The Sigonella crisis (named after the air base at which it originated , in Sicily ) was a diplomatic case between Italy and the United States that occurred in October 1985.
170-432: The incident risked escalating into an armed confrontation between VAM ( Vigilanza Aeronautica Militare ) and Carabinieri on the one hand, and Delta Force (a special forces unit of the U.S. Armed Forces ) soldiers on the other, in the aftermath of a political rupture between Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi and U.S. President Ronald Reagan about the fate of Palestinian terrorists who had hijacked and diverted
340-433: A Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) consultant who managed to get through to Craxi because of old customary relationships dating back to his time as an Italian university graduate student. Opposite is the version of Craxi's associates: "Craxi did not have much sympathy for him, he said, 'I don't see why I should talk to you, since there are other qualified people, such as Ambassador Rabb'; he did not want to attribute to Ledeen
510-403: A bicorne . During the 1980s Giorgio Armani designed the new more modern uniforms. The modern Carabinieri Force uniform is coloured in black for every seasonal version, with small variations on weather basis (coat or wind jacket), and is composed of: The uniform is accompanied by accessories such as: There are differences for season, duties, rank and location. For instance, in the summer
680-511: A static line . Mobility of the parachutes is often deliberately limited to prevent scattering of the troops when a large number parachute together. Some military exhibition units and special forces units use "ram-air" parachutes , which offer a high degree of maneuverability and are deployed manually (without a static line) from the desired altitude. Some use high-altitude military parachuting , also deploying manually. Many countries have one or several paratrooper units, usually associated with
850-670: A "fire brigade" role on the western front. Their constituents were often encountered on the battlefield as ad hoc battle groups ( Kampfgruppen ) detached from a division or organised from miscellaneous available assets. In accord with standard German practice, these were called by their commander's name, such as Group Erdmann in France and the Ramcke Parachute Brigade in North Africa . After mid-1944, Fallschirmjäger were no longer trained as paratroops owing to
1020-410: A British police officer seconded as Director of Public Safety and Director of Security. The Carabinieri, as a military and police force, have various uniforms for different functions. For each type of uniform there are seasonal variants and (except for service, combat and historical) versions for men and women. How, when and why they are to be worn is dictated by the "R-11 "Regulation on Uniforms for
1190-557: A Digos official, but was told that no one was there and – given the rank of office with diplomatic immunity – the PM agreed to return after 5 p.m. By 1 pm, an expert opinion from the Ministry of Justice had meanwhile been delivered to Palazzo Chigi. It was signed by Minister of Grace and Justice Mino Martinazzoli and stated, "The ministry considers that the request for provisional arrest does not contain substantial elements according to
1360-1282: A Parachutist Tactical group was deployed to Kurdistan . Its mission was to provide humanitarian aid. From July 1992, the Brigade supplied personnel to the "Vespri Siciliani" and later "Strade Sicure" internal security operations. The Folgore participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia from 3 December 1992 to September 1993. Parts of the Brigade have been employed many times in the Balkans (IFOR/SFOR in Bosnia and KFOR in Kosovo ), with MNF in Albania and INTERFET in East Timor . The Folgore participated from August 2005 to September 2005 in Operation Babylon in Iraq and to December 2014 in Afghanistan . In August 2007,
1530-594: A call from Mubarak saying that he feared a new U.S. wiretap and therefore did not authorize the Boeing's departure; everything suggests that this exchange of conversations was aimed at letting possible interceptors believe that the targets of U.S. interest (i.e., the two PLO leaders, including Abu Abbas ) were together with the Egyptian group of agents from the Egyptian Academy. The plan went so far as to involve
1700-496: A flight plan. The F-14 attempted to interfere with the flight of our formation, once again trying to hijack the Egyptian plane to take control of it. Our fighters deterred and repelled it." The Boeing landed at Ciampino Airport shortly before midnight between October 11 and October 12, 1985. An unidentified plane – which had followed it with its lights off, refusing to identify itself to the Italian continental control towers during
1870-504: A good solution because he will be able to place the matter in the hands of the competent Italian bodies, the courts," Shultz wrote in the telegram, adding that Craxi assured that "Italy in the meantime will imprison the terrorists pending legal developments." "It has been agreed that the request for extradition will relate to the four hijackers of the Achille Lauro and that Italy (with American assistance) will formulate charges against
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#17327726920052040-598: A massive training program. In 1941, a Parachutist division was completed and was designated the 185th Infantry Division "Folgore" . It was trained for the assault on Malta but was used instead in ground combat operations in the North African Campaign , where it fought with great distinction during the Second battle of El Alamein , effectively stalling the southern part of the Commonwealth attack until
2210-754: A negotiation, while Prime Minister Craxi also managed to secure the support of the president of Tunisia (the PLO was in Tunisia at the time). On the night of October 7–8, after a summit at the Ministry of Defence and once the authorizations from the United Kingdom and the United States had been obtained, Operation Margherita officially got underway, involving the mobilization of four transport helicopters with 60 paratroopers , raiders and scouts to pinpoint
2380-630: A plan that encountered opposition from the British, who argued they would not be able to support it properly. The pressure of the British government eventually caused the Poles to give in and agree to let the Brigade be used on the Western Front . On 6 June 1944 the unit, originally the only Polish unit directly subordinate to the Polish government in exile and thus independent of the British command,
2550-833: A reconnaissance and sabotage mission, followed on later nights by Lts. Ferruccio Nicoloso and Pier Arrigo Barnaba. The first extensive use of paratroopers ( Fallschirmjäger ) was by the Germans during World War II. Later in the conflict paratroopers were used extensively by the Allied Forces . Cargo aircraft of the period (for example the German Junkers Ju 52 and the American Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota ) being small, they rarely, if ever, jumped in groups much larger than 20 from one aircraft. In English, this load of paratroopers
2720-502: A reorganisation 3 RAR relinquished the parachute role in 2011, and this capability is now maintained by units of Special Operations Command . Constant "Marin" Duclos was the first French soldier to execute a parachute jump on November 17, 1915. He performed 23 test and exhibition parachute drops without problems to publicise the system and overcome the prejudice aviators had for such life-saving equipment. In 1935, Captain Geille of
2890-527: A second cordon of Carabinieri , who had meanwhile arrived from the nearby barracks in Catania and Syracuse . Captain Marzo received orders from the control tower to park a tanker truck, a crane and the fire-fighting vehicles locked and planted in front of the aircraft to permanently prevent them from moving from the base. Everyone stood to their positions: at that moment there were three concentric circles around
3060-533: A serious crisis if we let Abu Abbas go." Totally eccentric, then, was the position of Michael Ledeen , who would later claim an unfaithful translation of the Reagan-Craxi conversation but still sticking to the number of four people covered by the telephone conversation. The next morning Palazzo Chigi contacted the Egyptian ambassador in Rome, Rifaat, and informed him of the Italian government's intention to take
3230-696: A specific direction. The possible use of paratroopers also forces defenders to spread out to protect other areas which would otherwise be safe. Another common use for paratroopers is to establish an airhead for landing other units, as at the Battle of Crete . This doctrine was first practically applied to warfare by the Imperial German Army in 1916 then the Italians and the Soviets . The first known airborne commando operation in military history
3400-784: A suicide bombing on their base in Nasiriyah , near Basra in southern Iraq, in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the Second World War . One of the previous projects included training and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghan National Police, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police. In Iraq, Carabinieri have trained 13,000 police officers; during
