight against the New World Order by giving a donation. As bandwidth costs increase, the only way we can stay online and expand is with your support. Please consider giving a monthly or one-off donation for whatever you can afford. You can pay securely by either credit card or Paypal. Click here to donate. |
