[DustyMoment]

The author studied the problem and made a recommendation on future prevention, that's all. That's his job as a scientist.

As a scientist, it might be useful for him to consider the possibility that the disease killing the trees could have been brought into Italy via other means. Sure, I know that in the 60 years since the war ended, NO ONE has bothered to visit from any other country due to the stranglehold that America has on Italy. In this day and age of easy, quick global travel, couldn't there be the tiniest possibility that the disease might have arrived by other means?

If the Italians think that this will qualify them for "reparations", they should start looking for another teat to suck - ours are quickly drying up.

As a "scientist", the author practices Kyoto thinking and, doubtless, believes in global warming.

[Youngblood]

Where are reparations mentioned? I doubt if any government wants to start down the road of suing for the negative effects of introduced species.

Of course the fungus could have arrived by other means. The author is inferring a likely means of entry given that the fungus is most probably of American origin, that US troops were stationed in the estate and the infection occurred decades ago. I'm sure that in researching the comings and goings at the estate (which probably has good records being a Presidential one) that the investigators looked at all possible modes of introduction.