Interior Minister Angelino
Alfano said Thursday that 53 foreign fighters were linked to
Italy, amid alarm about Islamist terrorism after Wednesday's
attack on the Paris officers of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo
in which 12 people were killed.
"In Italy we have counted 53 foreign fighters," Alfano
told State broadcaster RAI.
"We know their identity. That does not mean that they are
53 Italians, but they have passed through Italy, on their way
to, or return from, (combat zones)".
He added that Premier Matteo Renzi's government was
preparing measures to combat extremists.
"We have a law ready to combat the foreign fighters
better," he said.
"We intend to hit those who want to combat in the theatres
of war, not just on the recruiters.
"We want to have more police control on these people and
work on the web, which is used by those who want to radicalise.
"We are thinking about presenting a bill in the cabinet to
make it possible for police chiefs to withdraw the passports of
terrorist suspects who decide to leave the country.
"An initiative for (internet) providers, which can help to
find radicalizing messages on the web, will also be among the
measures that I'll propose".
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