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| Sicily revokes permission for US military satellite station | Sicily revokes permission for US military satellite station |
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| The Sicilian regional government has revoked permission for the US to build a military satellite station on the island, its governor said on Friday, after protests by residents who said it could pose a health risk. | The Sicilian regional government has revoked permission for the US to build a military satellite station on the island, its governor said on Friday, after protests by residents who said it could pose a health risk. |
| The planned ground station was part of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), an ultra high-frequency satellite network aimed at significantly boosting communications capacity for the US military and its allies. But residents around the town of Niscemi had feared that the electromagnetic waves could cause cancer. | The planned ground station was part of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), an ultra high-frequency satellite network aimed at significantly boosting communications capacity for the US military and its allies. But residents around the town of Niscemi had feared that the electromagnetic waves could cause cancer. |
| The regional government of the semi-autonomous island last month delayed construction and called for an independent study into its health and environmental impact. The Italian government said this month the demonstrations risked compromising operations at Sigonella, a US naval base in Sicily. | The regional government of the semi-autonomous island last month delayed construction and called for an independent study into its health and environmental impact. The Italian government said this month the demonstrations risked compromising operations at Sigonella, a US naval base in Sicily. |
| "Through the relevant department, permission for the construction of MUOS has been definitively withdrawn," Sicilian governor Rosario Crocetta told reporters in the island's capital, Palermo. He did not say whether the decision to revoke permission for the site was related to the study. | "Through the relevant department, permission for the construction of MUOS has been definitively withdrawn," Sicilian governor Rosario Crocetta told reporters in the island's capital, Palermo. He did not say whether the decision to revoke permission for the site was related to the study. |
| His remarks came a day before a planned protest expected to draw several thousand in Niscemi, which local groups of the governor's own Democratic party were due to attend. | His remarks came a day before a planned protest expected to draw several thousand in Niscemi, which local groups of the governor's own Democratic party were due to attend. |
| In a visit to Italy in January, then-US defence secretary Leon Panetta said he understood the concerns of residents but that US studies had concluded there would be no health risk. The US military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. | In a visit to Italy in January, then-US defence secretary Leon Panetta said he understood the concerns of residents but that US studies had concluded there would be no health risk. The US military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. |
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