3570-507: A total of 14 regular, one Rashtriya Rifles and two Territorial Army (India) battalions; of the regular bns, five are Airborne battalions, while nine are Special Forces battalions. Formerly designated "Commando" units, they are now designated Special Forces: Three of the Special Forces battalions were originally trained for use in certain environments; 1st Bn [strategic reserve], 9th Bn [mountain] and 10th Bn [desert]. Subsequently,
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#17327726920053740-541: A train just passing them could continue its journey unhindered. Nazi Germany 's Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger units made the first airborne invasion when invading Denmark on April 9, 1940, as part of Operation Weserübung . In the early morning hours they attacked and took control of the Masnedø fort and Aalborg Airport . The Masnedø fort was positioned such as it guarded the Storstrøm Bridge between
3910-704: A train just passing them could continue its journey unhindered. The second operational military parachute jump from 490 metres (1,600 ft) was logged in the night of August 8—9 1918 by Italian assault troops. Arditi Lieutenant Alessandro Tandura [ it ] jumped from a Savoia-Pomilio SP.4 aircraft of the Gruppo speciale Aviazione I [ it ] piloted by Canadian Major William George Barker and British Captain William Wedgwood Benn (both Royal Air Force pilots), when Tandura dropped behind Austro-Hungarian lines near Vittorio Veneto on
4080-422: Is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with organised crime ( Mafia and others), subversive activities, terrorism and more complex types of crime. An anti-crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor's office. Special Tasks Departments are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions: Corazzieri ( Cuirassiers ) are an elite corps and honour guard of
4250-405: Is called a "stick", while any load of soldiers gathered for air movement is known as a "chalk". The terms come from the common use of white chalk on the sides of aircraft and vehicles to mark and update numbers of personnel and equipment being emplaned. In World War II, paratroopers most often used parachutes of a circular design. These parachutes could be steered to a small degree by pulling on
4420-532: Is popularly known) and are presently involved in COIN operations. 31st Battalion (Commando), Rashtriya Rifles, is also affiliated to the Parachute Regiment, for special operations conducted by the counter-insurgency force. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) paratroopers have a history of carrying out special forces-style missions dating back to the 1950s. Paratrooper Brigade soldiers wear maroon berets with
4590-553: The Argentine Army specialised in airborne assault operations. It is based in Córdoba , Córdoba Province . The Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido ("Rapid Deployment Force") is based on this unit. The members of the unit wear Red berets ( Boina Rojas ) of the paratroopers with unit badges. As of 2022 it consists of: Airborne forces raised by Australia have included a small number of conventional and special forces units. During
4760-674: The Army Special Forces Command and of the other Special Forces components provided by the Navy , Air Force and Carabinieri . Teishin Shudan ( 挺進集団 , Raiding Group ) was a Japanese special forces / airborne unit during World War II . The unit was a division -level force, and was part of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF). It was commanded by a major general , and
4930-640: The Carabinieri and the VAM ( Vigilanza Aeronautica Militare ), the airport's guard force, of the landing. Immediately 30 VAM airmen and 20 Carabinieri , stationed at Sigonella airport, converged on the runway, surrounding the plane, as per orders received. A few minutes later, two American C-141 Starlifters of the Delta Force under the command of United States Air Force Brigadier General Carl W. Stiner also landed – with lights out and without permission from
5100-772: The Carabinieri Mobile Units Division , the Carabinieri Specialist Units Division and the ROS . The Carabinieri Specialist Units Division is the Carabinieri formation, established in 2001, dedicated to the performance of specialist police activities and the support to the Territorial Organizations. The Division directs, controls, and coordinates its own units, which carry out tasks related to
5270-824: The Combat Group "Folgore" ( Gruppo di Combattimento "Folgore" ) of the Italian Co-belligerent Army . Other scattered elements joined the Italian Social Republic , where they formed several Parachute units that continued to operate alongside the Germans against the Allies, fighting with distinction during the Battle of Anzio . After WW2, the Italian Army conscripted the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" , currently
Crisis of Sigonella - Misplaced Pages Continue
5440-885: The French Air Force created the Avignon-Pujaut Paratroopers Schools after he trained in Moscow at the Soviet Airborne Academy. From this, the French military created two combat units called Groupes d’Infanterie de l’Air . Following the Battle of France , General Charles de Gaulle formed the 1re Compagnie d’Infanterie de l’Air in September 1940 from members of the Free French forces who had escaped to Britain . It
5610-542: The Gruppo di Intervento Speciale special forces group, the 1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania" , and the 7th "Trentino-Alto Adige" and 13th "Friuli-Venezia Giulia" regiments, which, together with the Multinational Specialized Unit , are mainly engaged in international missions. The Gruppo di Intervento Speciale in one of the six Italian special forces . The ROS ( Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale or Special Operational Group)
5780-955: The Loire Valley in September 1944, in Belgium on January, and in Netherlands in April 1945. The 1er Régiment Parachutiste de Choc carried out operations in Provence . After World War II , the post-war French military of the Fourth Republic created several new airborne units. Among them were the Bataillon de Parachutistes Coloniaux (BPC) based in Vannes-Meucon , the Metropolitan Paratroopers, and
5950-476: The Ministry of Defence , which was suspected of being "monitored" by the Americans, in the disinformation: at 5 p.m. Rifaat called, again from Giuliano Amato 's office, Spadolini's deputy chief of staff, asking him for an air escort (possibly for a plane other than the Boeing to throw off any interceptors). On the judicial side, too, the Egyptian claims ascribe to Cairo all the credit for the diversion to which
6120-610: The Ministry of Defence ; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the Ministry of the Interior . In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, although both of them are contactable through 112 , the European Union's Single Emergency number. Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for policing
6290-415: The Ministry of Justice , for the extradition of the four hijackers be initiated as a matter of urgency, a request that he would support directly with President Mubarak." The Egyptian government decided to make an immediate transfer to Tunisia, where the PLO was based at the time. Despite the assurances publicly offered on the morning of October 10 by Egyptian head of state Hosni Mubarak – who declared that
6460-774: The President of the Italian Republic , located in the Quirinal Palace . They are distinguished by their uniforms and height (the minimum height for admission is 1.9 m or 6 ft 3 in). They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally. Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as, the Presidency of the Republic, the Senate, Parliament,
6630-502: The Second Italo-Ethiopian War . During World War II , they fought in their function as military police against the Allied forces, and against Yugoslav Partisans as part of the Italian occupation force of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia . After the fall of the Fascist regime in Italy on 25 July 1943, on the orders of the king, Mussolini was arrested by the Carabinieri as he left the king's private residence in Rome and subsequently imprisoned on Campo Imperatore by Carabinieri forces. After
6800-410: The armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces on 3 September 1943 and the country's split into the fascist Italian Social Republic in the north and the Kingdom of Italy in the south, the Carabinieri split into two groups. In the Kingdom of Italy, the Carabinieri Command for Liberated Italy was founded in Bari, mobilizing new units for the Italian war of liberation. These units were attached to
6970-424: The control tower : they headed toward the Egyptian Boeing and it was immediately clear their intent to pick up hijackers and Abu Abbas, according to orders received from Washington; the runway lights were immediately turned off. Tensions rose when the Delta Force raiders, descending from their C-141s guns drawn, surrounded the Italian airmen and Carabinieri at the base, but they in turn were surrounded at gunpoint by
Crisis of Sigonella - Misplaced Pages Continue
7140-456: The "First Force" of the new national military organization. In May 1915, Italian troops marched to encompass South Tyrol , a territory of their former allies Austria-Hungary , in the Italian front . The defenders had sufficient time to prepare strong fortifications there, and at the Karst Plateau to the east. The Italians, under the overall command of General Luigi Cadorna , found themselves repeatedly repulsed in harsh fighting. The role of
