Mayor says yes to more troops, no to Dal Molin

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Mayor says yes to more troops, no to Dal Molin
By Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, September 13, 2008

VICENZA, Italy — Achille Variati isn’t opposed to an American military presence in his city. In fact, the center-left mayor of Vicenza said he’s not against bringing in more troops.

But he doesn’t think the agreement reached between the U.S. and the Italian federal government on the Dal Molin airfield is in the best interests of his city.

"I believe there are better alternatives," he said Thursday following a ceremony he organized to remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. "In Vicenza."

Variati didn’t specify the alternate sites.

The mayor was elected at least partly due to support of those opposed to the U.S. bringing in more troops to Vicenza. Many of those participating in "No Dal Molin" activities would like to see the U.S. military out of Italy entirely.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57382