Italian historian: Italy leading more than 30 per cent of military operations in Libya

Tripoli – Even though Italy entered the war providing only limited military and logistical support, it now leads 30 per cent of the operations against Libya, on par with France and Great Britain, journalist and historian Angelo Del Boca told AsiaNews. For the Libya expert, “the war goes one amid widespread disinterest, especially in Italy, despite the huge costs and the unwillingness to find a diplomatic solution.”

Italy’s military operation began on 22 March. According to government statements, the intervention was supposed to be limited to letting NATO use Italian air bases and providing fighters to maintain the No Fly Zone over Libya as part of the alliance’s Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) operation. The initial engagement did not include attacks against Libyan troops, convoys and military installation.

For Del Boca, the high costs of the operation will force Italy to abandon its Libya mission. According to Italy’s Interior Ministry, the operation has already cost 1 billion Euros (US$ 1.3 billion)...