Italy appears to be following Spain’s footsteps in relation to the use of military air bases or, at least, that’s what the Italian media have been reporting.

The daily newspaper La Repubblica reported that the Italian Ministry of Defense refused to allow the United States to use the Sigonella base last Friday. The refusal by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto came after it emerged that several American aircraft had filed flight plans involving a stop at the Sicilian base before continuing on to the Middle East.

However, no request for approval was submitted, and no consultation was carried out with the Italian government. The plan was submitted when the planes were already in the air, and the checks revealed that these were not normal or logistical flights, and therefore were not included in the framework of the agreements with Italy.

Another Italian mainstream daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, explained on Tuesday that the Italian Armed Forces’ Chief of Defense Staff, Luciano Portolano, informed Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto a few nights ago that several US aircraft were planning to land at Sigonella before departing for the Middle East. The aircraft reportedly did not request authorization or consult with the Italian military, with Portolano being informed of the plans while........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)