The Lega Nord, in the person of headline-hungry Roberto Calderoli, have reacted to Thursday’s bombing in London with a proposal to introduce a motion in Parliament effectively declaring a state of war. As with most of the Lega‘s recent initiatives (castration of rapists, re-introduction of the Lira to name but two), it’s one that appeals to popular sentiment (in this case outrage), but is patently ridiculous.
In truth, though, Calderoli is a marginal figure, whose proposals may gain headline inches but little parliamentary support. His calls do capture something, though, of the widespread sentiment in Italy in the wake of the dreadful bombings in London last week. The general consensus is that Italy will be attacked, sooner or later, and the big question is what can be done about it.
Many of the headlines and articles on Terrorism (with a capital t) seem to suggest a collective amnesia. Former President Francesco Cossiga was quoted as saying: “We are politically, morally, and organisationally unprepared to confront this terrorist threat. We don’t have operational plans for civil defence. We don’t have judicial instruments to fight terrorism. We don’t have plans to manage information in the case of an emmergency”[1].
Thankfully, the majority of the government and opposition have been more considered in their response. Minister for the Interior, Giuseppe Pisanu, has introduced measures in Parliament that, on the face of it, seek to refine existing legislation in order to combat Islamic terrorism (primarily focussing on the right to expel suspected terrorists, or conversely to grant residence permits to ‘clandestine’ immigrants who co-operate with the authorities in gathering information).
In the main, those who have argued, like Calderoli, for extra-ordinary measures in the ‘fight against Terrorism’ are suggesting that this is a new, specialised phenomenon that can only be confronted with various extreme responses (none of which can prevent a terrorist attack definitively).
Conservative daily il Foglio, in its editorial, wrote:
“We western secularists and libertarians think that the right precaustion is this: hide the images of suffering to avoid frightening people; dilute or confuse the list of the victims; postpone as long as one can revealing the suicidal nature of the attacks and the fact that the attackers were insiders; argue amongst ourselves about the only offensive front open against terrorism, that is Iraq; re-affirm the multi-cultural faith without at the same time defending western pluralism by examining the current crisis; proclaim that we won’t change our style of life; censure the roots and founding criteria of our civilisation, all the while pandering to those from which the attacks of our enemies spring; place in centre stage a grotesque racket about Guantanamo. If this is our Blitz spirit, if these are our precautions, it’s fair to say that we’re reckless.”[2]
By their measured response, the Government is acknowledging a truth that sits uneasily beside the ‘clash of civilisations’ rhetoric of journalists like Giuliano Ferrara, editor of il foglio, or the infamous Orianna Fallaci. The truth is that there is little new about this terrorism, and that the few means to combat it exist already.
But this is an ideological, global movement, that hates our society and wants to bring us to our knees! “For every repressive action that the boss tries to carry out against the workers as a result of the struggle we are conducting we will answer according to the principle: for an eye, two eyes, for a tooth the whole face.”- the Red Brigades (communique #4 December 1970). Have we forgotten about the Brigate Rosse, the Baader Meinhof gang, the red army faction etc.? Ideology and fanaticism are as much European traditions as Middle Eastern.
But the scale of the attacks are different – these people have no mercy! And the right wing fascists who bombed Bologna train station in 1980, killing 80 people (including men, women and children)? Granted that the attacks of Sept. 11th killed thousands, but when Timothy McVeigh blew up the Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma, killing 168 people, it was luck and not the fact that he was a product of our ‘judeo-christian’ civilisation that limited the casualties to that dreadful number.
But these are religious fanatics. You can’t reason with them. For God’s sake, they cut off people’s heads! And the Shankill Butchers in Northern Ireland? Their victims were chosen on the strength of their religion, and brutally tortured to death, using butcher’s knives. At the same time, from Sardinian bandits through to the INLA, terror groups who have kidnapped people for ransom have often resorted to cutting off body parts to inspire terror and subsequent payment.
In truth, the only difference with London’s terrorists and the grisly violent cast of recent European history is that these terrorists are prepared to die in their attacks. That fact, I would argue, changes little in terms of the threat posed.
If Italy is hit by a terrorist attack, Pisanu will certainly be criticised for not having introduced all manner of security measures. The reality, though, is that Calderoli’s ephemeral war on terror is as toothless as George W. Bush’s and would have no greater chance at preventing an attack.
The remarkable thing is that discussion about finance has been absent from virtually all newspapers, both in England and Italy. Less than a year ago, in Three Monkeys Online, economist Loretta Napoleoni said: “The problem is that Governments never go after the money. I think the reason is that counter-terrorism is handled primarily by people who come from either the military/police or from a criminology/sociology background.”
But then again, looking into the economics behind terrorist networks is disconcerting for Governments, particularly for those who do business with Governments like Saudi Arabia (Italy is amongst the top ten exporters to Saudi – along with the US and UK).
Money talks and …
[1]La minaccia d’attacchi e la Babele italiana, Giuseppe D’Avanzo – La Repubblica 10/07/2005
[2]Noi laici e libertari d