AMERICA ORDERS 100,000 BODY BAGS - The Mirror

[Mark Pavlick]

>
>The Mirror
>Feb 10 2003
>
>http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12624416&method=full&
>siteid=50143
>
>AMERICA ORDERS 100,000 BODY BAGS
>By Stephen White and Paul Gilfeather
>
>UP to 100,000 body bags and 6,000 coffins have been secretly delivered
>to a US base in Italy, a Catholic archbishop claimed yesterday.
>
>Archbishop Renato Martino, president of the Pope's Council of Peace and
>Justice, said the consignment had arrived at the Sigonella base near
>Catania on the island of Sicily 10 days ago.
>
>He said: "Americans are expecting a high number of casualties. That is
>why so many body bags and coffins have been sent to the base.
>
>"I am very apprehensive about this. War brings only destruction, misery
>and hate. It doesn't resolve anything and is always like this.
>
>"A true preventative action would be to try and avoid war. The
>consequences of this war will make themselves all too obvious on the
>American people when they start to see coffins with loved ones in them
>returning home."
>
>Archbishop Martino added that he would be willing to travel to
>Washington and meet President Bush if the Pope asked him to be his
>special envoy.
>
>The naval air station at Sigonella has been an American "hub" command
>centre since 1959. More than 3,000 US marines and Navy personnel are
>stationed there.
>
>http://www.mirror.co.uk/