Italy

One of the founding members of the Global Coalition against Daesh, Italy has always greatly contributed to the joint effort at all levels, both diplomatic and military, in stabilisation initiatives. As of today, it co-chairs the Counter Finance Working Group and the Africa Focus Group/AFFG, actively participates in the other three Working Groups and to the Political Military Consultations, keeps one of the biggest military contingents in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, and contributes with a seconded official to the Communication Cell.

The structure of the MFA in charge of the Coalition regroups a Special Envoy with a coordinating role and other officials from the relevant Departments, working in strict coordination with the Ministries of Defence and Finances for their respective competences.

ITALY – AFRICA FOCUS GROUP: REINFORCING CT CAPABILITIES OF OUR AFRICAN PARTNERS
On the occasion of the 2021 Coalition’s Ministerial Italy proposed to establish a structure specifically devoted to Counter Terrorism in Africa, with the direct involvement of the African members of the Coalition. The Focus Group was formally inaugurated in Brussels in December 2021. The Coalition’s effort in Africa is strictly civilian-led, as it focuses mainly on border control and management, battlefield evidence collection and biometric data collection. According to the “Action Plan” adopted in Niamey in 2023, the AFFG concentrates also on communication and countering of negative propaganda. Italy and the United States are permanent co-chairs of the AFFG.

ITALY – COUNTER-FINANCING: TACKLING DAESH’S FINANCES
Italy – together with the United States and Saudi Arabia – co-leads the Counter Daesh Finance Group (CDFG) aimed at identifying and disrupting Daesh’s sources of revenue and financial networks. Italy has been working with the Global Coalition partners to limit Daesh’s access to regional and international financial systems, hinder Daesh’s global financial networks and its geographical affiliates, strengthen international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures.

At the national level, Italy fully implements UN resolutions and European Union measures related to counter terrorist financing by applying targeted financial sanctions. Italy has also established an autonomous national freezing instrument and has approved enhanced legislation on countering terrorist financing. A dedicated interagency body, the Financial Security Committee, is entrusted with the power to oversee this comprehensive process.

ITALY – STABILISATION
Italy actively contributes to the stabilisation goals agreed within the Coalition to support populations in liberated areas of both in Syria and in Iraq. Italy is an essential contributor to the UNDP Fund for Stabilisation in Iraq, supporting it with approximately 20 million Euros and actively supporting the Coalition’s efforts to strengthen the security capabilities of the Iraqi Government.

Among its stabilisation-related initiatives in Iraq are the Mosul Dam project, where an Italian company took care of the urgent works for its refurbishment between 2016 and 2019; Italy also took the lead in the global efforts to counter the illicit trafficking of antiquities, with the initiative “Cultural Heritage in Iraq”. Italy launched the “Unite4Heritage” initiative at UNESCO and has also been engaged in long-standing archaeological cooperation with the Iraqi government, leading twenty-four archaeological research missions in the country.

In North-East Syria Italy contributes to the yearly stabilisation fund providing humanitarian assistance and funding programs in the sectors of agriculture, animal husbandry, health, and local governance. Lately a specific attention has been paid to the condition of minors hosted in the Al-Hol camp, with contributions provided to UNICEF’s projects on non-formal education and on reintegration of minors in their communities of origin.

These stabilisation initiatives are part of the broader humanitarian assistance given to the 2 countries. With the aim of tackling the consequences of the Syrian crisis, Italy has disbursed a total contribution of over EUR 425 million to Syria and its neighbours (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey) since the beginning of the conflict, in order to bolster the humanitarian response and support resilience.

ITALY – FOREIGN TERRORIST FIGHTERS
Italy is active in the framework of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) working group. Currently the agenda of the WG is dominated by the issue of repatriation of FTF and their families from the camps in North-East Syria, while still paying attention to any potential attraction capacity of the Daesh affiliates in Africa and Afghanistan.

In that framework Italy takes part also to the other different formats dealing with the issue of the camps in NE Syria, under a humanitarian and security perspective.

