this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2026
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Italy denied U.S. military aircraft headed for the Middle East permission to land at its Sigonella air base in Sicily, according to local reports.

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[โ€“] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 9 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Bravo Italia! The MAGA fucknuts must be fuming. In other news, I heard the French stopped and will not allow arms shipments across their territory to the lunatics in Israel.

good job, Italy

[โ€“] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 67 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (5 children)

True story: When France refused to let us fly through their airspace during the Iraq War, the Congressional Cafeteria changed the name of French Fries to Freedom Fries.

So I guess we'll be seeing Freedom Dressing on the Congressional Cafeteria salad bar.

[โ€“] ichwillhierraus@feddit.org 1 points 29 minutes ago

That was really a thing? It feels like the child that does not breath because he got upset.

[โ€“] oce@jlai.lu 12 points 1 day ago

Remember the resurgence of jokes about France surrendering? Same background.

Btw, it was not only refusing to let them fly, but primarily refusing to join the war while the UK, Australia, Poland, Spain or Italy did join that time.

[โ€“] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wonder how they're gonna call Italian sausage.

[โ€“] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Trumpian Sausage. "Experience the taste of Trump with every bite!"

๐Ÿ˜ฑ

[โ€“] Napster153@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Feel rich with every Epsteinian Sausage!

This made me feel gross in a rather fundamental way. That's impressive given that it usually requires something along the lines of a pictures of like a degloved arm to achieve that.

[โ€“] jenesaisquoi@feddit.org 42 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So childish. Without France, the USA would not exist.

[โ€“] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 41 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Americans like to pretend that France owes us for WW2, but if the French Navy hadn't shown up at Yorktown, and blocked the British ships from evacuating their army (again), we'd all be speaking...English...well, you know what I mean.

We 100% owe the founding of our company to France.

[โ€“] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Kind of shame, under the current situation. The USA lost their chance to become Canada when the French decided to help.

[โ€“] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We 100% owe the founding of our company to France.

don't you dare change that typo

[โ€“] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 14 points 1 day ago

Let it ride!

[โ€“] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You say that like people in the US learnt history in schools...

[โ€“] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Cesar Salad -> President Salad

Pizza -> American Pie

[โ€“] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

technically Caesar salad is Mexican, it was invented in Tijuana

[โ€“] Denjin@feddit.uk 3 points 1 day ago

By famous television dog behaviourist Cesar Milan

[โ€“] gukleszl4hs48ughgxhr5xgd@fedia.io 114 points 2 days ago (3 children)

The decision was reportedly made by Italy's defense minister Guido Crosetto, who was left stranded in the Middle East as the war kicked off. Crosetto said on March 1 that he was being evacuated from Dubai by military aircraft after he had traveled to the region for a family vacation.

lol

[โ€“] bold_atlas@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

That's what you get for going to that place for vacation. But good call none the less.

[โ€“] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 41 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Late stage self-awareness, is still self-awareness.

[โ€“] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's the Italian bureaucracy, I think it's safe to assume pettiness is the chief motivating factor here.

I'll take it, don't get me wrong, but let's not get it twisted.

[โ€“] RidderSport@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago

While it is a bit petty, I think it is mostly insulting to the italian defense minister. I mean you find yourself in a hot zone during vacation because your supposed ally couldn't give less of a shit to inform you that it would start a war. So honestly, quite a reasonable crash out

That's a fair call out.

[โ€“] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 21 points 1 day ago

It was pretty funny when that happened. We were hoping they'd keep him.

[โ€“] blindpuskas@piefed.world 109 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It is good to see that Spain is not the only one taking part and making statements in Europe, regardless of the ruling ideology.

[โ€“] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 14 points 2 days ago

Maybe that ideology is declining already...

[โ€“] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago (3 children)

AFAIK both Spain and France have completely denied access to their airspace for war related efforts. So flights departing from the UK after a refuel are going to have to do one hell of a detour to get to destination. And now, Italy denies bases use too.

[โ€“] fonix232@fedia.io 31 points 1 day ago

Wish Starmer had the balls to do the same...

[โ€“] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 15 points 1 day ago

Germany needs to deny them access too, but that probably won't happen.

[โ€“] tempest@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Turns out it helps to at least have a coalition of the doesn't give a shit before you start a war you can't win 7000 miles away.

[โ€“] GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 day ago

Italy is often a weak link in an axis

[โ€“] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 29 points 2 days ago (2 children)

What the actual fuck? Why are literal fascists doing anti-imperialism again?

[โ€“] Damage@feddit.it 39 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Because they've recently lost a huge referendum about changes to the Constitution, and every channel on TV is talking about government crises and how the right-wing coalition that's currently governing is falling apart, as the referendum vote was seen as a popular no-confidence vote on the current government.

People are pissed, we had huge protests last autumn about the situation in Gaza, in my city it was the biggest one I've ever been to, so this is a bit of a sensitive topic, an easy way to gain back some poll percentages.

[โ€“] Jay101@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But I bet people are more pissed about economic and social situation, because all these right and centrist refuse to make regulations and tax the billionaires while the workers pay for everything in the country.

[โ€“] Damage@feddit.it 3 points 1 day ago

Idk, the economic and social situations in Italy have always sucked, people are kinda used to "making do", we always joke about "italian solutions".

[โ€“] Melchior@feddit.org 38 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The decision was made by Crosetto the Italian defense minsiter, who got stuck in Dubai, when the US and Israel attacked. He is also on the moderate wing and from a rich family. Italy is weird that way. As in some members of a party go out a Roman Salute around, while praising Mussolini, and then the next day other members of the party call themself anti fascists and would love a European federation.

[โ€“] reksas@sopuli.xyz 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

i wonder if that was the only reason for this decision or if they actually thought things through

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[โ€“] clauandr@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's just a formality, they didn't ask so the government uses it as cheap propaganda to gain consensus after the justice referendum debacle. Meanwhile from Aviano jets are regularly taking off.

[โ€“] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 1 points 3 hours ago

I don't think so, it was the defense minister who refused, he actually got in the crossfire with his family during the start of the war, i bet that he didn't liked that lmao

[โ€“] akmur@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Yea think so too (I'm Italian)

[โ€“] Exeous@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

They ask permission in fly. Why no ask before leave?

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