The conference also had an added value as it is linked to the numerous activities sponsored by ANIE, the National Army Raiders Association, which brings together all the former members of the only Special Forces body of the Italian army: the 9 ° Assault Parachute Regiment "Col Moschin". The Association, despite its traditions, is very young: it was born from the initiative of the former saboteur Franco Falcone, who constituted the first nucleus of special forces at the platoon level and then definitively consecrated at the company level to the order of Captain Edoardo Acconci. He was the first to launch the idea of bringing together in a fellowship the former saboteurs and former raiders that was later realized by the gen. Raider Valdimiro Rossi to meet within the ANPd'I. then, in the 1997, officially advance a proposal for an independent constitution. This initiative led to the definitive foundation in the year 2000, which also defined the association goals, among which, the most important, the perpetuation of the memory of the Arditi departments and the others connected to them.
The associative logo, designed by the secretary Paolo Frediani, is the result of that symbolic tradition that is inspired by the Arditi of the Assault Departments of Colonel Giovanni Messe, heroes of the battlefields of the First World War. The climate that is breathed within this group of "extraordinary men" is typical of those who in life have never stood still to watch, but who have acted, often occupying important positions. Their work can be indecipherable to most people, but behind many political / military episodes in the history of our country, there is almost always the figure of an incursor who made the difference.
One of these is certainly the president of ANIE, Colonel Angelo Passafiume (pictured below on the left) whose stories about his working life would be enough to fill several pages of a volume of military history. The Association can also boast the presence of men who have brought prestige to our country in difficult missions: from the Honorary President, General Franco Angioni, to the gen. Marco Bertolini dean of the raiders still in service, to the general Simone Baschiera, to the silver medal of the senior marshal Marcello Fagnani, to the general Luciano Piacentini. The latter, together with the general of the Carabinieri Claudio Masci, was the protagonist of an interesting discussion that has fascinated two speakers outside the military, Professor Vernassa and Dr. Garrera and the large audience intervened in the hall.
The ability to exploit the human resources present in a territory to obtain information is a difficult job that must take into account innumerable variables to which technology cannot respond. Everyone agrees that, despite the IT tools, the human component and individual capacities are irreplaceable, especially when one is operating in places where industrial and technological development is of a low level. In this sense, the words spent by Colonel Passafiume were illuminating: his mission in Somalia and the goals he achieved as Head of Intelligence Office (G2) are proof that a good "Human" information network is more effective than any computer equipment.
General Piacentini (photo below right) opened his speech by dedicating the volume to young people, to all the boys who wear a uniform and who are called on the field to face high-risk situations where the collection of news could save the life of many companions. The purpose of the book - recalls the general, former commander of the 9th - is also to lead those who use the Humint towards a sort of ethics that harmonizes information, makes it usable in a simple and correct way. The use of secret services is not a contemporary novelty and the two authors gladly take a step backwards by telling how, in the past centuries, the British Empire has been able to exploit a dense network of information to benefit its business. Finally, Piacentini and Masci do not forget that a fundamental contribution to these "investigative" techniques comes precisely from Italy, in this case from Genoa and Venice which, thanks to their know-how to trade, were among the first to make use of an information network that it has taught throughout Europe.
The discussion then focused on the contemporary era and the difficult asymmetric conflicts that, after the September 11, changed the geopolitical physiognomy of the world. Today more than ever the "Humint" is relevant to better interpret the multidimensionality of the fight against terrorism. Dr. Garrera, in his wise intervention, has admitted a certain weakness of the West, consolidated by a religious sentiment that pushes towards charity and acceptance. Is this perhaps the true weakness of the West? So could this indulgent spirit distort our national identity by leading to a silent and peaceful invasion of our culture? In this sense, the opinion of the general Piacentini seems to go in the opposite direction, since he affirms that the continuous influx of refugees on our shores, puts our country from greater risks. Therefore, is reception the right recipe to prevent terrorist attacks in Italy?
What worries me the most, by joining the thesis put forward by Garrera, is when a state wants to appear weak, as long as it also distorts the sense of its National Anthem. Showing tolerance, benevolence, piety towards migrants coming from the sea is certainly a feeling that unites a large part of the Italian population which - far from being racist - has always treated with dignity all that is "different". But if the same attitude concerns the political class, then some concern is legitimate because a state can not be overwhelmed by sentiment. Italian military policy is the demonstration of how our country voluntarily and at all costs proclaim its non-belligerence, even when the threat is concrete. It is a very serious mistake, but even more it represents a considerable damage to those who, like the military, are still called to do their duty in the most remote regions of the world. A state can not dissociate itself from sending its best men, like the boys of "Col Moschin", to waging war on terrorists and then denying that this clash is taking place. In situations like these, Intelligence comes into play, as a harmonizing factor between action and politics, between confrontation and conciliation. The true work of a secret agent - far from the bizarre Hollywood representations - is guided by firm principles and an ethic that helps to choose goals, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, to optimize resources and perhaps even to find alternative solutions to violence . Once again, Colonel Passafiume, with disarming concreteness, explains how the raider is not just action, on the contrary reaching the goal avoiding the battle is the real victory of the Special Forces. Today, like yesterday, the profile of an incursor is just that: harmony and harmony between the use of force and intelligence.
Italy has the firm need to know its excellence that does not only mean good food, fashion or Ferrari: these are commercially important values, which enjoy an unequivocal international showcase and always in the limelight. On the other hand, there are local excellences that do not like sparkling stages, but simply aim to make sure that their work is recognized. This Italy is made by the raiders of the "Col Moschin" and all the others who proudly wear a uniform: to give them the right tribute would perhaps preserve from that "national weakness" that can hurt so much.
Paolo Palumbo
(photo: Viviana Cariola / EI opening)
