ITALY: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES NEW SECURITY MEASURES IN WAKE OF RECENT LONDON BOMBINGS/ AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI IN ROME

Record ID: 646897

  • Title: ITALY: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES NEW SECURITY MEASURES IN WAKE OF RECENT LONDON BOMBINGS/ AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI IN ROME
  • Date: 22nd July 2005
  • Summary: (BN12)ROME, ITALY (JULY 22, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. INTERIOR PALAZZO CHIGI, GOVERNMENT HOUSE/ WS: ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI AND OTHER GOVERNMENT MINISTERS ENTER FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 0.03 2. VARIOUS OF BELUSCONI SITTING DOWN (3 SHOTS) 0.24 3. WIDE OF BERLUSCONI AND MINISTERS SEATED FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 0.27 4. JOURNALISTS 0.30 5. SOUNDBITE (Italian) BERLUSCONI: "Today's council of ministers has approved a draft law for the institution of a super prosecuting anti-terrorism office. Why present a draft law? Because the opposition had also presented a similar proposal and since we need to all be united in the fight against terrorism we thought we should take advantage of the proposal of the advisers of the suggestions of the opposition as well and to put together the two draft laws in a privileged parliamentary itinerary." 1.08 6. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE 1.11 7. EXTERIOR PALAZZO CHIGI/ BERLUSCONI WALKING TO GREET AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI (2 SHOTS) 1.23 8. SLV: BERLUSCONI GREETING KARZAI AS HE STEPS OUT OF CAR/ HONOUR GUARD SALUTES 1.27 9. BERLUSCONI AND KARZAI 1.39 10. LV/SV: BERLUSCONI AND KARZAI WALKING PAST HONOUR GUARD (2 SHOTS) 1.50 11. BERLUSCONI AND KARZAI SHAKING HANDS 1.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA6758CLAEDB11PZINNJNIXY8XI
  • Story Text: Italian government introduces heightened security
    measures in the wake of the recent London bomb attacks as
    Afghan President visits.



    The Italian government on Friday (July 22)
    introduced measures to boost security following the recent
    London bomb attacks.

    The package will make it easier for police to detain
    and expel suspects, improve surveillance of the Internet
    and phone networks and increase penalties for
    terror-related crimes.

    Italy has not suffered the type of attacks by Islamist
    militants which has hit Britain, Spain and the United
    States, but a series of false bomb threats and menacing
    Internet messages in recent months have left Italians on
    edge.

    "Today's council of ministers has approved a draft law
    for the institution of a super prosecuting anti-terrorism
    office," Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said.

    Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu told parliament last
    week that terrorism was "knocking on Italy's door", and
    said the government would give police greater investigative
    powers and encourage the use of informants.

    The Northern League party, a junior partner in Prime
    Minister Silvio Berlusconi's coalition, has demanded much
    sterner measures, including the suspension of the European
    Union's open border agreements.

    Berlusconi rejected that request but said on Friday
    that the government would embrace a Northern League
    initiative to create a single "super-prosecutor" to
    co-ordinate anti-terror investigations across Italy.

    The plan for a super anti-terrorism office will be
    presented to parliament in the form of a draft bill, rather
    than government decree. Berlusconi there had been no need
    to institute a decree as the government and opposition were
    united in the proposal. The other measures approved on Friday,
    however, will come into force immediately as a government decree
    and only later face parliamentary scrutiny.


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