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NATO and Nuclear WeaponsAlliance With US Rocks the Italian GovernmentThe current crisis which has seen the fall of the Italian government led by Socialist Romano Prodi appears to be nearing an end. Reports from Italy indicate that Mr Prodi will be able to assemble a coalition giving him a parliamentary majority in a confidence vote next week. Prodi’s government fell as communist Senators, members of the ruling coalition, voted against continuing the Italian troop presence in the NATO-led International Stabilization Force (ISAF) supporting the government of Afghanistan. The Communists had campaigned against Italian participation in what they see as an imperialist US war. More moderate political forces are becoming convinced that the US entanglement in Iraq has made it impossible for President Bush and administration leaders to give the focus necessary to success in Afghanistan, and are increasingly ready to voice opposition to Italian participation in ISAF. The Senate vote was also seen as a protest against Mr Prodi’s support for the extension of an extremely unpopular American military base in Vincenza, northern Italy, scene of a recent demonstration of some 100,000 people against its presence. The presence of nuclear weapons in Italian soil at another US base, Aviano, is also deeply unpopular. The US wishes to close a base in Germany, moving four infantry battalions to Vincenza, and making it Europe’s largest US base. The extension of Vicenza is part of a restructuring of the US military presence in Europe. This involves the closing of many bases used during the Cold War confrontation in Germany, in favour of bases in south and eastern Europe suitable for staging expeditionary forces on missions in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. New bases are opening in Bulgaria and Romania, in addition to the upgrading of older facilities such as Vincenza. The new government policy platform contains 12 points, the first of which calls for the respecting of Italy’s international commitments in Afghanistan and elsewhere. While it currently seems likely that this manifesto will form the basis for a platform for a new government led by Romano Prodi, it is unlikely in the extreme that this is the end of the debate on Italy’s alliance with the United States. Italy’s role in NATO, and indeed the future purpose of the Alliance itself, will be debated as member nations begin to examine the Alliance’s Strategic Concept in the run-up to Summits in 2008 and 2009. © 2007 The Acronym Institute. |