Posted on 10/14/2009 6:25:18 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
When ten French soldiers were killed last year in an ambush by Afghan insurgents in what had seemed a relatively peaceful area, the French public were horrified.
Their revulsion increased with the news that many of the dead soldiers had been mutilated — and with the publication of photographs showing the militants triumphantly sporting their victims’ flak jackets and weapons. The French had been in charge of the Sarobi area, east of Kabul, for only a month, taking over from the Italians; it was one of the biggest single losses of life by Nato forces in Afghanistan.
What the grieving nation did not know was that in the months before the French soldiers arrived in mid-2008, the Italian secret service had been paying tens of thousands of dollars to Taleban commanders and local warlords to keep the area quiet, The Times has learnt. The clandestine payments, whose existence was hidden from the incoming French forces, were disclosed by Western military officials.
US intelligence officials were flabbergasted when they found out through intercepted telephone conversations that the Italians had also been buying off militants, notably in Herat province in the far west. In June 2008, several weeks before the ambush, the US Ambassador in Rome made a démarche, or diplomatic protest, to the Berlusconi Government over allegations concerning the tactic.
However, a number of high-ranking officers in Nato have told The Times that payments were subsequently discovered to have been made in the Sarobi area as well.
Western officials say that because the French knew nothing of the payments they made a catastrophically incorrect threat assessment.
“One cannot be too doctrinaire about these things,” a senior Nato officer in Kabul said. “It might well make sense to buy off local groups and use non-violence to keep violence down.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
It’s time to resume shock and awe over there.
Big time.
Sounds like the Italians used very poor judgment. Even to a lay person it would seem obvious that the Italians should have mentioned to the French, that the region was quiet because they were making payoffs. Without those payoffs, the region would therefore be more risky.
The Italians blindsided the French, no two ways about it.
I note this attack was carried out by the Taliban. Obama sure had them pegged right. “They’re no threat. Only Al Qaeda is our enemy.”
May God help our troops with this neanderthal in there.
You want to come into the 21st Century, welcome aboard. You want to live like primitive tribes, keep it within your own borders and leave the rest of us to be civilized.
No war needed. Just a real tight blockade, air, ground, and sea.
Screw these appeasing governments, the guys on the ground are another story. Soldiers first.
Is that you Mr Cheney?
We cant seal our own border.
How are we gonna seal theirs?
Well,
What did we expect?
This is what happens when you pay off bastards you should be putting holes into.
This money only goes to purchase weapons & sustenance that they can use in Hot Zones and once the aid is cut off, an illiterate and brainwashed enemy becomes belligerent Heck, The Talibunnies probably couldn’t tell the damn difference between a French and an Italian, they might of saw the Frog Flag and thought Red White and Blue must mean ‘American.’ No more money? Let’s Ambush, Abdullah!
These pricks need to be cut down and slaughtered like the wild animals that they are. Why we don’t know this is beyond me. These are the same fanatical bastards that harbored the terrorists that killed almost 3,000 of us 8 years ago!
Our problem is our people don’t have the stomach or courage for conflict. The Europeans are worse. One of the biggest weaknesses of Democracy is that it breeds cowards and the cowardice becomes generational and the efforts to construct a facade to continue the cowardice become more absurd and ridiculous. That’s what we have here, kids.
We can’t buy off the Taliban. It’s the most ignorant concept ever. We should be shredding them up like pulled pork covered with barbecue sauce.
Which is why we are fouling up by letting Brussels be in charge.
Now we are begging for more euroleadership.
I agree with you 100%
Posted on 08/26/2006 3:54:21 PM PDT by familyop
Rome, 10 August (AKI) - Italy will have to rely on its relationship with Iran to play a role in the Middle East, says Abolfazl Zohrevand, Tehran's new ambassador to Rome. In an interview to Tehran's radical Kayhan paper, the ambassador said that "Italy, as one of the eight major world powers, is looking for a more relevant role in the Middle East - a role it won't be able to play if it doesn't exploit its relations with Iran."
