(by Andrea Pinto) Tense nerves, indeed very tense between Viminale and Defense. At the center of the question is the use of the Navy to defend Italian territorial waters. The intent would be to position a large military ship in front of the waters of Lampedusa. To have a psychological impact. At the same time, use more naval means, radar and aircraft to locate the mother ships that launch the ghost boats towards our coasts. Give another 10 patrol boats to Libya and make more "operational" agreements with Tunisia. From palace sources, we learn that there is a lot of apprehension among the Navy officers, because they consider the use of their devices to be very dangerous in the conflict, even physical, with the NGO units. The Italian Navy still has in mind the 1997 event (Prodi government), when a Navy ship struck a boat of Albanian migrants. Many dead and many troubles for the ship's commander, who after a grueling trial, took up to two years in prison.
The Minister of Defense Thirty, increasingly angry by Minister Salvini, he brought up the Sophia mission. "The Qngs return without the Sophia mission ships. What is happening could have been avoided". Matteo's reply Salvini did not wait: "The Sophia mission recovered tens of thousands of immigrants and brought them all to Italy. Military ships cannot provide NGO taxi services".
Nobody knows that the Sophia mission has nothing to do with NGOs and migrants. The Sophia mission has as its main task the fight against human trafficking, arresting the traffickers, the fight against the illegal trafficking of arms and oil. The training of the Libyan coast guard is very important, following the Italian donation of 14 patrol boats. A second and third phase of the operation, on the other hand, provided for the use of European Union soldiers on the field. The ships of the Op. Sophia device in the course of the operations had repeatedly had to rescue migrant ships, as required by the law of the sea. In the European agreements, signed by the Renzi government, foresee that the migrants rescued by the ships of the Sophia operation had to be brought directly to Italy.
Salvini, beyond the press proclamations of the various political parties, has convened the National Committee for Order and Security, where he makes it clear that it is open warfare to non-governmental organizations and smugglers, defense of borders and reduction of departures . But how? Deploy Navy and Finance ships to control the departures of migrants and to defend Italian ports.
The 5S react: "The police duties at sea are not of the Navy. As usual, Salvini mystifies". At this point, the Prime Minister, Giuseppe, intervenes Tale who sends a letter to the leaders of the departments interested in the immigration front - as well as Salvini and Trenta, Danilo Toninelli, Giovanni Tria and Enzo Moavero Milanesi - to urge them to collaborate and convene a summit.
The contents of the letter show that it becomes even more urgent to coordinate the initiatives of the competent ministries, also in order to avoid that overlaps or misunderstandings that could harm our action could arise.
Salvini, the real boss, during the Security Committee already provides the addresses: the need to use radar, ships and military aircraft. A new agreement with Tripoli provides for the dispatch of 10 patrol boats to the Libyan Coast Guard. And there is a project to increase contacts with Tunisia to increase repatriation and reduce departures.
The Chief of Staff of the Defense, Enzo Vecciarelli, which participated in the Committee, confirms the commitment to the surveillance and protection of the coasts. But, he stresses, as part of his responsibilities for planning, preparing and using the Armed Forces as a whole. A kind of “overcomes… ..la”. Defense Minister Trenta, who is supposed to give directions to Vecciarelli, has not provided any confirmation on the use of the Navy.
In the meantime, the “ghost” landings by the small boats continue.