Italian participation in the war in Afghanistan

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Alpini of the 4th regiment in Afghanistan; Italian army

The Italian participation in the war in Afghanistan began in December 2001. The Italian armed forces participated in the Operation Enduring Freedom and are part of the ISAF Troops, both in the Afghan capital Kabul and in the west of the country.

commitment

As of June 8, 2013, 48 soldiers of the Italian Armed Forces had died in Afghanistan.

The Italian operational area is divided into four sub-areas. Task Force North is based in Bala Murghab in Badghis Province , Task Force Middle in Shindand in Herat Province and in Farah Province, Task Force South in Farah and Task Force Southeast in Bakwa.

history

Giuseppe Garibaldi and in the background the French Charles de Gaulle , February 1, 2002

After the UN Security Council had decided on a mandate (ISAF) on December 20, 2001, the operation with Italian naval forces began on December 30, 2001. The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi , the frigates Zeffiro and Aviere and a supply ship took part in the international Operation Heracles in the northern Indian Ocean .

From March 15, 2003 to September 15, 2003, Italian soldiers from Task Forces Nibbio 1 and Nibeo 2 were stationed as part of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom in eastern Afghanistan near the city of Khost . The task force was also involved in Operation Haven Denial (Paktia and Chost Province, July 2003) and Operation Warrior Sweep (Paktia Province, July 2003).

The Italian contingents ITALFOR (ITALIAN FORCE), which are under ISAF command and were part of the Kabul Multinational Brigade in the first few years, at times comprised around 1000 soldiers stationed at the Italian base Camp Invictia in Kabul. Most of the infantry is provided by the Alpini .

At the Berlin Conference in 2004, Italy took over responsibility (lead nation) for the judiciary in Afghanistan.

On April 1, 2005, Italy took over the Regional Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Herat from the United States, and on June 1, 2005, Italy, in the person of Brigadier General Giuseppe Santangelo, took over the command of the ISAF Regional Command West (RC-West). Most of the NATO soldiers in RC-West are Italians and Spaniards . There is one PRT in each of the provinces of Herat, Ghor (Lithuania), Farah (USA) and Badghis ( Spain ).

From August 2005 to May 2006, Lieutenant General Mauro Del Vecchio was ISAF commander (ISAF VIII). The NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy provides the staff.

Italy hosted a conference on Afghanistan on July 2-3, 2007 in Rome to discuss the rule of law in Afghanistan. For the period from 2007 to 2010, the EU announced that it would provide 200 million euros for this purpose.

For the presidential election in Afghanistan in August 2009, Italy increased its own number of troops by 400 soldiers to around 2,800, they were stationed near Shindand airport in the south of Herat province . The other Italian troops in the West Regional Command were in Herat and Farah . A large US-run PRT has been in operation in the city of Farah since September 15, 2005.

The leadership of the multinational regional command capital (RC-Capital) has been switching between Turkey, France and Italy since 2006 . From December 6, 2007 to August 5, 2008, Brigadier General Federico Bonato was in command of the regional command. During this time, the Italfor XVI contingent was also increased.

Near Bala Murghab, Badghis Province

In 2008, according to WikiLeaks documents, there were rumors that Italy had paid protection money, but that dispersed in 2009.

Since spring 2007, the Taliban began to infiltrate Badghis Province and the neighboring Faryab Province . This was especially true for the northern districts of Murghab and Ghormach, on the border with Faryab province, which were mostly inhabited by Pashtuns (otherwise mainly Tajiks live in the province) and were far from the nearest competent Spanish ISAF base in the south. The district of Ghormach was therefore transferred from the responsibility of the RC-W to the responsibility of the RC-N after several heavy fighting (see also Operation Karez ) and a base (Forward Operating Base Todd) was rebuilt in Murghab, where Italians, US Americans and Afghans were stationed.