7310-529: The 21st Bn was raised for jungle warfare . Currently, all Special Forces battalions are cross trained for all environments. The 8th Battalion became 16th Battalion, Mahar Regiment in 1976 before reconverting to the 12th Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment. A sizable part of the battalion was retained in the airborne role for some time, forming the armoured element of the 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade and equipped with their BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicles. But due to administrative and logistic reasons, it
7480-416: The Boeing only when two cars with diplomatic license plates picked them up and departed immediately bound for the Egyptian Academy. According to one version, the two PLO leaders would be among them. According to another version, the two would remain on board the Boeing: this version was confirmed more than two decades later by the head of the Egyptian Academy in Rome, Farouk Hosni, whose role was instrumental in
7650-517: The Boeing, which took off for Rome in the evening. That flight was also at the center of an international case, especially after Craxi revealed some of its details in Parliament. To get the full picture, however, one had to wait for the description given by the SISMI commander at the time, Admiral Martini: "From a secondary taxiway, with the lights off, an American F-14 fighter of the Sixth Fleet took off from Sigonella. It had not requested takeoff clearance, nor had it submitted, according to regulations,
7820-427: The Carabinieri Arma " published by the Carabinieri General Command in 1988. The uniforms of the Carabinieri are divided into: Those of service, representation and GUI/GUE are a derivation of the ordinary. Originally, the Carabinieri were issued a distinctive uniform in black with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The mounted division had white fringes, and
7990-413: The Carabinieri Corps' military duties include "contributing to national defence, participating in military operations in Italy and abroad, executing military police functions and ensuring the security of Italian diplomatic and consular representations". As a national police force, it "carries out public order and security policing, as well as investigative activities on its own initiative or at the request of
8160-427: The Carabinieri as loyal to the fascist cause. They disarmed the force and began the deportation of 8,000 officers to Germany for forced labour on 6 October 1943; the Italian Colonial Police took over their jobs. Subsequently, large numbers of Carabinieri joined the Italian resistance movement to fight German and Italian fascists. Nonetheless, some 45,000 officers remained on the job and as of March 1944, this group
8330-427: The Carabinieri took part before World War I are: For its contributions during the First World War, the Corps was awarded its first Gold Medal of Military Valor In World War II, Carabinieri fought in the following battles: From 1943 to 1945, the Carabinieri were accountable to the Control Commission of the Allied Military Government (AMGOT). Their reorganization and reform was organized by Colonel Arthur Young ,
8500-479: The Carabinieri was to act as barrier troops , setting up machine gun posts to control the rear of the attacking regiments and prevent desertion. During Fascist Italy (1922–1943) under Benito Mussolini , the Carabinieri were one of the police forces entrusted with suppressing opposition in Italy. During the same period, while part of the Italian African Police (mainly in the late 1930s), they were involved in atrocities in colonial Italian East Africa during
8670-434: The Colonial Paratroopers and Bataillons Étrangers de Parachutistes ( French Foreign Legion ), which coexisted until 1954. During the First Indochina War , a Bataillon Parachutiste Viet Nam was created (BPVN) in southeast Asia. In total, 150 different airborne operations took place in Indochina between 1945 and 1954. These included five major combat missions against the Viet Minh strongholds and areas of concentration. When
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#17327726920058840-422: The Croatian Ustaše . The battalion lost over 80% of its members in combat and was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valor to commemorate the fallen. One notable act of heroism in this era came from Vice Brigadiere Salvo D'Acquisto , who was executed by Nazi Germany in Palidoro (near Rome ) during World War II. D'Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for
9010-458: The Egyptian aircraft on their own initiative to park on the east side yard (Italian zone). Both the tower controller and his assistant were unaware as to the identity of the passengers on board the Egyptian aircraft: they were, however, the first to notice that in radio silence and with headlights off the five known aircraft were being followed by the two C-141s; in the absence of information, on their own responsibility and at their own risk, they made
9180-431: The Egyptian plane to Sigonella Air Base in Sicily , an Italian military airport that includes a U.S. Navy naval air station (NAS). Around 10:30 pm, Air Force Colonel Ercolano Annicchiarico, who was to relinquish command of the military airport to Colonel Carlo Lanzilli the next morning, was alerted to the arrival of an American formation. The request, denied, came from the Tomcats, 240 kilometres (150 mi) from
9350-457: The FPLP, whose idea for the failed hostage-taking plan in Ashdod was only later revealed. Andreotti and Craxi expressed support for diplomatic negotiations to "avoid a tragedy," but were warned by the US ambassador that US President Ronald Reagan would oppose any negotiations with the terrorists. Craxi lamented how the U.S. obstructed Italy by failing to provide information picked up by their satellites. The ship headed to Syria and stationed off
9520-428: The Folgore took part in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon , under aegis of the United Nations (Resolution 1701), as a result of the war between Israel and Hezbollah of summer 2006. The Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" is still mainly deployed abroad in international stabilization and peacekeeping operation, on rotation with the other elite units of the Italian Army . Other paratroopers units operate as part of
9690-403: The French gendarmerie , the corps was created by King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia with the aim of providing the Savoyard state of the Kingdom of Sardinia with a police corps. Previously, police duties were managed by the Dragoni di Sardegna Corps, created in 1726 and composed of volunteers. After French soldiers had occupied Turin at the end of the 18th century and later abandoned it to
9860-450: The French left Vietnam in 1954, all airborne battalions were upgraded to regiments over the next two years. Only the French Air Force's Commandos de l'Air (Air Force) were excluded. In 1956, the 2e Régiment de Parachutiste Coloniaux took part in the Suez Crisis . Next, the French Army regrouped all its Army Airborne regiments into two parachute divisions in 1956. The 10th parachute division ( 10e Division Parachutiste , 10e DP) came under
10030-445: The ISIS destruction of historic sites, Italy dispatched troops from the Carabinieri's Command to protect cultural heritage. At the Sea Island Conference of the G8 in 2004, Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions. The State Forestry Corps
10200-428: The Israeli port of Ashdod , reacted abruptly and, after a shootout involving the crew member (who was wounded in the leg), seized the ship. However, the ship managed to send a mayday , picked up in Sweden, reporting the hijacking by terrorists, who were demanding the release of 50 of their comrades imprisoned in Israel. They claimed to be members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), but actually belonged to
10370-433: The Italian Liberation Corps and the six Italian Combat Groups of the Italian Co-Belligerent Army , fighting with the Allied forces. In the fascist Social Republic in the North, the regime organized the National Republican Guard (composed of Carabinieri, former officers from the Italian African Police , Guardia di Finanza and customs police), to employ it as a military police and rapid-deployment anti-guerrilla force. GNR
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#173277269200510540-428: The Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro , killing a US passenger. On October 7, 1985, the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro , at 1:07 pm, as it was preparing to leave Egyptian waters to dock in Israel, was seized by four armed Palestinian terrorists who had sneaked on board with false passports . The terrorists, caught by a crew member handling weapons intended for one of their planned missions while landing in
10710-436: The Italian government was not tenable." At that moment, in Port Said the crew and passengers of Achille Lauro – finally disembarked from the ship – were making statements about their odyssey, and the press was consequently spreading the news that the first rumors of Klinghoffer's death were true, which would later be confirmed by the discovery of his body at sea. The plane's captain and Egyptian diplomat Zeid Imad Hamed boarded
