Me, America and September 11th. Antonio Martino speaks
Conversation of Paola Sacchi with the former Minister of Defense, Antonio Martino
“My wife, who is American, told me alarmed as soon as she heard it on TV. We then decided to send troops to Kabul. It was the Julia Brigade, which made itself known for its excellence. Actually, I told Prime Minister Berlusconi immediately after making my decision. And he, as always with me: "You did the right thing". The responsibilities of the disastrous withdrawal are all of Obama, the worst US president, and of Biden ”.
Antonio Martino, champion of liberal thought, then in the elite of the second government of Silvio Berlusconi, speaks for Startmag on the day of the twentieth anniversary of September 11, as Minister of Defense.
Professor Martino, what personal memories do you have of that day?
On September 11, 2001, I had been defense minister for three months. In the morning I went by plane to Capodichino and then to the port where, boarding a military ship, I witnessed a very beautiful Navy exercise. Back in Rome, I took part in a meeting with the Tunisian defense personnel. I then went home and took a shower. While I was under the water, I heard my wife calling me in an alarmed voice. I dried myself as best I could and went to her, who was watching a terrifying spectacle on TV: the attack on the Twin Towers. Immediately afterwards I received a phone call, summoning me to the Council of Ministers. I went and heard Giuliano Urbani confidently affirm that the world would never be the same again. I ate a sandwich at Palazzo Chigi and rushed to Palazzo Baracchini for a meeting with my Tunisian counterpart. Under the circumstances, I reduced the meeting time to a minimum and, exhausted, went home. I commented with my wife, who is American, on what had happened and we agreed that it had been a great disaster. We heard President Bush make very harsh statements on television, received by the press and public opinion with strong consensus. The tragic event, however, had excellent consequences for me. In fact, in the first months of my ministerial mandate, I had to deal with the NATO ministerial summit which was to be held in Naples in September. Troubled by the events of the G8 in Genoa, the presidents of the Republic and of the Council were worried and opposed to it being held in Naples. I tried, in vain, to explain to him that a Republic that fails to guarantee the safety of 200 meters of pavement is not a serious matter. Berlusconi suggested doing it at the Saint Vincent casino. We therefore sent a high delegation to Val d'Aosta who reported that the place was not suitable. To which Berlusconi replied that he would have it fixed at his own expense. When I told my mother about it, she replied that she wasn't even in Italy! We were born closer to Tunis than to Rome; so I think we are allowed to know little about the Aosta Valley. The 9/11 tragedy solved the problem because the summit was postponed, closing an issue that had plagued me for months.
You recalled that Italy was the first to send troops to Kabul after the US. What memory do you have of this decision of such convinced adhesion to the war by the US and the allies against al-Qaeda?
Actually, I took it and immediately communicated it to President Berlusconi (he smiles). But as always he said to me: Antonio, you did the right thing. We took part, with the excellent Alpine brigade Julia, in the US “Enduring Freedom” operation on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, convinced that it was necessary to hit those responsible for the 9/11 disasters, taking away their training base. The Julia arrived in Kabul and then moved by land to the mission site, but the materials for the camp, the ammunition and what was necessary for the mission, which was to arrive by truck from the capital, did not arrive. The truckers explained that the cargo had been stolen along the way by raiders. Concerned about the problem, I summoned the director of the SISMI, General Nicolò Pollari, to get his opinion. I believe Pollari was an extraordinary director of military services. He assured me that he would take care of the matter and, in twenty-four hours, he solved the problem. I think he resorted to "holy oil" to grease the gears. Be that as it may, he was very smart. The Julia Alpini confirmed their reputation. They were formidable and, despite the very high risk, we suffered no human losses. Then we also participated in ISAF, a UN operation, and we did an excellent job again. I believe this is confirmed by the fact that we were later entrusted with the command of ISAF. I would like to add that I consider my two professional assignments, the first to foreign countries, as the most important mandates. In the millennial history of humanity there has never been a state without defense or foreign policy. These are not just some of the tasks of the state, they are the state. In foreign countries I also met people of great value. All my staff members were wonderful. But I also met Pelandroni diplomats and sonorous imbeciles. In defense, however, all the military have a sense of duty that is difficult to find in civilian administrations. I have never had to repeat a request twice; I did it and was immediately satisfied. To foreigners, however, the request was often ignored, even if repeated several times. The military, on the other hand, immediately satisfied her. But you didn't have to ask them for things please, you had to order them and they obeyed.
What are President Biden's responsibilities for this disastrous retreat?
The disaster in Afghanistan is attributable to Barack Hussein Obama and Biden. The former was the worst president in American history. In the case that interests us, he made two mistakes in one fell swoop: he announced his retirement and then started it, giving the Taliban time to regroup and strengthen. The disaster was completed by his deputy, who in a rare moment of sincerity declared that the tragedy was his fault.
President Biden also motivated the withdrawal with the need for the US to focus more on China. But paradoxically does not China risk strengthening itself to the detriment of the West precisely because of this choice?
Biden's seemingly sensible statement is actually contrary to reality. One of the reasons Afghanistan is not irrelevant is that it borders China in the East. It therefore represents the completion of the Silk Road. It is for this reason that Putin is trying to build relations with the Taliban. The former KGB agent and president of the Russian Federation is anything but stupid, he is well aware of the strategic importance of the Silk Road and being rightly concerned about Chinese aggression he ignores the defeat of the USSR by the Taliban and tries to contain the Chinese.
What memory do you have of former president Hamid Karzai, who remained courageously in Kabul?
I met Karzai both in Kabul and in Rome and I respect him. He speaks English correctly, dresses elegantly, and had brought democracy, thanks to American intervention. Afghans and Afghans flocked to the polls en masse. This is something that the secretary of the PD should keep in mind when, in a 68-year-old tone, he declares that democracy cannot be exported through war. The fact that the head of the Democratic Party is unaware that democracy is a universal aspiration speaks volumes about the credibility of the party of the orphans of communism. Karzai has governed well and with tolerance, he has restored freedom to women and I believe he is light years better than the Taliban, a group of backward and reactionary theocrats whose humanity is hard to believe.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/io-lamerica-e-l11-settembre-parla-antonio-martino/ on Sat, 11 Sep 2021 11:53:50 +0000.