On September 20, 2009, Italy celebrated a national day of mourning. Six Italian soldiers who were killed in a bomb attack in Kabul on September 16 were honored with a state funeral in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls . With them ten civilians died and at least 50 people were injured. During the funeral, a message was given from Pope Benedict XVI. read out. He wrote: “I pray that God will support all those people who work for solidarity and peace every day.” Afterwards, a minute's silence was observed throughout Italy in honor of the victims. There was also a mourning ceremony for the fallen soldiers in all Italian barracks. The day before, at the Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope announced that the soldiers of the ISAF troops “are working to promote peace and the creation of the institutions that are so necessary for human coexistence”. On September 18, Umberto Bossi demanded from the co-ruling Lega Nord that all Italian soldiers should be withdrawn from Afghanistan by Christmas.

After US President Barack Obama significantly increased the number of US soldiers in Afghanistan in 2009/10, the number of Italian soldiers was increased again. Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said in May 2010 that the number of soldiers would rise from 3,250 to 4,000 by the end of the year.

On October 12, 2010, another state funeral was celebrated in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Four Italian soldiers were commemorated who had died in an explosives attack in Afghanistan. Participants included the head of state Giorgio Napolitano , the presidents of the two parliaments Gianfranco Fini and Renato Schifani and several members of the government.

The Afghan army takes control of Herat.

According to Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa, Italy intends to begin the gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of 2011, parallel to that of the USA.

Miscellaneous

  • Italy participates in the training of the Afghan National Army with Operational Mentoring Liaison Teams (OMLT) .

costs

Since 2002, Italy has raised more than 370 million euros for technical and financial assistance to Afghanistan.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ iCasualties: Italy ( Memento from September 19, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Ministero della Difesa: Kabul: Il Colonnello Gianfranco Fabiani, subentra al Colonnello Claudio Rondano al Comando del Contingente militare italiano in Afghanistan impegnato nella Missione ISAF, January 10, 2004 ( Memento of May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ DefendAmerika News: Italian Soldiers Turn Over Afghan Base to US Division ( Memento from May 20, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Italian Foreign Ministry: Revolt over cartoons fomented by terrorists from Iraq, February 15, 2006 ( Memento of May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ europa.de: Afghanistan conference in Rome - Ferrero-Waldner confirms the provision of € 200 million by the EU to promote the rule of law
  6. ↑ Italy wants to withdraw 400 soldiers
  7. ↑ NATO: French assume command of ISAF's RC-Capital, August 5th 2008
  8. ↑ wikinews: Afghanistan: l'Italia assume la guida della zona di Kabul
  9. ↑ Welt.de: Italy is said to have paid protection money to the Taliban
  10. ↑ Spiegel.de: The Bundeswehr's mission in Afghanistan is becoming more dangerous
  11. ↑ giulianokoren.com: Giuliano Koren, FOB Todd - Afghanistan December 2008 ( Memento from May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ militaryphotos.net: heavy fightings between italian troops and talibans in Bala Murghab ( Memento from May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  13. ↑ ISAF.NATO.int: Operation 'Sob Bakhair' Endstate: Uniting Afghanistan ( Memento from May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  14. ↑ Südtirol Online: Today state funeral for dead soldiers ( Memento from May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  15. ↑ Südtirol Online: Day of Mourning for the Fallen ( Memento from May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  16. ↑ Südtirol Online: Afghanistan: Lega wants immediate withdrawal, Berlusconi only in international harmony, September 18, 2009 ( Memento of May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  17. ↑ Südtirol Online: Italy wants to increase troops in Afghanistan, May 18, 2010 ( Memento from May 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  18. ↑ Südtirol Online: Italy said goodbye to soldiers killed in Afghanistan ( Memento from May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  19. ↑ Südtirol Online: Soldier killed in Afghanistan - La Russa speaks of withdrawal ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  20. ↑ ISAF: Afghan Border Police, Customs Agents Graduate in West, May 2010 ( Memento from August 5, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  21. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of October 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Italian Foreign Ministry: The Italian Commitment