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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[–] gukleszl4hs48ughgxhr5xgd@fedia.io 118 points 1 week 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

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 42 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week 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.

[–] RidderSport@feddit.org 7 points 1 week 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.

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 21 points 1 week ago

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

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[–] blindpuskas@piefed.world 110 points 1 week 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.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 14 points 1 week ago

Maybe that ideology is declining already...

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 68 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (6 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.

[–] jenesaisquoi@feddit.org 43 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 42 points 1 week 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.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

don't you dare change that typo

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 15 points 1 week ago

Let it ride!

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

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

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] oce@jlai.lu 12 points 1 week 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.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Cesar Salad -> President Salad

Pizza -> American Pie

[–] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

technically Caesar salad is Mexican, it was invented in Tijuana

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 3 points 1 week ago

By famous television dog behaviourist Cesar Milan

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I wonder how they're gonna call Italian sausage.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

😱

[–] Napster153@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Feel rich with every Epsteinian Sausage!

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[–] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 53 points 1 week 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.

[–] fonix232@fedia.io 31 points 1 week ago

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

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 15 points 1 week ago

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

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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.

good job, Italy

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 29 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

[–] Damage@feddit.it 39 points 1 week 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.

[–] Jay101@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week 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.

[–] Damage@feddit.it 3 points 1 week 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".

[–] Melchior@feddit.org 38 points 1 week 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.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Meloni just lost a very important public consultation about criminal law reform…

[–] GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 week ago

Italy is often a weak link in an axis

[–] clauandr@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 week 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.

[–] akmur@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Yea think so too (I'm Italian)

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[–] Exeous@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

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

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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.

[–] LemmyBeYourself@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 week ago (3 children)

what could be the reason? I mean Meloni is the servile ally of Washington

[–] Hiro8811@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

She's Prime Minister not Queen, it's not her decision.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

She's a Fascist. She wants to be Queen.

[–] Hiro8811@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Yeah but she isn't yet which means there's still some part of the system that works

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Ask her defense minister that was stranded in the middle East on family vacation and had to be evacuated by military plane, just because the US were to stupid to even inform their allies they would randomly start a war there...

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago

She doesn't want Sicily to attract long range missiles.

US doesn't give a fuck about making other countries targets.

[–] Jay101@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Chad Spain always ahead of time.

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