Italian Troops to Fight Crime?

About 2,500 soldiers are to be deployed for a maximum period of one year.

The opposition has described the move as a mistake. "We are not in Colombia," said opposition MP Antonio di Pietro.

The police say it will not work - the government's decision is tantamount to saying they are not up to the task of maintaining law and order.

Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa and Interior Minister Roberto Maroni agreed to amend a bill on maintaining public safety to allow the use of the military, the news agency Ansa reported. The soldiers would be used for a six-month period, subject to renewal if both parties agree.

Up to 300 soldiers are expected to carry out patrols and security checks [in Milan] to help combat muggers and pickpockets.

In an attempt to calm its critics, the government now says soldiers will only be deployed on an experimental basis for at most a year, but that has not been enough to satisfy everyone, our correspondent says.

"Using armed forces to control cities is a mistake by an authoritarian regime," said Antonio Di Pietro, who heads a small centre-left party.

"We are not in Colombia where these forces are used to fight terrorism and armed insurrection," he said, warning that the move would threaten tourism to Italy.