Add the Gazzetta del Sud as a source
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in an interview with Fox News, underlined European support for US military action against Iran, noting that thousands of flights departed from European bases to support the mission. “I completely understand the disappointment, but if we take Italy as an example, 500 US aircraft took off from American bases in Italy to support the operation.
So this is a huge number.” “If you look at the whole of Europe, you are talking about between 4,000 and 5,000 flight missions,” Rutte said.
“A country like Romania, in its capital Bucharest – added Rutte – had to reduce commercial air traffic because the airport was used as a depot for tankers. So all this is happening”.
“Execution of existing bilateral agreements regarding military bases and overflights”
«The secretary general underlined how the allies, including Italy, have implemented existing bilateral agreements regarding military bases and overflights». This was stated by a NATO official to ANSA following the interview given by Mark Rutte to Fox News.
The Ministry of Defense: “Surprised by Rutte, Italy respects the treaties. A closer look would have been enough”
«It is surprising that the NATO secretary, who has nothing to do with the Epic Fury operation, makes a reconstruction that sends a totally fallacious message by confusing the type of authorized flights». Thus the Ministry of Defense adds: «Italy only authorizes flights that are provided for by the treaties and which totally exclude kinetic activities. As it has always done and as it will continue to do under the current agreements.”
«Only activities of a technical and logistical nature, not kinetic, were authorized within the procedures established by the existing agreements. As is known, the times in which a request was considered that went beyond this perimeter, Italy did not grant authorization.” This is clarified by the Ministry of Defense which, having intervened in relation to the declarations of NATO Secretary Mark Rutte, also specifies: “an in-depth analysis of the source would have been enough to be able to have the real representation of what happened and happens every day”.
The Ministry of Defense: “Rutte clarified, the 500 flights from US bases were not for attacks”
«The Honorable Bonelli’s statements are based on a baseless reconstruction. Minister Crosetto reported to Parliament with absolute clarity that Italy has authorized only technical, logistical and support activities provided for by current agreements, and not flights or missions of a kinetic nature. This is the reality of the facts. This is also confirmed by the subsequent clarification from NATO, which clarified that Secretary General Mark Rutte never stated that the approximately 500 recalled flights were kinetic flights or used in attack operations against Iran”. Thus the Ministry of Defense in a note. «When some statements gave rise to erroneous interpretations, the Ministry of Defense – continues the note – intervened immediately to re-establish the correct representation of the facts on the basis of the official data provided by the Italian Armed Forces. Data that is not the subject of political interpretations, but derives from the activity of women and men who work in the service of the State in compliance with the Constitution and the laws of the Republic. Therefore, those who accuse the government of having lied to Parliament should first deal with the facts and the official clarifications that came later. The facts remain unchanged: Italy did not authorize kinetic activities against Iran and the Government reported to Parliament exactly what happened.”