On 7 March 2012, just 22 days after the beginning of the affair that still involves our fusiliers from Marina Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, the president of the republic and supreme head of the armed forces as sanctioned by art. 87 of the Italian constitution, in an interview he explained what was currently being done at the institutional level for an effective conclusion of the affair and underlined how it was appropriate to operate.
The president informed us of the utmost cordiality of the talks between the then Prime Minister Monti and Singh, his direct and constant personal contacts with the former undersecretary de Mistura who worked in India, his proximity to the families of the marines.
However, the head of state also recommended the utmost confidentiality in managing the affair and to maintain a cordial relationship between Italy and India, so as not to undermine the efforts our country was making in favor of the two Italian soldiers subject to a judicial investigation by part of Indian justice (undue action ndr).
From that day a lot of time has passed. The 22 March 2013 the then premier Monti decided to postpone the two marò in India, but does not seem to remember any thought expressed by the president of the republic on the opportunity that this happened, in particular in doubt that the death penalty was applied to the two military.
On the other hand, Senator Monti had contacts with Indian Prime Minister Singh for confirming the guarantee of the non-applicability of the death penalty to our two soldiers. Manmohan Singh, however, gave no assurances that the death penalty would not be imposed on two Navy riflemen accused of killing two fishermen from Kerala (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/italian-pm-calls-manmohan-singh-over-marines-issue/article4598823.ece?homepage=true).
Also in this case no voice from the one to whom the constitution has entrusted the delicate task of being at the top of the armed forces.
Today more than two years have passed since these statements. Confidentiality does not seem to have been violated, rather it has been, instead, often outraged the right of information that Italians would have demanded for the specific event.
New prime ministers, new ministers of foreign affairs, have succeeded. A single operational continuity, that of dr. de Mistura government commissioner for the specific affair that continues to come and go from India with results known to all, perhaps because of the inefficient guidelines agreed with the highest institutional leaders.
A compromise policy that has not yet yielded results with India always winning, characterized by the unwillingness to activate the internationalization of the case through international arbitration, perhaps because it is inconvenient in Delhi and for someone in Italy.
However, there was a result, we could not bring our soldiers back to their homeland and hand them over to the natural judge, an Italian and not an Indian court.
However, relations with India have apparently not been compromised. The utmost cordiality hoped for by President Napolitano was maintained and even increased through the visit of Ambassador Mancini to the Indian nationalist leader Modi, who has always openly expressed his uncompromising position on the matter. A leader who, through recent declarations, does not seem too impressed and well disposed towards the two marines despite the Italian friendliness and is instead building one of his “election posters” on the case.
An abnormal situation, still far from being resolved, despite the "operational guidelines" set out by the head of state on 7 March 2012.
Only one principle is confirmed, the "confidentiality" of the head of the armed forces, consistent with his convictions of the first moment. Fernando Termentini
