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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[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 27 points 16 hours ago

good job, Italy

[–] GuyIncognito@lemmy.ca 24 points 20 hours ago

Italy is often a weak link in an axis

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 52 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (4 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.

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder how they're gonna call Italian sausage.

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 3 points 4 hours ago

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

😱

[–] oce@jlai.lu 6 points 7 hours 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 6 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Cesar Salad -> President Salad

Pizza -> American Pie

[–] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 6 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

technically Caesar salad is Mexican, it was invented in Tijuana

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 1 points 5 hours ago

By famous television dog behaviourist Cesar Milan

[–] jenesaisquoi@feddit.org 35 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 21 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 32 points 22 hours ago (1 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 13 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

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

don't you dare change that typo

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 12 points 16 hours ago

Let it ride!

[–] gukleszl4hs48ughgxhr5xgd@fedia.io 103 points 1 day ago (2 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 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] limonfiesta@lemmy.world 29 points 23 hours 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 2 points 4 hours 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 17 points 1 day ago

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

[–] blindpuskas@piefed.world 105 points 1 day 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 13 points 1 day ago

Maybe that ideology is declining already...

[–] iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world 49 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.

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 12 points 21 hours ago

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

[–] fonix232@fedia.io 27 points 1 day ago

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

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 11 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.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] Damage@feddit.it 33 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.

[–] Jay101@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours 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 2 points 7 hours 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 37 points 1 day 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 9 points 1 day 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 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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

[–] clauandr@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 23 hours ago (1 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 1 points 19 hours ago

Yea think so too (I'm Italian)

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

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

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

why would you help terrorists?

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 3 points 13 hours ago

Meloni is a fascist, so its surprising. Very pro Trump, anti immigrant etc

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

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

[–] Hiro8811@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] Hiro8811@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

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

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 21 hours ago

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

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

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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...

[–] Jay101@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Chad Spain always ahead of time.