Ambassador Zohrevand also called for "stronger support to the Islamic Republic from the new government" of centre-left premier Romano Prodi, which was sworn in in May. The diplomat said such support was likely given that, "contrary to (the previous conservative prime minister Silvio) Berlusconi, Prodi doesn't pursue the objective of helping US interests in the region."
Zohrevand said top on his agenda as the Iranian ambassador in Rome was to "create the conditions enabling the Islamic Republic to make the most of Italy's presence within the European Union, the board of governors of the IAEA (the UN atomic watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency) and international institutions."
Italy is Iran's main trading partner in Europe and commercial relations between the two countries were reportedly worth five billion euros in 2005.
(Rah/Aki)
Posted on 05/27/2006 4:34:21 PM PDT by familyop
(AGI) - Rome, May 26 - Economic sanctions under discussion against Iran would damage Italy in particular, which is an important trade partner of Iran. This was the statement by Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, in an interview with the Israeli newspaper "Maariv". The head of the foreign office warned of the risks of an escalation in the international clash over the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic. "not only us, but also Americans believe that the possibility of a military attack on Iran is a disastrous possibility", explained D'Alema, "when we find ourselves faced with such a choice, we must evaluate costs and benefits for all parties involved". The foreign ministry spokesperson, Pasquale Terracciano, explained in a briefing that D'Alema feels that it is important for Italy to be involved in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. "In the un-hoped-for possibility in which an agreement cannot be found, Italy will pay a price and it is only fair that it has a say in the matter and not only because others have raised their voices". Terracciano spoke about the fact that on Tuesday Italy participated in London with the political director Giulio Terzi in a meeting as part of the G8 on Iran's nuclear program. "The countries of the G8 must be joined together in dealing with this delicate international issue", insisted the foreign office spokesperson, especially because Italy believes it has " a particular format adapted to favouring the treatment of sensitive political issues". (AGI) .
Cleaning up after the Italians has always been a dirty thankless chore.
Good point. ‘bout time we find someone who will do both.
(AGI) - Berlin, Aug. 26 - After having a protagonist role for peace in Lebanon Italy asks to take part in the 5+ 1 group that negotiates with Iran on nuclear. Foreign minister, Massimo D'Alema in an interview to "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" asks a place near to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. "We are Iran's most important commercial partners with Germany and we are pledged in Lebanon with Hezbollah. So we have the right to be included in the negotiation with Iran. The goal is not a new conflict but talks aimed at preventing Iran from having an atomic bomb, he said. Italy searched for a greater G8 involvement in the negotiation with Iran but it remained excluded from the 5 plus 1, the group that started a negotiation with Tehran offering incentives in exchange for the suspension of the uranium enrichment program. This exclusion was due to the fact that Rome was not part of the European trio (France, Germany and UK) that had tried the first mediation with Tehran and represented the EU in the 5 plus 1. D'Alema remembered that the United Nations and the EU had not a role in the Iraqi crisis, and warned that the new opportunity in Lebanon could not be missed now. "It is a very difficult mission full of unknown points but it is worth pledging or the only alternative would be a new burst of war" he said. The foreign minister, was sceptical on the possibility of a new UN resolution for the mission in Lebanon asked by the US. "I'm sceptical about it, because in these situations they always open long negotiations. The strategic plan is clear and the resolution was completed defining the rules of engagement. If they will make a new resolution soon I agree with them but the most important thing is getting there as soon as possible (In Lebanon)" he said.
Lately I’ve been reading Churchill’s “The Malakand Field Force”. Sounds like the Afghanistan-Muslim situation viz. the West hasn’t changed much in the past 100+ years.
...and influences on our politicians by way of Italian-American lobbies,...
Vatican Condemns Israel for Attacks on Lebanon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665678/posts
US pressure prompts delay of [Israel’s] offensive (”We do not want escalations” - White House)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1680983/posts
Israel Asks U.S. to Ship Rockets With Wide Blast-State Department seeks to delay supply
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681771/posts
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