ITALY: NATO MOVES NAVAL HEADQUARTERS FROM MALTA AND DIRECTS OPERATIONS FORM NAPLES

Record ID: 584867

  • Title: ITALY: NATO MOVES NAVAL HEADQUARTERS FROM MALTA AND DIRECTS OPERATIONS FORM NAPLES
  • Date: 16th August 1971
  • Summary: 1. GV Bay of Naples (2 shots) 0.18 2. LV & SV American war ship (4 shots) 0.30 3. SV Sign PAN to Naples street 0.37 4. MV NATO HQ sign 0.42 5. SV PAN..entrance of NATO HQ 0.48 6. CU & SV Guard checking in vehicles at base 1.12 7. LV Entrance to NATO HG. 1.17 Initials ES.1445 ES.1500 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 31st August 1971 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NAPLES, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA55S57F8W7SUV1E904HWLXXPN9
  • Story Text: Naples is now the centre of operations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) naval headquarters following its withdrawal from the Mediterranean island of Malta.

    NATO's decision to withdraws from the strategic island on Friday (13 August) caused general surprise in the capital city of Valetta, but here was no official reaction from the Government. (Prime Minister Dom Mintoff is expected to raise the issue later today (Monday) in the Maltese Parliament).

    Mr Mintoff's expulsion of Admiral Gino Birindelli, the NATO commander in June after the Labour Party won the general election is believed to have been connected to Mr. Mintoff's invitation for the NATO headquarters to be withdrawn.

    However, despite withdrawal of the ??? headquarters, NATO members are still prepared to contribute towards ???iding Malta in return for the use of military facilities by the British Service. The main concern in NATO is not so much for the use of the island as the possibilities that the Soviet Union might move in.

    A NATO statement issues in Brussels on Friday said that military planners had not yet decided on a new location for the naval headquarters, and it is thought that operations will be directed from Naples, site of the overall headquarters for southern Europe.
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