Defence, Crosetto: ‘Italian troops in Saudi Arabia are not taking part in combat operations’
The Defence Minister, addressing the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate: ‘There is no new mission in Saudi Arabia; it was a redeployment. This involves a total force of around 500 military personnel, divided into an air task force and a land task force, operating in an area – Saudi Arabia – mentioned in the analytical report on international missions.”
Key points
The decision to transfer Italian military personnel from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, relocating them to safety partly within Saudi Arabia and partly to other countries, was not a political decision, but a technical one. This was highlighted by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, who spoke on Thursday 8 September before the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate regarding the attack on the Ta’if base in Saudi Arabia. The during an attack on the base, an Italian fighter jet on the ground.
The hearing was also marked by a clash between the minister and opposition representatives over whether the deployment to Saudi Arabia constitutes a ‘mission’, as stated on the ministry’s website. ‘In Saudi Arabia there is a redeployment, not a new mission: the ministry’s website refers to it as a mission, and that is incorrect. I was told: ‘But the term “mission” was used in a military sense, not a legal one.’ But rest assured, I will defend Parliament on this matter as soon as I leave here,” said Crosetto, also admitting, “I don’t always read the website.”
“We must take note of the situation,” said the minister. “But what is clear from all these redeployments is that Italian troops are not taking part in any military operations; they are not doing anything beyond the mandate they have received from Parliament.”
Crosetto: ‘The mission in Saudi Arabia is not a new one’
According to Crosetto, therefore, the presence of Italian military personnel in Saudi Arabia “does not constitute a new mission, but is the result of the redeployment of two task forces, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which was announced and discussed in all the relevant parliamentary forums. “We are talking,” explained the Defence Minister, “about a total force of around 500 military personnel, divided into an air task force and a land task force, operating in an area – Saudi Arabia, which is mentioned in the analytical report on international missions, file number 4-2026, and authorised by parliamentary resolutions”. “Italian troops are not taking part in any combat operations,” he added.
‘Saudi Arabia is asking for our help to defend itself against possible attacks’
“I am asked why Saudi Arabia,” he continued. “Firstly, because this was the option deemed most appropriate from a technical and operational standpoint by the Defence Staff. Secondly, because this partner country has asked for – and continues to ask for – our help in defending itself against possible attacks.” “It is a country that plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of peace in the Middle East, and more generally, it is one of the partners with whom we have long been engaged in forms of support and dialogue,” he reiterated - Saudi Arabia is also the region’s largest producer of oil, an energy source whose economic impact is plain for all to see. Regional security and peace, after all, require a constant presence, readiness and cooperation, but above all commitment during the most difficult times.” “This country,” he continued, “continues to ask for help. I am taking steps to ensure that the request is directed towards Europe. I have discussed this with Ms Kallas (the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in the von der Leyen Commission. Ed.).”