10880-401: The JGSDF’s Ground Component Command (Japanese: 陸上総隊). During the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War , the Peruvian army had also established its own paratrooper unit and used it to great effect by seizing the Ecuadorian port city of Puerto Bolívar , on July 27, 1941, marking the first time in the Americas that airborne troops were used in combat. In 1965, a paratrooper unit known as the Sinchis
11050-573: The Judiciary, the prime minister and the National Council of Economy and Labour. Carabinieri also perform military police and security duties for the Ministry of Defence, military high commands, the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad. They also have personnel attached to the Department of Public Security in various departments, as well as anti-Mafia and anti-drug investigative task forces. Carabinieri officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian embassies and consulates abroad, performing
11220-417: The Kingdom of Sardinia, the Royal Carabinieri Corps was instituted under the Royal Patents of 13 July 1814. The name is derived from the French word carabinier , meaning " soldier armed with a carbine ." The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each province. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated
11390-412: The Ministry of Defence where, however, they could not provide him with definite news. At 7 pm. Spadolini and Andreotti, in the latter's office, learned from television that Abbas had left. At 7:15 pm. Ionta arrived at Fiumicino. Rabb, received at Palazzo Chigi by Craxi's diplomatic adviser, Ambassador Badini, delivered another message from Reagan asking to detain Abu Abbas. But by now, for both, it
11560-465: The PLO leaders who joined the terrorists in the Boeing after the surrender in Port Said. Craxi telephoned Minister Spadolini and informed him of Martinazzoli's decision; he received his request that any decision be subject to a collegial cabinet decision, a request that would not be granted. While U.S. Ambassador Rabb sent Palazzo Chigi the previously announced supplementary documentation (a list, from an Israeli source, of terrorist attacks in which Abbas
11730-403: The PM was forced: at 5 p.m. Ionta reappeared at the Academy, where he was told that the Boeing passengers had departed, but he was not told to where. However, Ionta learned from Digos that the passengers had gone to Ciampino. He then decided to travel to Ciampino. When he arrived there he learned that the plane had meanwhile moved to Fiumicino. At about 5:45 pm, Egyptian Ambassador Rifaat and
11900-407: The Parachute Brigade alternatively serving their field tenures in counter-insurgency/high altitude areas. One of the two field regiments (9 Para Fd Regt and 17 Para Fd Regt) also forms part of the brigade while the other serves out its field tenure on rotation. The two Territorial Army battalions, 106th (Bangalore) and 116th (Deolali) form the airborne element of the Terriers (as the Territorial Army
12070-426: The Second World War in Castel Benito , near Tripoli ( Libya ), where the first Military school of Parachuting was located. They were two native battalions of the Royal Libyan Troops Corps and two battalions of Italian troops, later joined by the Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion . Moved back to Italy in 1941, the staff of the Castel Benito school was expanded into the Paratroopers School at Tarquinia and became
12240-560: The Second World War the Australian Army formed the 1st Parachute Battalion ; however, it did not see action. In the post-war period Australia's parachute capability was primarily maintained by special forces units. In the 1970s and 1980s a parachute infantry capability was revived, while a Parachute Battalion Group based on the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) was established in 1983. However, following
12410-474: The Sicilian airfield, and pertained only to the four F-14s and the Egyptian plane, no mention being made of the two C-141 Starlifters , neither authorized nor expected. Only when the hijacking had begun did the U.S. government attempt to contact Craxi. The U.S. version is that Craxi did not respond to telephone contact requests and that it was only for this reason that Oliver North turned to Michael Ledeen ,
12580-466: The Syracuse prison, were brought before the judiciary of the city. However, even before the interrogation began, pressure continued for the plane with Abu Abbas inside to be allowed to take off. Pennisi opposed the takeoff, as he himself recounts in his diary: "Someone asked him a quick and hasty question that he dismissed with a flat no! It was the communication of the Egyptian diplomat's request, about
12750-520: The Syrian coast, returned to Port Said at the request of Abbas who, with the authorization of the Italian government, managed to get the terrorists to surrender after promising them a diplomatic escape route to another Arab country. This solution was supported by the PLO and managed by the Italian government on the condition that no crimes had been committed on board. The ship's commander, De Rosa confirmed that all passengers were unharmed. Therefore, despite
12920-721: The Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier (AWC), a light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle , more specifically a lightly armoured weapons carrier. It is quite similar to historical scouting tankettes in size, form and function, and is the only true modern tankette in use in Western Europe. The Parachute Regiment is the Special Forces/airborne regiment of the Indian Army. The Regiment was formed in 1952 The regiment has
13090-399: The above decision as to where to relocate the aircraft, which proved decisive for subsequent developments. The controller on duty and his assistant were the first two Italian people at Sigonella to realize that the Americans wanted to land the civilian plane on the runway of the military base, and then have it stop in the sector of the air terminal run by the U.S. Navy: they then forewarned both
13260-520: The aforementioned interview that "the objective of his men was to land in Ashdod to carry out an attack, while of Klinghofer's killing he had firmly stated that he learned of it only at the landing of his four militiamen, reiterating that it was completely unrelated to the PLO's objectives. Thus, the American argument neither for the forced transfer of Abu Abbas to the United States nor for his surrender by
13430-725: The aftermath of the Algiers putsch , the 10e and 25e Parachute divisions were disbanded and their regiments merged into the Light Intervention Division ( Division Légère d'Intervention ). This division became the 11th Parachute Division ( 11e Division Parachutiste , 11e DP) in 1971. In the aftermath of the Cold War , the French Army reorganised and the 11e DP become the 11th Parachute Brigade in 1999. The first known airborne commando operation in military history
13600-760: The aircraft. There followed minutes of extremely high tension. Stiner – who had news from the United States in real time through satellite equipment – warned Commander Annicchiarico that he was in contact with the Oval Office of the White House and declared, "The Italian government has promised to hand over the Palestinians to us; I don't understand the resistance of you military men." Admiral Martini, director of SISMI, albeit with difficulty, heard from Rome and had Stiner reply, "We have instructions to leave them there." The Italian authorities remained adherent to
13770-613: The area and he knew him well. At that time he was considered a "decisive point, also because the hijacked ship seemed to be aiming for a docking right in Syria, in Tartus ." Andreotti managed to "find the Syrian dictator within hours: he even tracked him down in Germany, where Asad was secretly residing in those days because he had to undergo surgery. As it is equally obvious that the Syrian leader immediately moved in our favor not only because he
13940-591: The coast of Tartus , where the hijackers asked to enter the port: the Syrian government informed Italy that it would only allow docking following the opening of direct negotiations between the Italian government and the terrorists; the U.S. objected. The terrorists then demanded a negotiation mediated by the International Red Cross with the ambassadors of Italy, the US, the UK, and West Germany . Meanwhile, on
14110-711: The command of General Jacques Massu and General Henri Sauvagnac took over the 25th Parachute Division ( 25e Division Parachutiste , 25e DP). Again the Commandos de l'Air were kept under command of the Air Force. By the late 1950s, in Algeria , the FLN had launched its War of Independence . French paratroopers were used as counter insurgency units by the French Army. This was the first time in airborne operations troops used helicopters for air assault and fire support . But in
14280-420: The commanding general of the Carabinieri , Riccardo Bisogniero called in at Sigonella (on Craxi's orders) the military's armored cars and other reinforcement units, the U.S. special unit was ordered to return. Reagan, faced with the Italian position, had only to give in and withdraw these military personnel from Sigonella, trusting in the voluntary implementation of the promises he believed he had obtained during
14450-515: The condition that he would handle the consequences independently. He issued precise directives that the terrorists be taken over by the Italian authorities, and secretly ordered the military leadership that the terrorists and the mediators be placed under Italian control. Admiral Fulvio Martini , head of the Military Intelligence Service ( SISMI ), at 11:57 p.m. received a telephone call from Craxi and on his order first gave
