The mistake…

(BRUSSELS2) The latest gaffe by Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the EU, is causing a stir in Italy and is not of the best kind. Referring to the case of the Italian soldiers detained in India - and suspected of having killed two fishermen by mistake - she mentioned the discussions with the Indian authorities on the need to regulate the situation of " armed private security guards ». A mistake confirmed in the first press release issued (see here).

The press release issued by the Chizzi Palace is slightly different, it refers to the need for the Indian and European authorities to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against piracy and “E più particolarmente di dare ulteriore impulso alla discussione in corso per giungere alla definizione di regole internazionali sulla presenza di personale delle forze armate a bordo di navi mercantili. No need to be a goldsmith of Italian letters to understand that what is at stake is the regulation of armed forces personnel on board merchant ships (the full press release here). The information has already been given as it is at the press briefing; arousing the astonishment of our Italian colleagues. Drama in the peninsula where the entire political, media and military class is mobilizing to get out " from there our marines ».

Finally, the error is corrected on the European side (see press release in French and English). The corrected press release speaks "to place this incident in the broader context of international cooperation in the field of the fight against piracy and, more particularly, of the question of the regulation of the protection a? on board ships, whether provided by the ship protection detachment or by security officers? arm?s under private contract? ". a bit late.

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