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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Italian Troops Arrive For Albania Mission

Compiled From Wire Services

Armed foreign troops landed in Albania Friday for the first time since World War II, carrying the prospect of stability to a country plagued by months of violence, food shortages and political upheaval.

An advance team of 120 Italian paratroopers arrived by air and sea as part of a 6,000-member international force to secure aid deliveries.

Of the eight nations providing troops for the force, Italy will have the largest contingent, with more than 2,000.

The last time armed Italian soldiers entered Albania was 1939, when troops under fascism invaded the country but suffered terrible losses in a World War II campaign against the Greeks.