14620-415: The continuation of the affair. From the Syracuse prosecutor's office departed a request to the Rome prosecutor's office to obtain direct statements from Abu Abbas. Rome's chief prosecutor assigned the task to Deputy Prosecutor Franco Ionta. The latter called Digos and was informed that the passengers of the Boeing were at the Egyptian Academy; then at 1:30 p.m. he went to the Egyptian Academy accompanied by
14790-595: The core of the institution; it contains 80 percent of the force and is organized hierarchically in five inter-regional commands, 19 regional commands and 102 provincial commands, 504 Company Commands and 4,672 Station Commands and lieutenancies. The territorial organization includes four heliborne units: Outside the territorial organisation, the Specialist and Mobile Units Command Palidoro ( Comando delle Unità Mobili e Specializzate "Palidoro" , based in Rome) controls
14960-466: The country, and they are always permitted to carry their assigned weapon as personal equipment ( Beretta 92FS pistols). The Carabinieri are often referred to as "La Benemerita" (The Reputable or The Meritorious) as they are a trusted and prestigious law enforcement institution in Italy. The first official account of the use of this term to refer to the Carabinieri dates back to June 24, 1864. Inspired by
15130-530: The country, with 7,000 personnel. Its missions are preventing production and distribution of illicit agri-foodstuffs, environmental and biodiversity protection, prevention of poaching, and suppression of all criminal organizations that, with their activity, affect the environment. In the Unit, there are also 29 NOEs ( Nucleo Operativo Ecologico ), teams highly specialized in complex investigations in environmental matters against organized crime. The main battles in which
15300-412: The criteria that Italian law establishes for the acquisition of evidence and the judgment on its evidence." The contents of the Ministry of Justice document were communicated in a verbal note to U.S. Ambassador Rabb. The ambassador declared that he could not agree with the conclusions of the Italian judiciary, and announced additional documentation that would prove the complicity in the hijacking also of
15470-500: The different priorities imposed by the Italian legal system. Having failed to get a positive response, U.S. President Reagan, infuriated by Italian behavior, decided to phone Prime Minister Craxi in the middle of the night to demand the surrender of the terrorists; however, Craxi did not budge from his positions: the crimes had been committed aboard an Italian ship, therefore on Italian territory, and it would be Italy's decision whether and whom to extradite. At 5:30 a.m. on October 11, when
15640-645: The division during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. The Fallschirmjäger were issued specialist weapons such as the FG 42 and specially designed helmets. In the modern German Bundeswehr , the Fallschirmjägertruppe continue to form the core of special operations units. The division has two brigade equivalents and several independent companies and battalions. All told, about 10,000 troops served in that division in 2010, most of them support or logistics personnel. The Fallschirmjägertruppe currently uses
15810-573: The exclusive mission to drop into occupied Poland in order to help liberate the country. The British government, however, pressured the Poles into allowing the unit to be used in the Western theatre of war . Operation Market Garden eventually saw the unit sent into action in support of the British 1st Airborne Division at the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. The Poles were initially landed by glider from 18 September, whilst, due to bad weather over England,
15980-454: The fact that a crime had been committed on board, but the statement made by De Rosa induced the Italian and Egyptian authorities to rule it out. Achille Lauro set course for Egypt and docked at Port Said: at 3:30 p.m. October 10. The ship was clear, although passengers still could not disembark. However, it was not until later in the evening that independent confirmation of the crime could be obtained: Ambassador Migliuolo had come aboard and in
16150-822: The force. It directly supervises the Directors of Administration, Health, Engineering, the motor pool and the Veterinary Commission. On the Deputy Chiefs of Staff depend the National Center for Recruitment and Selection, the Administration National Center and the Legislation Office. The Carabinieri are organised on a territorial basis for law-enforcement missions. The territorial organization represents
16320-410: The four hijackers into custody for judicial purposes and also to let two Palestinian leaders (including Abu Abbas ) accompanying them off the plane, who would be treated as "guests for witness purposes." The Egyptians agreed to the first request, but not to the second, arguing that the two persons should be considered guests of the Egyptian government, which held itself responsible for their safety: since
16490-431: The four-button jacket and white shirt and tie are replaced with a short-sleeved blue shirt. Depending on the weather conditions, the uniform can be worn with a waterproof coat (or beaver cloth for officers) and an anorak. Inside the military installations, the jacket can be removed or replaced with the "V-neck" sweater. In 2020 new 'bomber-style jackets', with appropriate logos were introduced which can be worn instead of
16660-851: The four-button jacket. The white cross belt is still worn on top and either a roll-neck base layer or a white shirt and tie is worn underneath. Paratrooper A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations , usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infantry armed with small arms and light weapons , although some paratroopers can also function as artillerymen or mechanized infantry by utilizing field guns , infantry fighting vehicles and light tanks that are often used in surprise attacks to seize strategic positions behind enemy lines such as airfields , bridges and major roads . Paratroopers jump out of aircraft and use parachutes to land safely on
16830-636: The general retreat of the Axis forces, when it was destroyed. Another major paratroopers division was formed during 1942 (the 184th Infantry Division "Nembo") and a third had started forming in 1943 (the 184th Parachute Division "Ciclone"). After the September 8th 1943 Armistice , elements of the "Nembo" division joined the Allies against the germans as part of the Italian Liberation Corps ( Corpo Italiano di Liberazione ) and later as part of
17000-569: The governments of Tunisia, Greece and Lebanon not to allow it to land at their airports. When the Egyptair flight was now approaching its destination, Tunis communicated its refusal to authorize the landing. Authorization was then requested from the Boeing to Athens , from where they received another refusal. The U.S. military then swung into action, radioing the Boeing and executing the intercept procedure, signalling with wing movements to follow them. Without prior warning, U.S. fighters diverted
17170-458: The ground. This is one of the three types of "forced entry" strategic techniques for entering a theater of war ; the other two being by land and by water. Their tactical advantage of entering the battlefield from the air is that they can attack areas not directly accessible by other transport. The ability of airborne assault to enter the battlefield from any location allows paratroopers to evade emplaced fortifications that guard from attack from
17340-458: The handling of the affair, speculating an attack to free the ship; also in reaction, the US government threatened armed intervention on the ship to free the passengers. The first position found Andreotti in agreement; Craxi, who was opposed a priori to an action of force, replied that, in case the assault should take place, it should be led by the Italian armed forces, even if inter-force with American Marines and Special Air Service (SAS); in fact,
17510-531: The head of the PLO's Rome office, Fuad Bitar, informed Amato that they had decided that Abbas and his companion would board a Yugoslav Airlines flight bound for Belgrade , which was supposed to take off from Fiumicino at 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Egyptian embassy obtained Belgrade's consent and blocked the Yugoslav flight when it was about to take off. At 6:00 pm. Palazzo Chigi warned the police commissioner in Rome, Monarca, to take all measures to ensure that
17680-409: The hijacking, but had collaborated to obtain the surrender of the hijackers and the release of the hostages. Craxi, in his conversation with Reagan, had made the distinction. The four would be prosecuted, while the two would be detained only for investigation. I pointed out to my two interlocutors that, according to the Americans, Craxi had promised instead to try all six, and that we would risk provoking
17850-473: The infantry had light blue. Their headgear was a distinctive bicorne , popularly called the lucerna (in use only for historical uniform and ceremonies). They still use a version of the historic uniform today for ceremonies. The uniform that the Gendarmerie wore in 1814 consisted of a turquoise fabric buttoned suit with a blue collar and padded gloves. Since 1822, some small changes have been made to
