If rescuers need to be saved, who will protect us citizens?

16/02/15

Dear director, after what happened to a patrol boat of the Italian Port Authority, near the tumultuous Libyan waters, and the perhaps not too masculine figure that the unfortunate Italian rescuers made, threatened by four shady Islamic individuals on board a fast boat, I happened to read an article that appeared on the GRNET newspaper.

In the piece the Marshall of the Capitanerie di Porto Antonello Ciavarelli, delegate of the Cocer Marina, complaining about what happened to his colleagues, denounces an inadequacy of the patrol boats of the Capitanerie di Porto to carry out police duties in waters not international, but even foreign and claims a update in equipment especially of offense (weapons).

Following this, almost simultaneously, an ANSA agency launch this morning echoed the statement by Senator Sergio Divina (LN and Autonomie), vice-president of the 4 ^ Defense Commission, which asked the President of the Republic, as head of the armed forces, to immediately bring together the Supreme Defense Council to take drastic and necessary decisions to counter Islamic terrorism and in affirming that "On the high seas there must be the Navy, not the disarmed Coast Guard and at this moment not all are from to assist, but to reject ". In some way it indirectly provides a response to Marshal Ciavarelli.

As an observer and passionate about security and defense issues, I naturally say that there is no doubt, at least in my opinion, that only the Navy can operate with its dual use units, this time, in their duality of employment, useful to counter illicit phenomena also using the strength of one's own weapons and abilities in a coercive manner.

However, director, I still have a doubt that leaves me a little disconcerted and that I express them. Because the patrol boats of the Italian Port Authorities intervened for a rescue near the Libyan shores and because the IMRCC (Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center), National Center for Rescue Coordination, did not require the intervention of the Navy, since the rescue occurred near the Libyan coast?

Here it is not a matter of increasing confusion by equipping the patrol boats with the Port Authority of arms, as Ciavarelli asks, similar to those of the Carabinieri and the Police, responsible for police tasks near the coasts, ie exactly where the same Port authorities that therefore do not require special armaments.

Here it was rather a matter of correctly using Navy ships, requiring immediate intervention, the only ones capable of discouraging any kind of coercive action.

If we need to protect military rescuers, who protects us Italians?

I believe that the protection of national interests must be done with the appropriate means and with the right Armed Force.

Sebastian Nicci

(freelance journalist)

sebnicci@gmail.com