Fabrizio Coticchia

Multidimensional threats and military engagement : the case of the Italian intervention in Libya

The military operation in Libya (2011) is a paradigmatic case regarding the growing interaction of new security challenges: regional instability, transnational organized crime and illegal immigration. The main aim of the paper is to answer the question: Why has Italy employed a specifically military instrument to tackle transnational and non-military threats? Through process tracing the research looks at the political debate over the decision-making process in the case of the Italian military engagement in Libya, emphasizing the role played by the strategic culture, international norms and domestic dynamics.

Helping Hands: Civil-Military Cooperation and Italy's Military Operation Abroad

In the Post-Bipolar Era the growing complexity of the military operations requires a new approach for the resolution of international crises. Since the end of the Cold War, peace support operations (PSO) have become the mainstay and principal occupation of most Western armies. At the same time, Italy has been one of the most important actors in such an area. The article focuses on the cooperation between military and civil components (a process called CIMIC) as a key variable in the Italian PSOs. We will analyse in detail the main lessons learned from past military interventions as well as the general context in which new tendencies are taking place. The maintaining of a minimum security frame becomes essential to fulfil activities ‘collateral’ to the mission: reconstructing services and infrastructure, food distribution, water and medication, law and order, de-mining, training of local forces, and supporting local institutions. These are the main tasks to obtain thrust and support from the population.

In Harm’s Way: Why and When a Modern Democracy Risks the Lives of Its Uniformed Citizens

Abstract Despite the risk of disastrous outcomes, time and again, advanced democracies have sent their soldiers abroad to dangerous places. They do so not out of necessity (i.e. self-defence), but choice (e.g. humanitarian intervention). What motivates political leaders to accept the risks of such actions? This heuristic study examines three diverse cases in which a medium-sized, advanced democracy, Italy, decided to deploy its troops abroad. It did so because it was both a way to foster its standing in world affairs and a deeply felt, ‘moral’ commitment to international law. This conclusion can probably be applied to several other democracies such as Germany, Canada or Sweden.

A critical friend: monitoring and evaluation systems, development cooperation and local government. The case of Tuscany.

The role of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems in the field of development cooperation has globally increased in last decades. International and regional organizations, as well as states, local governments and NGOs have largely adopted the tools provided by M&E in order to enhance transparency, effectiveness and efficiency. The paper aims at verifying how and to what extent the implementation of M&E systems has affected the overall quality of international cooperation projects financed by a local government. After a literature review on M&E in development cooperation, the research analyzes the wide range of activities (evaluation ex-ante, mid-term, final, monitoring, consultancy) carried out by the Evaluation Team of the XY in the last eight years in behalf of an Italian local government: the Region of Tuscany. The paper reveals the strategic significance of adopting M&E systems in the medium-long term.

Transforming the Italian Armed Forces, 2001-13

Italian armed forces have undergone important transformations since the end of the Cold War. Exogenous changes in the strategic and operational environment have driven a reshaping of armed forces in all NATO countries, but the differences between the national responses that have emerged has not always been thoroughly analysed. Deep restructuring in military doctrine, field experience linked to intense force deployment and budgetary constraints interact in shaping the direction of transformation, sometimes in ways that deviate from classic hypotheses on what drives change in the military. The picture that emerges is a complex one, where relevant innovations co-exist with the persistence of problems that call into question the sustainability of the Italian defence model

Peace and war in the political discourse of Italian Marxist and post-Marxist parties

Culture-based explanations, which are still lacking in the Italian political science literature, help to interpret the effects that changing political identities have on national security politics. The purpose of this article is to offer a contribution to understanding the evolution of the Marxist and post-Marxist parties’ strategic culture from the bipolar to the post-1989 era in Italy. Notwithstanding the transformation of Italian defence policy, with a growing involvement in military operations, the persistent post-war pacifist culture still shapes strategic behaviour. Our hypothesis is that the ‘myth of peace’ is a stabilising factor in the evolution of the strategic cultural identity. Through discourse analysis, this article focuses on the main frames used by leftist leaders to justify their vote in the parliamentary debate during the military operations undertaken in Lebanon in 1982 and 2006.

Can you hear me Major Tom? News, narratives and contemporary military operations: the case of the Italian mission in Afghanistan

ABSTRACT This research explores the relationship between public narratives and the Italian military contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (2001–2014). Despite attracting little attention in the literature, Italy has been one of the most crucial contributors of multilateral military missions around the world in the post-bipolar era. Italy has remained consistently engaged militarily in Afghanistan over the entire period of the ISAF mission. However, the country’s involvement has been characterised by differing and controversial views and perspectives among Italian political actors and the media. This study aims to reconstruct the core features of the strategic narratives and the media frames around the military intervention and it does so through a Qualitative Content Analysis on a collection of almost 200 articles published by four main Italian national newspapers. The goal of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, we systematically retrace the main discursive patterns and frames employed by the newspapers on the ISAF. On the other, we evaluate whether in the case of military interventions, the Italian media unveil critical inconsistencies and competitive arguments or whether they function as a repeater of the dominant political discourse. Thanks to the case study, we find that the Italian media supported the mainstream narratives.

Through military lenses. Perception of security threats and jointness in the Italian Air Force

Abstract The article explores Italian Air Force (ITAF) officers’ perceptions of military transformation and of changes in the global security environment. While several studies have addressed the challenges faced by European armed forces in the last two decades, the methods used have been rather uniform, mostly relying on in-depth case studies through qualitative interviews and analysis of strategic documents and budgets. Using data from an original, and unique, survey conducted among ITAF captains (N = 286), this article focuses on servicemen’s attitudes towards the transformations of the global security environment and the changes occurring (and needed) within the Italian Air Force. After describing the “military view” on these topics, the article provides preliminary statistical evidence on the links between individual experiences, views, and change. The research aims to contribute to the broader debate on military transformation by adding a novel dimension of analysis and providing new insights on the micro-level aspects of learning.

From the Fall of the Berlin Wall: Italy’s Military Missions 1990–2001

This chapter focuses on the MOA undertaken by the Italian armed forces in the 1990s. From the end of the Cold War to the beginning of the twenty-first century, Italian troops have been constantly engaged in MOA, deploying soldiers in a growing number of regional crises. Nowadays Italy is one of the most significant contributors to the UN peacekeeping operations.1 As has been emphasized in previous chapters, Italy has promoted its international credibility through PSOs, assuming new responsibilities in the global scenario. The inactive and purely defensive approach of the bipolar era has been definitively altered. The end of the constraints caused by the Cold War and the overall reform of the military played a crucial role in the transformation process. For instance, conscription has been abolished, the overall size of the army has been reduced and many other organizational innovations have been introduced in recent years.2

From the Fall of the Twin Towers: Italy’s Military Missions 2001–8

This chapter analyses the military operations undertaken by the Italian armed forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. The three case studies provide a detailed description of the Italian MOA in the post-9/11 world.