18020-523: The infantry pin and reddish-brown boots. Distinct from all other soldiers of the IDF, Paratroopers wear a tunic and belt over the shirt. The IDF has one active paratrooper brigade and four reserve brigades consisting of personnel who served their mandatory time in the 35th brigade, and who are mostly relatively recently discharged, aside from officers. The IDF paratrooper brigades include: The first units of Italian parachutists were trained and formed shortly before
18190-432: The instructions to the soldiers who were on board stipulated that, since it was Italian territory, Italian special forces raiders would go up. Thirty years later Craxi's former diplomatic adviser, Ambassador Antonio Badini, revealed that in this position Craxi was following the line, shared by the U.S., of marginalizing the Syrian role as an expression of anti-Western radicalism. Achille Lauro , having been ordered away from
18360-552: The islands of Falster and Masnedø – on the main road from the south to Copenhagen . Aalborg Airport played a key role acting as a refueling station for the Luftwaffe in the further invasion into Norway . In the same assault the bridges around Aalborg were taken. Fallschirmjäger were also used in the Low Countries against the Netherlands , although their use against The Hague was unsuccessful. Their most famous drop
18530-477: The journey, which had followed alongside the Egyptian Boeing and flown low just a few meters above homes to escape radar – requested a landing, which the control tower refused. The plane then declared a (fuel) emergency, turned off its radio and landed, and went to park not far from the Boeing. It was a U.S. North American T-39 Sabreliner , a military jet capable of carrying up to seven passengers. On board
18700-637: The judicial authorities". Europol also states that the force is "supplemented by the Specialized Carabinieri Commands, responsible for safeguarding the primary interests of the community: from the protection of the environment, health, work and national cultural heritage, to the observance of community and agri-food regulations, to the suppression of forgery [of] currency". In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo , Afghanistan , and Iraq . In 2003, 12 Carabinieri were killed in
18870-747: The killing of a German soldier; instead, he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence. The Carabinieri were in the forefront of many internal conflicts in Italy in the late 20th century, such as the Years of Lead (against the Red Brigades ) and the Second Mafia War (against the Corleonesi Mafia ). They participated, and lost men, in events such as the Peteano massacre in 1972, Circonvallazione massacre in 1982, and
19040-691: The largest unit of paratroopers of the Italian Army . The Brigade operates as Light Infantry with airborne drop and air transport capability with secondary light mechanized capabilities, as part of the "Vittorio Veneto" Division , the on-call divisional HQ controlling the rapid reaction components of the Italian Army . In 1982 the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" landed in Beirut with the Multinational Force in Lebanon . In 1991,
19210-410: The line that, in the absence of an extradition request, no one was allowed to take from Italian justice persons suspected of having taken part in a criminal act punishable under Italian law. The case had been entrusted to the Syracuse prosecutor's office, since the event was occurring on its territory of jurisdiction, as Andreotti told Schultz by telephone: therefore, among the protagonists of that night
19380-541: The local police stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public. In 1868, the Cuirassiers Regiment or Corazzieri was formed, initially as a cavalry escort of honour for the sovereign, and since 1946 for the President of the Republic. The Italian unification saw the number of divisions increased, and on 24 January 1861, the Carabinieri were appointed
19550-480: The military , and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad. They were originally founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia , the forerunner of the Kingdom of Italy . During the process of Italian unification , the Carabinieri were appointed as the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during
19720-614: The murder of Emanuele Basile . Until 2000, the Carabinieri were part of the Italian Army . On 31 March 2000, they were separated to become the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces. Interpol summarizes this force (part of the Ministry of Defence) as having a "nationwide remit for crime investigations. It also serves as the military police for the Italian armed forces and can be called upon for national defence action." According to Europol (the EU's law enforcement agency),
19890-460: The nation and participating in military operations abroad. It supports public order and territorial control in urban areas, and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety. 1st Mobile Brigade, whose headquarters is located in Rome and includes six Regiments and four Battalions mainly employed in public order tasks. 2nd Mobile Brigade headquartered in Livorno includes
20060-647: The national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's main law enforcement agencies, alongside the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza . As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces , they come under the authority of
20230-515: The national Army or Air Force, but in some cases the Navy. In 1944, Argentina became the second country on the continent of South America to use Paratroopers, after Peru. The first paratroopers were issued jump helmets similar to that used by the British at the time, with other equipment based on the Fallschirmjäger . The 4th Parachute Brigade ( 4 Brigada Paracaidista ) is a unit of
20400-448: The new American opposition, the safe conduct – which obviously also pertained to those who were believed to be mere negotiators – was signed by Ambassador Migliuolo and the ship was freed. The U.S. administration, through spokesman Charles Redman, officially distanced itself from the Italian mediation, but did not feel it produced any evidence to the contrary of the genuine nature of the intermediation: Washington, D.C. rather overshadowed
20570-582: The night by Federal District Court Judge Charles Richey against the hijackers and Abbas on charges of piracy, corroborated by evidence finally released by the Israeli embassy in Washington. Egyptian Ambassador Rifaat, on the other hand, informed the Farnesina that the ten armed guards aboard the Boeing had been ordered to defend the inviolability of the plane by all means. The passengers disembarked from
20740-623: The order to authorize the landing of the 5 aircraft known to them, from the control room of the Air Force General Staff in Rome; then he immediately went to the base at Sigonella. The Italian Command's authorization for the landing of the Egyptian flight came only when the aircraft had already declared a fuel emergency and it appeared clear that it would not be able to physically proceed to Catania-Fontanarossa Airport . The landing took place at 00:15. The tower controller and his assistant, without receiving orders to do so, instructed
20910-468: The other two in order to try them," Shultz stresses, specifying that "Craxi has agreed to detain all six – I repeat six – Palestinians and the president expects the Italian government to do so." Meanwhile, in Sicily, under the supervision of four U.S. officers (and five military radio liaison officers), the handing over of the four terrorists to Prosecutor Pennisi for questioning took place: they, who were in
21080-586: The parachute section of the Brigade was held up, and jumped on 21 September at Driel on the South bank of the Rhine. The Poles suffered significant casualties during the next few days of fighting, but still were able, by their presence, to cause around 2,500 German troops to be diverted to deal with them for fear of them supporting the remnants of 1st Airborne trapped over the lower Rhine in Oosterbeek. The Brigade
21250-460: The possibility of letting the plane leave. [...] "No," he said dryly. He was in the office of the Carabinieri station. Directly he followed the movements of the senior officer to whom he had shouted that no. He saw that he was talking to someone, then picked up the phone, dialed a number, and, with deference, said, "He doesn't want to!"" Prosecutor Pennisi, who was in charge of the investigation during those hours, then opposed their departure, saying he
21420-413: The presence of Egyptian officials began to hear from the captain what had happened. Craxi learned directly of the circumstance by speaking with Commander De Rosa in a telephone conversation, "a few minutes before the press conference. Craxi told us to alert our ambassador Migliuolo immediately, instructing him to prepare the ground for our request for extradition for the four hijackers, since the safe-conduct
21590-556: The pro-Syrian faction of one of its minority components, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (FPLP). Upon receiving the news, Italian foreign minister Giulio Andreotti and defence minister Giovanni Spadolini set about a negotiation that, from the outset, appeared particularly complex and highly risky, not least in light of the different political views within the Italian government. Spadolini summoned all
