The war is upon us! 
The coup of 1969 leading to the Qaddafi government also leads to the reopening of the dispute with Italy on the colonial past. The new military junta uses Italy as the "external enemy" to cement the internal consensus, propaganda through initiatives such as confiscation of property (including social security contributions) and the expulsion of Italy and Libya, and the institutionalization of the "day of revenge. "
The core of the political relationship remains the Libyan claim compensation for damage caused by the Italians during the colonization and wars fought on Libyan soil. The question has inspired some discussion: if the current Libya (never independent before 1951) was internationally recognized as part of the Italian territory, the damage caused by military operations of the Italian twenties and thirties and the Second World War on the North African front, they would hit the Italian territory and not to another state, among other things no one European state has ever paid money for the alleged damage caused by the possession of another colonial territory now independent.
Equally Italy could ask for damages to the current Libyan government for damages resulting from the numerous rebel reprisals Libyans during the colonial period, it is quite absurd requests were rejected. These unusual requests
opposes the need to maintain a political relationship stretched for several reasons: the importance of extracting the oil that went ENI in Libya since 1956, the opportunity to work together to combat fundamentalism and terrorism, the search for stability in the Mediterranean .
In 1970, after the advent of the Libyan revolution, the more than twenty thousand Italians living in Libya were expelled from the country and have suffered the confiscation of all property in violation of the Italo-Libyan Treaty of 1956, concluded on the basis of UN Resolution of 1950 that affect the independence of the United Kingdom of Libya to respect the rights and interests of the minority population in the country.
The value of goods has been calculated, 1970, by the Italian government 200 billion dollars for the land value only. Including bank deposits and the various business activities and craft with associated goodwill, this figure exceeds 400 billion lire, to 2006, translates to about € 3 billion. Thirty-seven years, there has never been an ad hoc measure providing for the adequate compensation for the confiscation of 1970. The beneficiaries are benefited only by the laws of the benefits provided for compensation to all Italian citizens who have lost their assets abroad.
The confiscation of 1970 was justified by Gaddafi as partial relief for damages arising from colonization, a sort of advance on the alleged balance now able to obtain, although the distinction by the Libyan leader among confiscated assets and liabilities of the victims of the same has always been clear. The Italian government on its part has never claimed by the Libyan compliance with the Treaty violated by using the proposed arbitration clause (Article 9) or have you ever put on the table the value of those assets "returned" to the Libyan people if only to reduce demanded the Colonel. Dini-Mountasser
The agreement of July 1998 which was to close all the litigation is not the slightest mention of the value of assets seized from the Italians. As for entry visas to Libya, after the initial enthusiasm following the visit of then Prime Minister Berlusconi to Gaddafi in 2004, where the problem seemed to be overcome, now Italian citizens repatriated in 1970 can not come in the country until you have completed 65 years, through an organized tour and with the entry documents in Italian in Arabic. The AIRLIE today is the association that represents and defends the rights of all returnees, fighting since 1972 for the completion of the compensation, and founded his own battle on specific moral and legal grounds.
You hear every now and then credit the Italians in Libya, linking this issue with the advent of Gaddafi and the expropriation of assets and the expulsion of the Italians, in 1970. In fact, there are several aspects of the story. "Amounts of Italian companies in Libya 'as such, any business dating back to 1970, the oldest dating from the early eighties, most recently in early 2000. The reason for these entrepreneurs Libyan insolvency is not the political will to compromise the Italians, but the result of an administrative or commercial disputes. The variety of cases, since 105 companies, defies classification.
The Italian government, in the spirit of the past created by the cancellation of the Joint Communiqué (see above), asked in 2000 to various creditors of the Libyan Government to make known their situation to negotiate as a block of credits. The sum of the claims alleged reached the level of more than 620 million euro and the difficult negotiations began.
The Libyans demanded that the Italian side to calculate the undisputed claims within the 620 million euro, and has been answered, asked to recalculate with their experts, arriving at totally different conclusions, at the insistence Italian, produced in 2004 a proposal for redemption standard, of course, less than 600 million. Recorded creditors, the proposal was rejected and returned to the office. At one point told the Libyans (upholding a concept already expressed above) that the creditors of the group could be used singuli ahead anyway, then denied this possibility to occur the first case.
Libya FIGURES in Italy: The
October 16, 2007 ENI and the Libyan National Corporation have signed an agreement extending the presence of the Italian energy company in Libya until 2042 and 2047 respectively for the extraction of oil and gas.
Between 2008 and 2010, almost 40 billion Euros were exchanged between Italy and Libya: Libyan
the central bank and the Libyan Investment Authority (sovereign fund) have invested EUR 2.5 billion to acquire about 7% of Unicredit becoming the largest shareholder of the first Italian banking group
7.5% in the share capital held by Lafico Juventus make it the fifth investor in size Bombay
1% of ENI was acquired from the Libyans, who have longer than 25 years of energy concessions, in exchange for investing 28 billion Eni
Lafitrade, along with Fininvest, controls 10% of Quinta Communications, Tarak Ben Ammar
Cesare Geronzi, owner of General, Libya accepted years ago in the bargain company of Banca di Roma (now Capitalia), as well as bank UBAE
14.8% Retelit, telecommunications company, is controlled by the Libyan financial.
The Treaty of Benghazi in 2008 also opened the door for orders to be distributed among Italian investors:
€ 2.3 billion for the construction of 1,700 km coastal highway Libyan
construction of a convention center (Impregilo) and procurement of helicopters (Finmeccanica) and railway signaling (Ansaldo) were given to Italian companies.
From 2005 to 2009, Italy has issued licenses for the export of weapons to Libya for a value of 276.7 million euro in progression increasing in value in just three quarters of 2008-2009. Italy was thus the first EU country to arms exports to Libya, covering one third of the total in five years. The value of exports is covered mainly by military aircraft, but also includes missiles and electronic equipment. A further delivery of € 8 million of small arms through Malta has been traced back to Pietro Beretta arms factory. It is also unclear permissions received for delivery.
This is the past but soon this may not be quieter.
With a civil war that only a few kilometers away from us, where sooner or later the Americans arrive to intervene to quell the dictatorship of the Libyan leader, we might find men in all that we say no to being involved in a horrendous story.
E 'for half a century we are talking about abuse to the people of Libya, where the only was to enrich the "state" and now that the blood runs down the street, now that the insurgency rages in the streets of every city of Libya; we hear that the government is inclined to give a salary increase to the citizens.
One thing is certain, America alone can not control the various conflicts in the world, so will be forced to request the assistance of its allies ... and guess who is a servile ally of America? It just Italy.
