Italy

Italy – together with the United States and Saudi Arabia – co-leads the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), aimed at identifying and disrupting Daesh’s sources of revenue and financial networks.

Building upon the strategy to counter Daesh’s financing enshrined in CIFG’s Rome Plan, approved in March 2015, Italy has been working with the Global Coalition partners to:

• Identify and disrupt Daesh’s access to regional and international financial systems;
• Hinder Daesh’s global financial networks and geographical affiliates;
• Strengthen international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures.

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation provides 45 million Euros every year to Syria, helping reinforce the health sector in the North East, food security, basic services and income opportunities throughout the Syrian territories to improve the resilience of the population, in particular in the Raqqa Governorate.

Italy also ensures a strong support for the development of Iraq, where projects worth around 13 million Euros are implemented each year with a focus on the promotion of stabilisation and reconciliation in the areas once occupied by Daesh.

Date Entered Coalition: September 2014

Working Group Membership

Communications, Counter-Finance, Foreign Terrorist Fighters, Political-Military Consultations, Stabilisation

Top Contributions to the Coalition

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 900 soldiers, 84 land vehicles and 11 aircrafts.

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. The following courses were conducted in favour of the Peshmerga:

• Basic Infantry Training; “Folgore” Anti-Tank System Training; Use of Mortars and Artillery; Sniper’s Course; First Aid; Counter-IED.

In September 2020, the KMCC ended its activity. The Military Advisor Group (MAG) started operating through multiple Operations Center Advising Teams (OCAT), which include specialized experts that are able to advise Iraqi security staff and leaders.

In Baghdad and Kirkuk, members of the Italian Special Forces are entrusted with the training of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) and Kurdish Special Forces.

Police Training

From June 2015 to mid-2020, the Police Task Force Iraq (PTFI) – led by the Carabinieri – trained 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.

Air Operations

Task Force Air Kuwait (TFA-K), based in Kuwait, ensures a synergic and coordinated engagement of operational assets KC767A, C27J, Predator and F2000 Typhoon, to implement:

• Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR);
• Electronic Warfare (EW);
• Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS);
• Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR);
• Personnel Transportation activities.

Task Group Griffon, equipped with four transport helicopters NH90s, is in charge of personnel transportation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Protection of Iraqi 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.

Social media handle and official website:

Twitter: @ItalyMFA, @MinisteroDifesa, @SM_Difesa, @ItalyinIraq

Facebook: @ItalyMFA.it, @ministerodifesa, @StatoMaggioreDifesaOfficial, @ItalyinIraq

Instagram: @italymfa, @ministerodifesa_official

Youtube: MinisteroEsteri, Ministerodifesa

Websites: www.esteri.it, www.difesa.it

“Italy does not and will never concede even a centimetre in the face of the terrorist threat!
The Italian State will react with all its power against those who sow the seeds of terror and attack innocent people, including women and children!”
Rome, November 11 2019

Luigi Di Maio, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation