Italy: What's in the Bag?

Several Middle East governments, including Libya, Syria and Iran, have long been suspected of smuggling weapons and bombs for terrorists into Europe in sealed diplomatic bags, which according to tradition are not opened for inspection by the host country. Italy, a country hard hit by terrorism, last week announced a new policy: from now on all incoming diplomatic bags will be screened by metal detectors.

Customs officials will check the bags at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport, where almost all diplomatic mail arrives as air freight. Eventually, provisions will be made to inspect pouches arriving by sea, train or automobile from third countries. The metal detectors, however, have one major flaw: they cannot detect whether any plastic explosives are packed in the diplomatic pouches.