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March 21, 2011

Italy threatens to take back its bases unless NATO is in command

By AGI

Italy threatens to take back its bases unless NATO is in command

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini gives a joint press after a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, March 21, 2011.

From AGI:  [Foreign] Minister Franco Frattini has said Italy will take back its bases if NATO does not assume command of operations in Libya. "Should there be a variety of commands, we would have to study a system in which Italy would assume responsibility for command over its own bases," he said after a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.

From David Brunnstrom, Reuters:  Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called on Monday for a greater NATO role.

"It’s time to move from a coalition of willing toward a bit more coordinated approach under NATO because NATO has the capacity, the experience to lead a well-coordinated action," he said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

An Italian foreign ministry official said Italy considered the current three-way command structure involving France, Britain and the United States and the resulting bombing campaign "anarchic" and said it "poses problems to the Arab world."  (photo: Getty)

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