The people Of Italy say no to US imperialism

author : Marco Rosaire Rossi topic : Iraq occupation

by Marco Rosaire Rossi

American tourists walking through Italian cities are always awestruck by the ancient buildings -- preserved relics from medieval times -- that are scattered throughout Italy's budding modern development. The contrast between ancient and modern, between industrial and medieval is something exotic and alien to many Americans. The United States is so young compared to its European counterparts, and it's hard for any American to understand the world outside of that juvenile scope. For Americans, the rest of the world is new, fresh, uncharted lands, waiting to be explored and possibly conquered. The psychology of the American does not leave much room for contradictions; something is either ancient or modern, progressive or regressive, east or west, with us or against us.

What is also alien to many American tourists is the mixture of reactions that they get when they travel to Italy. On the one hand Italians -- especially those who depend on the tourist industry -- are extremely hospitable to Americans. They make every effort to speak in English, to show interest and respect, and take responsibility for all the disappointments tourists feel. It is as if they are constantly living in the gratitude of America's liberation of Italy from nazi occupation. On the other hand, they are Italians who are resentful of the United States -- not so much of its people, but its government. Many of the buildings in Italy are covered with the graffiti of political frustrations and angst: giant circled A's representing the sign of anarchy, crudely drawn hammers and sickles, phrases like "go home Yankee" written in English, or "conigli USA" (beach USA) written in Italian. There is a part of Italy that is extremely bitter about American influence in their country, how it has watched over and molded the republic, about the transforming of their culture and customs to conform to an American way of life, and about the arrogance of the US government.

Recently, these feelings have reached a boiling point, and their ramifications reach far outside of Italy and into eastern Asia. Diplomatic ties between the United States and Italy have strained as the approval of the Bush administration has plummeted in Italy -- along with any government official who strongly associates with it.

First there was former prime minister Silvo Berlusconi's strong support for the invasion of Iraq. Next to Tony Blair, Berlusconi was the biggest supporter of Bush in Europe, and was willing to commit over 3,000 Italian troops to the US-led invasion. The outcry from Italians was immense. In the months of October and November of 2003, the year of the invasion, over 2 million people in Italy took to the streets, including an international march in Rome of 500,000 people. Despite these protests, Berlusconi followed through with his commitment to the invasion, and 30 Italian soldiers died on the battlefield of Iraq. (Berlusconi's loss to Romano Prodi in the 2006 election is largely attributed to his support of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.)

Then there was the kidnapping of radical Egyptian cleric Osama Moustafa Hassan Nas'r , also known as Abu Omar, on the streets of Milan by American CIA operatives working in Italy. Abu Omar was suspected of terrorist activities in both Bosnia and Afghanistan. The CIA had been tracking him, but instead of working with Italian officials to bring Abu Omar to justice, the CIA decided to swipe him off the street and send him to Egypt. There, he was tortured for information. When Italian officials tried to investigate the matter, the CIA deliberately lied to them and tried to cover-up the whole affair. Italian prosecutors are still seeking arrest warrants for 13 CIA officials for their involvement in the kidnapping and for obstruction of justice.

Then there was the murder of high level Italian secret service agent Nicola Calipari by American troops in Iraq. Calipari went to Iraq to help negotiate the release of Giuliana Sgrene -- a journalist for the leftist paper Il Manifesto. Insurgents kidnapped Sgrene. They demanded that Italian troops immediately leave the country. If not she would be killed.

Calipari went to Iraq and successfully negotiated Sgrene's release. While driving to a coalition checkpoint, American troops opened fire on the car carrying Sgrene and Calipari. Calipari threw his body over Sgrene to protect her from the gunfire, and was killed in the process. The United States released a report that cleared the soldiers of any wrongdoing in the incident. Italians from all political stripes were outraged, and referred to the report as a "slap in the face."

Now, the main controversy in US -- Italian relations revolves around the town of Vicenza in northern Italy. In 2003, secret deals between the US, the former Berlusconi government, and the city's local municipality were made to expand the 173rd Airborne Brigade's military base. When the news became public, the people of Vicenza were outraged. A coalition of concerned citizens and activists, led mostly by housewives and mothers, rapidly formed to challenge the move. People marched through the city with banners that read "The Future is in Our Hands," and yelled slogans such as "Volgliamo la terra, senza basi di guerra" (We want land, without bases for war).

This is not a "not in my backyard" campaign. It is common knowledge that an expanded base in Italy is sought to aid US efforts in fighting oil wars in the desert. Some critics of the base expansion find it hypocritical that Italy pulled the last of its troops out of Iraq in November of 2006, but plans on helping the US continue its occupation and assaults on the country from a proxy position on the other side of the Mediterranean.

In many ways, the future of Vicenza could determine the future of US -- Italian relations, and even US influence in the east. So far, the government has been unresponsive to the citizens of Vicenza and their advocates. Prime Minister Romano Prodi had a chance to cancel the deal, but instead decided to go through with the plans. The local government refused to bring the issue to referendum for the people to decide. But the cries of Vicenza's people are hard to ignore. In February of this year, organizers planned a march and demonstration through the city that attracted 200,000 people -- an amazing feat, considering the population of the entire city is only around 150,000.

Like the tourist industry in Italy, which both welcomes and repels the American influence, the people of Vicenza express this same contradiction. While condemning the actions of the American government and its imperial ambitions, they are jubilant of the support they have received from Americans in their campaign. The group Americans for Peace and Justice, based out of Rome, received the largest applause from any other contingent in the march. At the rally, American presenters, speaking in English, received the most boisterous applause and shouts.

Italians' sentiment toward America is actually very similar to the sentiment that many Americans have toward America: they love their country, but hate their government. And as the wars continue, as the empire seeks to expand itself, people on both sides of the Atlantic want to see it changed.

Marco Rosaire Rossi is a street outreach worker and member of The Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace.