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Italy’s first police counter terrorism response team

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The terror threat in Italy is very high, although it is a different kind of danger, one that’s not necessarily tied to direct actions against the population. In recent years, we noticed how our country has become a transit point rather than a real target. Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel – the Nice promenade attacker – and Anis Amri, perpetrator of the Berlin attack, passed into Italy unmolested. The Amri transit was even more sensational because it cost him his life, killed by two police officers during their routine patrol. Even Khalid el Bakraoui, one of the Brussels suicide bombers had traveled from Treviso spending one quiet night in Venice.

Various terrorists’ movements, collected by Italian investigators in partnership with other European Law Enforcement agencies, have resulted in the discovery of new sleeper cells ready to strike European soft-targets. The Italian government has increased its countermeasures: the recent Christmas celebrations in Milan, Genoa, Rome and Turin have been marked by a considerable Police and Army presence. The sight of the first anti vehicle barricades located around the place provoked curiosity and concern.

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  • KEV

    With the ongoing ISIS backlash on the mainland Europe with the attempted terror attacks in Spain, UK and France this week Italy is on the frontline as the “blowback’ increase from illegal immigration across the Mediterranean. Good write up keep them coming. Mainstream media think Spain will not have political changes like other European States wait until more of these Daesh nutters attack the political movements will change,

  • Giovanni B. Ponzetto

    I served in the Carabinieri 30 years ago, and the “transit” nature of Italy has never been limited to extreme terrorism, and it already existed at the time. Italy has appeased Palestinians of all ilks and walks, and when the US wanted the one who had killed Leon Klinghoffer, Italy sent his armed forces to impede US personnel to snatch palestinian terrorists from the aricraft which had landed them on Italian soil.
    Thus far, this marshmallow firmness has allowed Italy to be relatively unscathed, apart from the Roma Airport terrorist act that started the policy about 50 years back. Naturally, this kind of policy cannot be reversed: the amount of hostile personnel living or transiting here would not only overwhelm any and all response, but the big problem for th government is that Giovanni Sapone, a.k.a joe soap, does not know this policy ever existed. think of the backlash.

  • Leaders Recon

    The increase in active shooters warrants these specialized units, but response times necessitate a degree of specialized training at all levels of LE.