Res. No. 1164
Title
Resolution honoring the Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the bombing that took place in Iraq on November 12, 2003.
Body
By Council Members Sears, Boyland, Fidler, Gennaro, Gentile, Koppell, Liu, Lopez, Nelson, Recchia, Reed, Sanders, Seabrook, Vann and Weprin
Whereas, On November 12, 2003, sixteen Italian military personnel were among twenty-six individuals killed in a suicide bomb attack on an Italian police base in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya; and
Whereas, The attack - among the worst on foreign bases in Iraq - marked Italy's first deaths in hostile action there; and
Whereas, As part of a United States-led coalition, Italy has sent a post-war deployment of approximately 2,400 Italian military personnel to help in the reconstruction of Iraq; and
Whereas, In Italy, President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi called the bombing a "terrorist act" and said that officers were killed in "carrying out their duty to help the people of Iraq recover peace, order and security;" and
Whereas, Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of these victims whose lives were cut short by terrorism during a mission of humanity and freedom in the service of the Iraqi people; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York honors the Italian soldiers who lost their lives in the bombing that took place in Iraq on November 12, 2003
WA:bg
LS#3564
11/14/03