Of Alberto Negri
Source: Alberto Negri
Why Italy should wage a cold war on Russia? One of the most worn refrains of international politics that can be read in the Italian press at the moment, after the obvious re-election of Putin to the Russian presidency and the Skripal case, it's called "Atlantic solidarity". But for Italy what does it consist of?? Military terms this: ours is the NATO country with the most American nuclear devices in Europe even if it does not manage them directly, beyond 70, of which 20 in the Ghedi base e 50 in Aviano. Among the warheads there are also thermonuclear bombs with the power of 50 kilotons whose presence constitutes the reason for a hypothetical preventive attack in the event of nuclear conflict.
If we then move on to politics, the so-called "Atlantic solidarity" has paradoxical aspects for Italy. US nukes in Italy, such as the bases or "facilities" of the American armed forces, they are almost always a taboo topic for Italian politicians, even for those who have just won the elections: it is never talked about because Washington's approval of a leader or a party remains a fundamental aspect. Sigonella's shadow, with the clash in 1985 between Craxi and Reagan's United States on the fate of the hijackers of the Achille Lauro ship, it remains as a sort of warning: sooner or later the bills with Washington will be paid. Nobody wants to disturb the NATO handler, (to which Donald Trump would like Europeans to contribute more). Even when the driver doesn't exactly have our interests in mind: the former chief of staff Vincenzo Camporini also said it some time ago when France, USA and Great Britain decided in 2011 to bomb Libya Gaddafi without even making a phone call. We remember that at the time Russia abstained on the UN resolution that started the bombings: “If we had not granted the Italian bases for their planes, the bombing operations would have been longer and more difficult”. So, is the general's reasoning, opposing it was technically possible, instead we also joined the raids with a decision essentially taken by the former head of state Giorgio Napolitano. As for Libya, Italy has seen very little of "Atlantic and European solidarity".: tens of billions lost, hundreds of thousands of refugees while the immigration issue was decisive in determining the new political framework. In short, Salvini and Di Maio also owe their votes in part to the failure of this "Atlantic solidarity" (and European), that Italy has never seen, on the contrary.
The comparison with Erdogan's Turkey is interesting, Member country of NATO since 1952, which hosts around a hundred nuclear warheads and American missiles aimed at Moscow and Tehran. Erdogan got it 6 billions from the European Union to be held 2,5 millions of refugees and Atlantic solidarity is waste paper for him. In recent days he entered the Kurdish city of Afrin with troops 1.500 deaths and 200 thousand refugees, beating the Syrian Kurds allied with the United States against the Caliphate almost under the eyes of the US troops deployed in Manbij.
Not only that. Il 4 in April he will meet Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Istanbul, the two opponents of "Atlantic solidarity", to reach an agreement on the division of Bashar Al Assad's Syria into zones of influence. Now it is not clear why Italy should be an enemy of Putin's Russia, given that he can't even get respect from Erdogan, which, after visiting Rome, it also blocked Saipem's Eni platform with military ships 12000 in the waters of Cyprus. In other times an act of war. Even in this case, Atlantic and European solidarity was not seen. Yet Turkey would be an ally.
The new Italian leaders should be frank with the United States: let them wage the cold war against Putin's Russia with Great Britain, who doesn't want to pay the Brexit bills, and France. But there is a detail: In the 2016 Italian arms exports have reached a record of 15 billion euros with an increase of 80% compared to the previous year and in 2017 there will probably be a new sensational result thanks to exports to the Gulf monarchies. To Italy, Country that lost the war, “Atlantic solidarity” serves this above all. Just don't cloak it in the ideological nonsense you read in the Italian press.
