Rome - Italy was yesterday bracing itself for the fallout from NATO bombing raids in Yugoslavia both by strengthening ground-to-air missile defence posts on its south-eastern coastline and by readying itself for the arrival of up to 40,000 Kosovar refugees, Paddy Agnew writes.
A NATO member, Italy is supplying NATO forces with a wide variety of logistical support throughout the military action, ranging from the use of bases on Italian soil to the provision of 2,000 troops, eight Tornado jets and other military weapons and equipment.
Although both the Italian Foreign Minister, Mr Lamberto Dini, and the Defence Minister, Mr Carlo Scognamiglio, stressed that Italian aircraft would not be involved in bombing raids, the threat of a possible reprisal by the Yugoslav air force is not being taken lightly.
New missile defence posts, along the Puglia coastline and near the cities of Bari, Brindisi and Lecce, have been added to those already in place since the threatened NATO raids on Yugoslavia last October. Many of these installations feature US Hawk missiles, intended to combat Yugoslav ballistic missiles.
While NATO forces stress that a reprisal attack is "unlikely", the Puglia coastline remains the obvious target, should one take place. Italian dailies yesterday highlighted the potential dangers by reminding readers that Belgrade is only 450 miles from Rome, 560 miles from Milan and 430 miles from Naples. The Puglia coastline is only a 15-minute fighter-jet flight from Belgrade.