ITALY – COMMUNICATION
Daesh propaganda continues to generate significant impressions online. In this context, Italy strongly supports the efforts of the Communication Working Group of the Coalition and actively contributes to the Strategic Communications Cell. As part of the counter-narrative efforts, in April 2023, we launched on social media, together with the Cell, a video showcasing the projects of the Italian archaeologists working with Iraqis to preserve and restore cultural heritage sites damaged by Daesh.

ITALY – MILITARY
Italy is committed to the capacity building of Iraqi and Kurdish military and police forces and carries out military tasks in support of the Coalition Military Campaign Plan to defeat Daesh. Italy’s current military contribution provides for the engagement – in successive phases – of up to 1000 soldiers, 84 land vehicles and 13 aircrafts. Italian personnel carry out staff tasks within the CJTF Command and dependent Commands. In addition to this, the units/assets ensure support for operations through an air component with reconnaissance, surveillance, transport, electronic warfare, air refuelling capabilities and through a helicopter component with air mobility capabilities.

A) Defence Capacity Building

In Erbil, Task Force Land, a formation of Army personnel established in January 2015, operated until September 2020 within the framework of the Kurdistan Training/Mentoring Coordination Centre (KTCC/KMCC), led by Italy and Germany on a 6-month rotation basis. In September 2020, the KMCC ended its activity.

After a period of suspension of training activities for COVID-19 pandemic reasons, the courses for the Peshmerga and the Zeravani Forces have been resumed in January 2023, by express will of the Joint Forces Operational Commander.

In Baghdad, Suleimaniya, Erbil and Hamman, members of the Italian Special Forces are entrusted with the training of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) and Kurdish Special Forces. From January 2023, the Italian Army resumed the training activities of the Peshmerga, which were suspended in 2020 due to COVID.

B) Police Training

From June 2015 to mid-2020, the Police Task Force Iraq (PTFI) – led by the Carabinieri – trained local police units to be deployed in liberated areas, in particular Local Police, Federal Police, Swat, Border Police, Highway Police, and Kurdish Police. The PTFI delivered specific stability policing training courses such as:

Law and Order; Police Techniques and Procedures; Law Enforcement; High Risk Operations; Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED); Community Policing; Counter Terrorism; Crowd and Riot Control; Crime Scene Investigation; and ran courses for Women Police Officers.

Carabinieri have resumed their training activities in favour of the Iraqi Federal Police, concentrating their efforts on improving crowd riot control capabilities and Police Techniques and Procedures.

At the Special Training School of the Iraqi Federal Police, there are Mentoring Training Teams made up of units from the Carabinieri, which can be remodulated according to the training needs, located at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center at Baghdad airport employed by the ‘Italian National Contingent Command Land.

ITALY – CULTURAL HERITAGE
In Baghdad and Erbil, Carabinieri personnel from the Italian Task Force “Unite4Heritage” trained units of the Iraqi and Kurdish Police Forces and civilian employees on the protection of cultural heritage. In collaboration with local authorities, the Carabinieri performed surveys of archaeological sites, contributed to the identification and arrest of individuals responsible for clandestine excavations, and assisted in the seizure and delivery of smuggled items to the Nasiriyah Museum. Since 2003, the Carabinieri National Stolen Cultural Property Database has contained the images and captions of 4,000 archaeological artifacts stolen from the Baghdad Museum.

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“Although recent global emergencies have understandably diverted our attention, we must remain vigilant on the menace posed by terrorism. Despite lacking a territorial stronghold and facing limited resources, terrorist groups have taken advantage of the situation to expand their influence and infiltrate new areas. Disrupting the sources of revenue and the financial transfer methods of Daesh is a crucial aspect of combating the organization worldwide. As Italy has the honor of co-leading the Counter Daesh Finance Group alongside Saudi Arabia and the United States, we are fully committed to leveraging our experience and expertise to disrupt Daesh funding sources and methods. We are also strongly engaged in co-chairing the Africa Focus Group, established in 2021 based on an Italian proposal.”

Antonio Tajani, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.