Mont Blanc, the mystical snowy dome high atop Europe, is again a backdrop to war. Though hardly Napoleonic, a conflict over truck traffic could end up changing the way Europe moves its heavy loads. But a legion of opponents, led by mayors and the Association for the Respect of the Mont Blanc Site, vow to stand in the way, physically if not otherwise.
Cars are acceptable, most say.
Trucks are not. It is worth a fight if only to keep pristine peaks from fading behind clouds of stinking diesel fumes, environmentalists argue. But beyond that, many opponents see the Battle of Mont Blanc as a symbol of Europe's future. In a new era, things can't go on like this. Alpine crossings have been a continental obsession since Hannibal drove his elephants over the peaks into Italy 2,200 years ago.