21760-508: The proposal of the U.S. National Security Council by arranging to unilaterally intercept the plane using the information relayed by Israel: four F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft took off from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and flew alongside the plane just over Malta. Meanwhile, the National Security Council and the U.S. State Department succeeded in limiting the Egyptian plane's landing options by asking
21930-547: The protection of Italian artistic heritage, to the currency protection, to the protection of Italian embassies abroad, to the health protection, to the labour policing, to Bank of Italy needs, to the Carabinieri forensics police services. In addition, the Division provides Carabinieri air support. The Carabinieri Mobile Units Division is located in Rome and has two brigades tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies, defending
22100-507: The realities of the strategic situation, but retained the Fallschirmjäger honorific. Near the end of the war, the series of new Fallschirmjäger divisions extended to over a dozen, with a concomitant reduction in quality in the higher-numbered units of the series. Among these divisions was the 9th Fallschirmjäger Division, which was the final parachute division to be raised by Germany during World War II . The Russian army destroyed
22270-448: The risers (four straps connecting the paratrooper's harness to the connectors) and suspension lines which attach to the parachute canopy itself. German paratroopers, whose harnesses had only a single riser attached at the back, could not manipulate their parachutes in such a manner. Today, paratroopers still use round parachutes, or round parachutes modified so as to be more fully controlled with toggles. The parachutes are usually deployed by
22440-405: The role of spokesman for President Reagan." In any case, the telephone conversation eventually took place: according to Ledeen, Craxi only asked him "why in Italy?" and was satisfied with his answer, "for your perfect climate, your fabulous cuisine and the cultural traditions that Sicily can offer." The Italian Prime Minister, annoyed by this improvisation, intended to allow the landing, but only on
22610-531: The rule of Benito Mussolini , they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded during World War II by Nazi Germany , which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the Italian resistance movement . In 2000, they were separated from the Army to become a separate branch of the Italian Armed Forces . Carabinieri have policing powers that can be exercised at any time and in any part of
22780-530: The same services entrusted to the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group in United States diplomatic and consular offices. Together with the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza , the Carabinieri is also responsible for border control . The specialized Comando unità per la tutela forestale, ambientale, e agroalimentare has its headquarters in Rome, and 15 regional commands and approximately 700 Station Commands around
22950-467: The ship's location. Immediately afterwards, Craxi, Andreotti and Spadolini arranged to meet at Palazzo Chigi for a nighttime summit. On the same night Arafat sent a personal message to Craxi and Andreotti: "Two emissaries of mine are on their way to Cairo and will accompany the Egyptian authorities. From the first reports it seems that the group is pro-Syrian." The two envoys were Hani El Hassan (one of Arafat's chief aides) and Abu Abbas , founding head of
23120-427: The ship, the situation degenerated: the terrorists repeatedly threatened to kill all the passengers, starting with U.S. citizens. Leon Klinghoffer , a Jewish and paraplegic U.S. citizen, was killed and thrown overboard. However, the hijackers did not continue to carry out their threat, except by simulating it with several gunshots that intimidated crew and passengers. The Syrian government sought to insert itself into
23290-442: The telephone call with Craxi. Of the Reagan-Craxi conversation as early as the next day, two conflicting versions were circulating, regarding the number of those to be detained and their fate: for the Italian ambassador in Washington , "speaking by telephone with Antonio Badini and Renato Ruggiero , they clarified to me that we actually made a clear distinction between the four and the two. The latter in fact were not responsible for
23460-597: The terrorists had already left Egypt – the White House declared that the Egyptian president's statements contradicted those it had received from its own sources. A little later, an official who was on Reagan's plane en route to Chicago informed that the four were still at an airport in Al Masa. It was not until the afternoon of October 10 that a civilian aircraft, a Boeing 737 of the Egyptian Airlines ,
23630-407: The top leaders of the armed forces and counterintelligence . Andreotti, in the evening, convened the crisis unit at the Farnesina , immediately activating his diplomatic channels, owing to his historic friendship with the moderate Arab world whose policies he supported. The foreign minister was handed the "Asad" chapter by Prime Minister Bettino Craxi : Hafiz al-Asad was his privileged contact in
23800-515: The transshipment from the Boeing to the airliner took place without incident. At 6:30 p.m. the Boeing left Ciampino and after 15 minutes landed at Fiumicino and parked a short distance from the Yugoslav airliner. Meanwhile, Rifaat had arrived at Fiumicino, who welcomed the two Palestinian leaders when they got off the Boeing and handed them passports with false identities. Spadolini went to Andreotti and asked him if Abbas had already left. Andreotti replied that he did not know. Giovanni Spadolini called
23970-598: The two were in Italy against their will and refused to leave the plane, it was absolutely out of the question that they would be forced to do so. The suspicion that things were not evolving as agreed began to grow in Washington that same morning, if it is true that the Secretary of State thought to specify in writing in a telegram to the U.S. ambassador in Rome, Maxwell Rabb , the content of his version of events: "The president proposed to Craxi that an urgent request for extradition be forwarded, and Craxi said that this would be
24140-579: The uniform. Officials and Marshals had silver swords and sabres, both in a black leather scabbard . At the beginning of the 20th Century, the rules of the dress code were reinforced because of World War I . Troopers had three different types of uniforms: the Complete uniform , the Ordinary uniform , and the Effort uniform . The Carabinieri's uniform at that time was made of a green-grey cloth material, and
24310-673: Was Free French SAS Captain Pierre Marienne who jumped into Brittany ( Plumelec , Morbihan ) on June 5 with 17 Free French paratroopers. The first Allied soldier killed in the liberation of France was Free French SAS Corporal Emile Bouétard of the 4e Bataillon d’Infanterie de l’Air , also in Brittany in Plumelec: June 6, 0 h 40. Captain Pierre Marienne was killed on July 12 in Plumelec. French SAS paratroopers also fought in
24480-419: Was a Delta Force commando and General Carl Stiner, then head of United States Special Operations Command , who with the two C-141s had diverted the Boeing to Sigonella. As the sun rose, a visit by U.S. Ambassador to Rome, Maxwell Rabb, took place at the home of the chief of staff of the Minister of Justice, Salvatore Zhara Buda. The embassy thereby handed over a copy of the international arrest warrant issued in
24650-451: Was acknowledged in the army report of October 4, 1916: Eastern theater of war: ... Oberleutnant v. Cossel, who was set down from the plane southwest of Rowno by Vice Sergeant Windisch and picked up again after 24 hours, interrupted the Rowno-Brody railway line at several points by means of explosives. ... The First Quartermaster General. Ludendorff. According to Russian reports, however, the tracks were only slightly damaged in one place, so that
24820-451: Was acknowledged in the army report of October 4, 1916: Eastern theater of war: ... Oberleutnant v. Cossel, who was set down from the plane southwest of Rowno by Vice Sergeant Windisch and picked up again after 24 hours, interrupted the Rowno-Brody railway line at several points by means of explosives. ... The First Quartermaster General. Ludendorff. According to Russian reports, however, the tracks were only slightly damaged in one place, so that
24990-426: Was conditional on the absence of any bloodshed that had occurred on the ship. De Rosa, certainly for the sake of quiet, had regrettably kept quiet about Klinghofer's murder in previous phone calls with the Foreign Ministry and the Services. Even before he went to the press conference, Craxi also instructed us to inform the Farnesina of our conversation with Migliuolo and to request that the procedures, in agreement with
25160-438: Was conducted by Maximilian Hermann Richard Paschen von Cossel, then Leutnant of the Royal Prussian Army and his new pilot, then Royal Saxon Vice Sergeant Rudolf Windisch. Windisch flew the Roland Walfisch used for this purpose and set Cossel down in a wooded area behind the Russian front. During the night of October 2/3, 1916, Cossel blew up the Rowno–Brody railway line, 85 kilometers behind the eastern front, in several places. This
