Not to forget our marines

19/08/14

The summer heat, although not suffocating, helped to divert the attention of Italians to the story of Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone abandoned by Italy to the undue judgment of a third State.

An endless story that has some farcical. Nothing concrete is started despite the "bombastic" declarations at the institutional level. A chairman of the council who makes openly palpable telephone calls to Indian president Modi, a foreign minister working to make himself known in Europe to conquer an armchair otherwise denied even for substantial diplomatic reasons, such as his expressions of closeness to Putin and Hamas . A young minister who may have borrowed the diplomatic approach of one of his predecessors, Massimo D'Alema when he walked the 15 2006 August arm in arm with the leader Hezbollah through the streets of the Lebanese bombed capital, highlighting an unbalanced position in favor of Lebanese militiamen , certainly not proper for a foreign minister.

A defense minister who like the former special envoy de Mistura continues to go to India to express solidarity with the two marines, but nothing is done to carry out the acts of that internationalization announced for some time.

A broken silence, instead, from gossip reported by many channels of information on the reimbursement that would seem to have been asked to the MAE by Ambassador Mancini for the damages suffered to the fence of his residence in Delhi, ruined by the draining of water of clothes put to dry by Massimiliano and Salvatore. Something that if confirmed (it does not result, however, as given to know that the Farnesina has denied) would have the farcical in the face of the tragedy that the two seafarers have been living for two and a half years away from their families, for a Italian decision whose correctness should be carefully assessed. A compensation claim, it appears to 400 Euro, about 1 / 3 of the annual income of an Indian worker to paint a portion of the fence.

In addition to these amenities, only a significant but demeaning news for our country. An agency, in fact, tells us that the Indian Supreme Court has authorized the renewal of the bail to keep in "probation" in India Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone. Another humiliation to Italy and to the armed forces as it highlights the act of Italian acceptance of an absolutely illegal provision such as that of a judicial arrest without having been made official accusations. An Italian habit of accepting guilt is not new. Already highlighted, in fact, by the former defense minister Di Paola when in May of the 2012 he paid damages to the families of the poor dead fishermen and to the owner of the fishing boat Saint Antony accompanied by the declarations of dr. de Mistura on Indian television which attributed the whole affair to an unfortunate culpable event.

In addition to this, only words that add up to the many declarations of institutional intent remained. On August 7 from an agency we know that Prime Minister Renzi has said, "I highly value the new Indian prime minister and I believe that India and Italy together have the duty and the right to recognize ourselves as partners and work together". Phrase reported in an interview published by the Messenger in the part in which Matteo Renzi comments on the negotiation for the liberation of the marines. But what he intends to do on the concrete and judicial international level does not tell us.

One important announcement, that of the 11 in August, when Italians are informed that the Italian premier has called "finally" Ways to open a "communication channel".

Also on this occasion, however, we re-read the same concepts of the past. A "quick and positive" solution to the long and complicated case that sees the two riflemen of Marina Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone at the center tells us an agency, informing us that this is "the wish expressed today by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi during a phone call that goes beyond the content, which does not transpire much, is another step in the direction of that channel of communication between Rome and New Delhi .., another diplomatic thrust by pressing on the Indian executive to face the story of the two Italian soldiers, blocked in India since February of 2012 ... "

The "pressure" on the Delhi executive, however, is such that on the same day Prime Minister Modi specifies that "Indian justice is free, just and independent" and "will consider all aspects" of the case, recalling that the question concerning the incident off the Kerala of 15 February 2015 in which two fishermen died "è sub judice" in front of the Supreme Court which examines appeals presented by the two mares. "We are convinced" - he concluded - "that it will consider all aspects in judging the case".

A response very similar to that given by then President Singh to Senator Monti after he had decided to send the marines back to India considering the application of the death penalty excluded on the basis of an irrelevant Indian document which stated . Translated . (from the weekly Panorama 14 April 2013).

Singh, in fact, was anxious to tell Monti "... in view of the ongoing investigations, it would be premature to express an opinion on specific aspects" - And this, the sources say, was related to Italian fears about the request of the death penalty for the Marines ... (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/italian-pm-calls-manmohan-singh-ov...) Two and a half years have passed, the words overwhelm us like the storms of these days, but they say nothing. No action has been taken to activate the much-vaunted internationalization initiatives of the affair, first of all international arbitration.

The young Prime Minister Renzi tells us to estimate the old Indian politician Modi who, however, responds, in essence and with wise Eastern diplomacy, not to have any illusions about solutions other than legal ones.

Meanwhile, the time passes and our marines remain at the mercy of Indian "tantrums" even with the uncertainty of having to refer to an Ambassador who attributes to their modest experience of housewives damage suffered to the fence of their residence for "hanging clothes to sciorinare al Sun".

I do not think this is Italy that we expect.

Fernando Termentini