“I want to reassure you that the transfer of Afghan personnel to Italy, as far as the Covi is concerned, has not been completed”. Army Corps General Luciano Portolano, number one in the Joint Top Operations Command, in front of the joint Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees of the House and Senate reveals how the Defense has not given up at all to continue with the evacuation flights of the Afghans in Italy . “We are in contact with almost all Defense collaborators – the general announced – but also with all those who requested help, but who could not be evacuated due to the deterioration of security conditions on the ground”
Already in Italy 1345 women and 1400 Afghan children
Portolano has pitted the figures of an evacuation which was third in the world for final results after the United States and Great Britain. “In total, 90 flight missions were carried out – he said – with the air vehicles of our Air Force, the missions of aircraft assets provided by friendly and allied countries (Canada, Qatar, Germany and the USA), commercial carriers contracted by the Defense and those offered by a non-governmental organization (Nove onlus). ”It was“ a humanitarian evacuation with an operational and logistical effort never experienced before by the Defense ”. Operation “Aquila Omnia” concluded on August 31, the numbers are now official: “5011 people were brought to Italy, of which 4890 Afghans of which 2145 men, 1345 women, 1400 children”.
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A constantly updated database
General Portolano knows the current scenario in Afghanistan in up-to-date details. Many men and women were unable to get on the flights that took off for Italy. But hope is not lost. For the commander of the Covi it is a fundamental question, there is a lot of personal knowledge, the dossier remains on the defense table with priority. Portolano explains to the parliamentarians: ̀ “A database has been created and is constantly evolving that collects all the data available for single applicant / family unit which, once consolidated, will be made available to the various internal and external divisions of the Defense for any further control or relocation activities that the Government may wish to indicate “.
Possible developments
The commander of the Covi, therefore, affirms in Parliament: if the conditions are right, we will continue immediately. It does not say so, but it is implicit: it is up to the national and international political authorities to find a balance of agreements to start over with the evacuations and prevent the risk of revenge and retaliation. Especially for those who have collaborated with the Italian mission. There are hundreds and hundreds of people: many in Herat, where most of our contingent was located, more than 800 kilometers from Kabul. The tragedy in those frantic and dramatic days was just being able to get to the capital. An impossible undertaking for many.
The challenge of European defense
Portolano, already in Iraq with the rank of captain, has been involved in international military experiences since 1990: he has primary experience in relations and knowledge of roles and positions of Western states and not only in the military field. Thus at the end of his report the general touches on a topic dear to the Minister of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini, and underlines the need for the development of a process that is still at the beginning: a European defense system. “I feel I share a common reflection on the future role that our country, the European Union and Europe more generally, could have as a complementary reality to NATO in terms of security and defense.” “An increase in European capabilities in having a management and resolution tool, even of a broad scope, through a shared and synergistic action of all the tools of power – political, diplomatic, informational and military – with the aim of allowing to Europe to contribute substantially and effectively to global security and stability ”.