The recent terrorist attack in Paris, claimed by IS terrorists, has created a state of tension that has spread among the populations of European countries and even here in Italy. The government has adopted measures that have led to the strengthening of controls in the cities and public places of greatest danger, also increasing the presence of the forces of order and the military. Obviously these are measures aimed, in part, at reassuring public opinion.
However, these efforts seem to lose their effectiveness when reading news, like the one published on the online express last 18 November and signed by Gianluca Di Feo, which brings us a ambush in Lebanon to some Italian soldiers.
Di Feo reports an ambush to a Lince armored vehicle. The patrol surrounded by armed militiamen. Who shot at eye level. It is the third aggression against the Italian contingent in a few days. The sign of how much tension is rising there too ??
But what surprises and partly surprises is the behavior of our army soldiers who, instead of responding to the fire and thwarting the ambush, it would seem, according to the article, to have fired in the air, given the badly saved, they locked themselves inside the vehicle and had the machine gun stuck on the lynx turret and some bullet-proof vests stolen, letting the attackers escape.
Many posts, critics, on the site of the 'expressed at the bottom of the article that comment on the ridiculous and incomprehensible behavior of our military.
Even more ridiculous (or deliberately sought by the defense to diminish the case) seems the response of the defense staff reported on the repubblica.it website according to which ?? are ongoing investigations by the Lebanese authorities to shed light on the dynamics of the facts ?? or even worse that the Gen Portolano commander of the Unifil condemned the incident together with the Lebanese authorities?
But what condemnation, what investigations, here we must reflect:
Beyond the criticisms, the question of how to trust one's own military if these, rather than confirming what the collective imagination would expect from them, ie a resolute and martial behavior, capable of solving critical and dangerous situations, is inevitable. like those described in the article, they flee and hide.
How could a citizen trust himself, seeing the soldiers who are patrolling the streets and squares these days to ensure their safety, if they then stick to the rules that make them nothing short of ridiculous and even fail to defend themselves? rob?
The Great General speaks of Military of the Future but what good is it if the main element that everyone would expect in a man in uniform is missing, that is, common sense, courage, determination and daring would not hurt?
What do we do in Italy with over 100.000 land soldiers if they flee and hide from the first evil parade?
Attend to clumsy attempts to make the public believe that the army needs to be renewed by increasing its technological equipment, aspiring to the elusive Military of the Future, hyper-technological, appears a bit ?? ridiculous, especially in light of what happened in Lebanon, where I don't think what happened is due to the lack of technology but rather to the lack of common sense and perhaps, may I be allowed, even a little? the lack of courage and professionalism.
What happened to Naqura is unfortunate for the very image of the Army, it will be hard to recover and will not even show up on the streets, perhaps it would be better to hide.
Dear Federico, 30 'after the publication of your letter, the comments on facebook were 50 and "intense". It is easy to be indignant at an apparently not very martial figure but we remember that the Lebanese is a very delicate area with a widespread esteem among the population towards our contingents built over decades of sacrifices (also in terms of human lives). Then I can only agree with those who have emphasized how, after the end made by the two fusiliers of Marina, doing even one's duty is at least "complicated" and counterproductive.
The hope is that Italy, not so much the rules of engagement, will one day allow a soldier to do what he is trained for. Consequently avoiding that other blows of the dagger come from behind ...
Andrea Cucco
