Italy denies US access to military base

https://www.newsweek.com/italy-denies-us-air-force-access-military-base-sicily-iran-war-11760915

Italy denied U.S. military aircraft headed for the Middle East permission to land at its Sigonella air base in Sicily, according to local reports.

664 points · 63 comments · view on lemmy.world

63 Comments

gukleszl4hs48ughgxhr5xgd@fedia.io · 123 pts · 127d (6 replies)

The decision was reportedly made by Italy's defense minister Guido Crosetto, who was left stranded in the Middle East as the war kicked off. Crosetto said on March 1 that he was being evacuated from Dubai by military aircraft after he had traveled to the region for a family vacation.

lol

neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works · 46 pts · 127d (3 replies)

Late stage self-awareness, is still self-awareness.

limonfiesta@lemmy.world · 41 pts · 127d (2 replies)

It's the Italian bureaucracy, I think it's safe to assume pettiness is the chief motivating factor here.

I'll take it, don't get me wrong, but let's not get it twisted.

RidderSport@feddit.org · 8 pts · 126d

While it is a bit petty, I think it is mostly insulting to the italian defense minister. I mean you find yourself in a hot zone during vacation because your supposed ally couldn't give less of a shit to inform you that it would start a war. So honestly, quite a reasonable crash out

neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 127d

That's a fair call out.

merdaverse@lemmy.zip · 22 pts · 127d

It was pretty funny when that happened. We were hoping they'd keep him.

bold_atlas@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 126d

That's what you get for going to that place for vacation. But good call none the less.

blindpuskas@piefed.world · 112 pts · 127d (2 replies)

It is good to see that Spain is not the only one taking part and making statements in Europe, regardless of the ruling ideology.

Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org · 13 pts · 127d

Maybe that ideology is declining already...

oce@jlai.lu · 12 pts · 127d
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 74 pts · 127d (22 replies)

True story: When France refused to let us fly through their airspace during the Iraq War, the Congressional Cafeteria changed the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries.

So I guess we'll be seeing Freedom Dressing on the Congressional Cafeteria salad bar.

jenesaisquoi@feddit.org · 46 pts · 127d (8 replies)

So childish. Without France, the USA would not exist.

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 45 pts · 127d (3 replies)

Americans like to pretend that France owes us for WW2, but if the French Navy hadn't shown up at Yorktown, and blocked the British ships from evacuating their army (again), we'd all be speaking...English...well, you know what I mean.

We 100% owe the founding of our company to France.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 127d (1 reply)

We 100% owe the founding of our company to France.

don't you dare change that typo

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 16 pts · 127d

Let it ride!

Gammelfisch@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 126d

Kind of shame, under the current situation. The USA lost their chance to become Canada when the French decided to help.

fibojoly@sh.itjust.works · 24 pts · 127d (3 replies)

You say that like people in the US learnt history in schools...

Hupf@feddit.org · 7 pts · 126d

UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 126d (1 reply)

The cool thing about not learning history is that you learn the present in real time in the worst way possible. Can't miss the lesson then!

Napster153@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 126d

And, if you're lucky, you only have to learn it once and never again!

oce@jlai.lu · 13 pts · 127d

Remember the resurgence of jokes about France surrendering? Same background.

Btw, it was not only refusing to let them fly, but primarily refusing to join the war while the UK, Australia, Poland, Spain or Italy did join that time.

dubyakay@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 127d (5 replies)

Cesar Salad -> President Salad

Pizza -> American Pie

Omgpwnies@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 127d (4 replies)

technically Caesar salad is Mexican, it was invented in Tijuana

Denjin@feddit.uk · 5 pts · 126d

By famous television dog behaviourist Cesar Milan

UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 126d (2 replies)

I cant stand the fish based salad dressing, but each their own.

swelter_spark@reddthat.com · 3 pts · 126d (1 reply)

I didn't know it had fish in it.

UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 125d

Its anchovies based IIRC. Hope i didnt just ruin something for you stranger.

pastermil@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 126d (3 replies)

I wonder how they're gonna call Italian sausage.

SabinStargem@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 126d (2 replies)

Trumpian Sausage. "Experience the taste of Trump with every bite!"

😱

Napster153@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 126d

Feel rich with every Epsteinian Sausage!

vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 126d

This made me feel gross in a rather fundamental way. That's impressive given that it usually requires something along the lines of a pictures of like a degloved arm to achieve that.

ichwillhierraus@feddit.org · 2 pts · 125d (1 reply)

That was really a thing? It feels like the child that does not breath because he got upset.

BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 125d

Oh, yeah, totally true. Republicans are emotionally and maturely stunted humans, and are often mistaken for children.

iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world · 57 pts · 127d (3 replies)

AFAIK both Spain and France have completely denied access to their airspace for war related efforts. So flights departing from the UK after a refuel are going to have to do one hell of a detour to get to destination. And now, Italy denies bases use too.

fonix232@fedia.io · 32 pts · 127d

Wish Starmer had the balls to do the same...

zaphod@sopuli.xyz · 17 pts · 127d

Germany needs to deny them access too, but that probably won't happen.

tempest@lemmy.ca · 14 pts · 127d

Turns out it helps to at least have a coalition of the doesn't give a shit before you start a war you can't win 7000 miles away.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 35 pts · 127d

good job, Italy

NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 30 pts · 127d (6 replies)

What the actual fuck? Why are literal fascists doing anti-imperialism again?

Damage@feddit.it · 43 pts · 127d (2 replies)

Because they've recently lost a huge referendum about changes to the Constitution, and every channel on TV is talking about government crises and how the right-wing coalition that's currently governing is falling apart, as the referendum vote was seen as a popular no-confidence vote on the current government.

People are pissed, we had huge protests last autumn about the situation in Gaza, in my city it was the biggest one I've ever been to, so this is a bit of a sensitive topic, an easy way to gain back some poll percentages.

Jay101@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 127d (1 reply)

But I bet people are more pissed about economic and social situation, because all these right and centrist refuse to make regulations and tax the billionaires while the workers pay for everything in the country.

Damage@feddit.it · 4 pts · 127d

Idk, the economic and social situations in Italy have always sucked, people are kinda used to "making do", we always joke about "italian solutions".

Melchior@feddit.org · 42 pts · 127d (2 replies)

The decision was made by Crosetto the Italian defense minsiter, who got stuck in Dubai, when the US and Israel attacked. He is also on the moderate wing and from a rich family. Italy is weird that way. As in some members of a party go out a Roman Salute around, while praising Mussolini, and then the next day other members of the party call themself anti fascists and would love a European federation.

reksas@sopuli.xyz · 10 pts · 127d (1 reply)

i wonder if that was the only reason for this decision or if they actually thought things through

Jhex@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 127d

Meloni just lost a very important public consultation about criminal law reform…

GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca · 25 pts · 127d

Italy is often a weak link in an axis

clauandr@lemmy.sdf.org · 13 pts · 127d (2 replies)

It's just a formality, they didn't ask so the government uses it as cheap propaganda to gain consensus after the justice referendum debacle. Meanwhile from Aviano jets are regularly taking off.

akmur@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 127d

Yea think so too (I'm Italian)

Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it · 1 pts · 125d

I don't think so, it was the defense minister who refused, he actually got in the crossfire with his family during the start of the war, i bet that he didn't liked that lmao

Exeous@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 127d (1 reply)

They ask permission in fly. Why no ask before leave?

Mangoholic@lemmy.ml · 18 pts · 127d

Because their arrogance expected unconditional support.

LemmyBeYourself@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 127d (6 replies)

what could be the reason? I mean Meloni is the servile ally of Washington

Hiro8811@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 127d (3 replies)

She's Prime Minister not Queen, it's not her decision.

porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml · 15 pts · 127d

Americans minds blown by the thought of not one person having all the power to make any decision unilaterally

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 127d (1 reply)

She's a Fascist. She wants to be Queen.

Hiro8811@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 127d

Yeah but she isn't yet which means there's still some part of the system that works

Ooops@feddit.org · 11 pts · 127d

Ask her defense minister that was stranded in the middle East on family vacation and had to be evacuated by military plane, just because the US were to stupid to even inform their allies they would randomly start a war there...

SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 127d

She doesn't want Sicily to attract long range missiles.

US doesn't give a fuck about making other countries targets.

Gammelfisch@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 126d

Bravo Italia! The MAGA fucknuts must be fuming. In other news, I heard the French stopped and will not allow arms shipments across their territory to the lunatics in Israel.

Jay101@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 127d

Chad Spain always ahead of time.

mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 127d (1 reply)

why would you help terrorists?

hanrahan@slrpnk.net · 6 pts · 127d

Meloni is a fascist, so its surprising. Very pro Trump, anti immigrant etc

altphoto@lemmy.today · -9 pts · 127d

So Guido Crussaunt the prime monaster put his hand in the pot before orange pedo dumped boiling water into it? And croissant got the F out in a big hurry? So he knows first hand what's happening and how it feels.

Maybe thats the cure. "Thou shall not use military action unless you personally oversee the action". Pedo orders one tom Cruz missile, the next day he has to go see what it did. Maybe not a bad idea. Maybe he likes picking up body parts. Maybe he doesn't. But at least if he does and tells us its worth it, we'll know his words have meaning.