25330-438: Was conducted by Maximilian Hermann Richard Paschen von Cossel, then Leutnant of the Royal Prussian Army and his new pilot, then Royal Saxon Vice Sergeant Rudolf Windisch. Windisch flew the Roland Walfisch used for this purpose and set Cossel down in a wooded area behind the Russian front. During the night of October 2/3, 1916, Cossel blew up the Rowno–Brody railway line, 85 kilometers behind the eastern front, in several places. This
25500-408: Was created from the 601e Groupe d'Infanterie de l'Air in Morocco and the 3e and 4e Bataillons d'Infanterie de l'Air (BIA) in England in the Special Air Service . The 2e and 3e Régiments de Chasseurs Parachutistes followed in July 1944. During the Invasion of Normandy , French Airborne forces fought in Brittany , ( Operation Dingson , Operation Samwest ). The first Allied soldier to land in France
25670-464: Was discontinued and their role being taken over by the para battalions themselves, with a platoon strength of each battalion being trained and equipped for the mechanized role within the brigade. The 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade comprises the following units: ( 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade Provost Section. The President's Body Guard also forms part of the brigade as the pathfinders company. Three Airborne units in rotation form part of
25840-410: Was dissolved on 31 December 2016 and personnel with forestry police function were militarized and absorbed by the Carabinieri. The corps is headed by the Comando , consisting of the Comandante Generale (a General ), the Vice-Comandante Generale (a Lieutenant General ) and the Chief of Staff, all located in Rome . The Chief of Staff directs, coordinates and supervises all activities of
26010-406: Was established under the Civil Guard as a counterinsurgency and anti-narcotics force. With the dissolution of the Civil Guard in 1991, the unit became part of the National Police of Peru . The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade was a parachute brigade under the command of Major General Stanisław Sosabowski , created during the Second World War in Scotland in September 1941, with
26180-463: Was familiar with the Italian minister who spoke to him on the phone. Asad acted immediately and harshly, forcing those in control of the ship to reverse course and head back to the waters off Egypt." At 10:10 p.m. from the Port Said harbor master's office, the commando's first claim and demand was picked up over the radio, which was for the release of 50 of their fellow Palestinians held in the Israeli camp in Nahariya . The threat for failure to comply
26350-606: Was invoked to guarantee his safety. However, only a few days later (on October 16) did the CIA hand over the complete texts of the wiretaps, carried out by U.S. means, which proved with certainty the responsibility of Abu Abbas, who was then tried in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment. Carabinieri The Carabinieri ( / ˌ k ær ə b ɪ n ˈ j ɛər i / , also US : / ˌ k ɑːr -/ , Italian: [karabiˈnjɛːri] ; formally Arma dei Carabinieri , "Arm of Carabineers"; previously Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali , "Royal Carabineers Corps") are
26520-407: Was later joined (but not taken over) by the Black Brigades , which represented a new militant incarnation of the Fascist party. Due to the role the Carabinieri had played in the downfall of Mussolini, and since one of the few units which fought the German occupation of Rome were the Granatieri di Sardegna Mechanized Brigade regiments and the II Carabinieri cadet battalion, the Germans did not view
26690-403: Was not informed of the Italian government's decision, but Ambassador Petrignani would later deny this version. As part of what Hosni calls the "diversionary plan" implemented by the Egyptian intelligence services there were two dangers to be evaded: the U.S. one and the judicial one. At 4 p.m. Rifaat went to Palazzo Chigi and there, from Amato's office, he telephoned Cairo. Shortly thereafter came
26860-440: Was organized as follows: Notably, Japanese troopers fought in the Battle of Palembang and in the takeover of Celebes in the Dutch East Indies. The 1st Airborne Brigade (Japanese: 第1空挺団, Dai-Ichi Kūtei Dan), established in 1958 is the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s elite airborne unit meant for anti-guerilla and commando operations. The unit is currently used for homeland defense and international combat operations as part of
27030-401: Was originally trained close to RAF Ringway and later in Upper Largo in Scotland. It was finally based in Lincolnshire, close to RAF Spitalgate (Grantham) where it continued training until its eventual departure for Europe after D-Day. The Brigade was formed by the Polish High Command in exile with the aim of it being used to support the Polish resistance during the nationwide uprising ,
27200-408: Was prosecutor Roberto Pennisi, at that time deputy prosecutor on duty at the Aretusean court. He was in charge of taking the four terrorists into custody and interrogating them. From Washington came immediate intimations addressed through diplomatic-military channels to the leadership of the Italian government: the Americans merely presented the matter as an international police operation, disregarding
27370-434: Was requisitioned by the Cairo government and officially became a state transport; in the evening, along with the four hijackers of the motor ship and the PLO representatives (i.e., Abu Abbas and Hani el Hassan) an Egyptian ambassador and some Egyptian security service agents also boarded the plane. The flight took off at 11:15 p.m. (Cairo time). U.S. President Reagan, while flying from Chicago to Washington, decided to accept
27540-435: Was sure of Abu Abbas' guilt, but the indisputable order came to let the plane take off and the case finally passed to the Genoa magistracy, which validated the detention, also contemplating the crime of murder. Craxi's diplomatic adviser Badini places his conversation "with Abu Abbas on the Egyptair plane at a stopover in Sigonella" in these hours: he, therefore, reported to Rome, in particular, that Abu Abbas had confirmed in
27710-482: Was suspected of having played a role) and a message from Reagan asking Craxi to exercise all his authority to detain the Palestinian leader, Spadolini called Undersecretary Amato, announcing to him his intention to request a collegial cabinet consultation on the decision regarding Abbas. At 2:45 p.m. Andreotti and Craxi agreed that, owing to Martinazzoli's advice, the Boeing aircraft could leave; Spadolini would later complain that – unlike Ambassadors Rabb and Rifaat – he
27880-411: Was the 1941 Battle of Crete , though they suffered large casualties. Hence later in the war, the 7th Air Division's Fallschirmjäger assets were re-organised and used as the core of a new series of elite Luftwaffe Infantry divisions, numbered in a series beginning with the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division . These formations were organised and equipped as motorised infantry divisions, and often played
28050-401: Was the only national security force in Italy. After the war the Carabinieri counted at least 2735 fallen and 6500 wounded, out of approximately 14,000 who had joined the Resistance in northern and central Italy. In Yugoslavia, the Carabinieri formed a battalion of the Italian 182nd Armored Infantry Regiment "Garibaldi" , which fought alongside the Yugoslav partisans against the Wehrmacht and
28220-436: Was to blow up the ship. After a telephone call between Andreotti and Yasser Arafat (who was the chairman of the PLO, as well as head of al-Fatah , the most important force within the PLO), the Palestinian leader in a press release let it be known that he was totally uninvolved in the events of the kidnapping. Meanwhile, the foreign minister managed to get in touch with the Egyptian political leadership to be able to facilitate
28390-413: Was too late. Abu Abbas, moving with the explicit authorization of the Italian government to another runway, left on a Yugoslav airliner, managing to take refuge in Belgrade: his guilt, on the basis of the evidence that emerged, was not apparent at the time (although he would later be sentenced by the Genoa Tribunal to life imprisonment) and, in the face of U.S. protests, the diplomatic passport he possessed
28560-410: Was transferred into the same command structure as all other Polish Forces in the West . It was slotted to take part in several operations after the invasion of Normandy , but all of them were cancelled. On 27 July, aware of the imminent Warsaw Uprising , the Polish government in exile asked the British government for air support, including dropping the Brigade in the vicinity of Warsaw. This request
28730-400: Was transformed into the Compagnie de Chasseurs Parachutistes in October 1941. By June 1942, these units were fighting in Crete and Cyrenaica alongside the British 1st SAS Regiment . As part of the SAS Brigade , two independent French SAS units were also created in addition to the other French Airborne units. They operated until 1945. In May 1943, the 1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes
28900-417: Was used by all soldiers. For historical and ceremonial use, the Carabinieri uniform consists of a distinctive black uniform made of silver braids around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The fringes of the mounted division are white, and the infantry has light blue. The headgear used is the traditional two-pointed hat for Carabinieri, known as the Lucerna, also called
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