{"id":330,"date":"2023-12-08T17:34:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T17:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brigatafolgore.net\/?page_id=330"},"modified":"2025-10-25T11:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T10:12:08","slug":"italcon-libano-1982-84","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/brigatafolgore.net\/en\/italcon-lebanon-1982-84\/","title":{"rendered":"Italcon Lebanon 2, 1982-84"},"content":{"rendered":"

You never forget your first time. And it was with theoperation Lebanon 2<\/strong> of the mission Italcon<\/strong>, the first major deployment of the Folgore since the post-war period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start for the Brigade in September of 1982 <\/strong>an operation in a country where, for many years, many factions of different religions and ethnicities have been bitterly fighting each other. The Parachute Brigade is present, from the first to the last day, with its own personnel and vehicles as part of the Multinational Force Contingent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 6 June 1982<\/strong>as a response to the assassination attempt by the Palesineres al-Fath organisation against the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom Shlomo Argo, the First Lebanon War, also known as Operation Peace in Galilee<\/em>, where Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) invaded the south of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Italcon
On 14 September 1982, nine days before his official investiture, Gemayel fell victim to an assassination attempt: it was the detonator that would culminate in the massacre of Sabra and Shatila<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Another reason given by Israel to justify the operation was that the intervention was implemented to intervene in the Lebanese civil war and counter Syrian influence in Lebanon and possibly allow the establishment of a stable Christian population leadership, which would strengthen the Lebanese regular army, restore security and allow diplomatic relations with Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later in 1982, an agreement was reached and US, French and Italian military peacekeeping forces (Italcon Mission) ensured that PLO survivors could find refuge in neighbouring Arab states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philip Habib, US President Ronald Reagan's envoy to Lebanon, assured the PLO that Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps would not be armed again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first troops landed on the beaches near Beirut in the August 1982<\/strong>. The Italians named their intervention Mission Italcon, the French Op\u00e9ration Diodon<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paratroopers of the 2e R\u00e9giment \u00e9tranger de parachutistes of the Foreign Legion (2nd REP)<\/strong> were the first to enter the city, disembarking in the harbour from amphibious vehicles of the Marine nationale and then moving into the suburbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 19 August 1982<\/strong>the 2nd REP, managed, at the request of the Lebanese, to allow the departure of the Palestinian contingent, entrenched in Beirut, in the face of the Israeli advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parte Italcon Libano 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 21 agosto 1982<\/strong> ebbe inizio l\u2019evacuazione internazionale dei combattenti dell\u2019OLP; contestualmente, per l\u2019Italia prese avvio la missione Italcon \u201cLibano 1\u201d<\/strong>: il contingente part\u00ec a bordo delle navi da sbarco della Marina Militare Grado<\/strong> e Caorle<\/strong> e del traghetto del Lloyd Triestino<\/strong> \"Buona Speranza<\/strong>\u201d, noleggiato dal Ministry of Defence<\/strong>, con scorta della fregata Perseo<\/strong>. Al comando del tenente colonnello Bruno Tosetti<\/strong>, il dispositivo terrestre era costituito dal 2\u00ba battaglione bersaglieri \u201cGovernolo\u201d<\/strong>, articolato su compagnia comando<\/strong>, due compagnie meccanizzate<\/strong>, plotone genio<\/strong> e plotone carabinieri<\/strong> proveniente dal 3\u00ba Battaglione \u201cLombardia\u201d<\/strong> , per un totale di 519 uomini<\/strong> (40 ufficiali, 81 sottufficiali e 389 militari di truppa) con circa 200 mezzi<\/strong> tra gommati e cingolati. In precedenza, la nave Caorle<\/strong> aveva provveduto all\u2019evacuazione di civili dal Libano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 23 August 1982<\/strong>the former leader of the Lebanese phalange Basir Gemanyel<\/em> diventa Presidente del Libano. L’evento sar\u00e0 fortemente significativo per il proseguio, negli anni seguenti, della missione Italcon. SOlo tre giorni dopo, il 26 agosto 1982<\/strong> attraccarono nel porto di Beirut le navi con il Italian contingent<\/strong>, che avvi\u00f2 subito le operazioni nel settore assegnato.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Italcon<\/picture>
19 August 1982: French paratroopers of the 2nd REP and US Marines in Beirut protect the evacuation of PLO militants<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The international operation lasts some 20 days, and the contingent withdraws along with the rest of the multinational force on 12 September<\/strong> following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the 14 September 1982<\/strong> there is the event that will culminate in further clashes and massacres: the newly elected president, Basir Gemanyel, is assassinated in a bomb attack along with 26 Phalangist leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is at this moment that Israeli forces occupy West Beirut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 18 September 1982<\/strong>, Lebanese Christian militias, led by Elie Hobeik and allied with Israel, including the Phalangists and groups linked to former Lebanese presidents Camille Sha\u02bfm\u016bn and Sulaym\u0101n Fr\u0101njiyye, massacred 700 civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, in retaliation for the death of Gemayel and the 1976 Damour massacre in which more than 500 Christian-Maronite civilians were slaughtered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, the Israeli army did not intern to stop the killing of civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venne quindi deciso il ritorno della Forza Multinazionale<\/strong> in Libano, composta da francesi, statunitensi e italiani<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La situazione \u00e8 tesa ed estremamente complessa: l\u2019Italia avvia Italcon \u201cLibano 2\u201d<\/strong>, che vedr\u00e0 schierati i migliori reparti delle sue Forze Armate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Italcon Lebanon 2 mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The mission began on 20 September 1982<\/strong> with the departure of the landing ships Grado and Caorle carrying the armoured personnel of the 'San Marco' Battalion under the command of frigate captain Pierluigi Sambo, escorted by the frigate Perseo, and the ferries Canguro Bianco, Buona Speranza departed from Genoa with the means and logistics on board, and Staffetta Jonica departed from Cyprus with the first advanced nucleus of Incursors of the 9th Btg. Col Moschin<\/a> arrived on the island with an Italy\/Cyprus airlift of the Italian Air Force and civil aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Italcon
One of the most difficult tasks in Lebanon for Italian soldiers: securing roads by deactivating anti-personnel mines.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When the situation on the ground worsened, Navy units equipped with 127\/38 calibre guns were also added to support the contingent on a rotating basis: Intrepid, which was the first to arrive in support of the 12 May 1983<\/strong>, and those equipped with 127\/54 calibre cannons: Ardito, Audace, Perseo, Lupo, Sagittario and Orsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An extremely demanding mission in every respect. For the Folgore, therefore, also a real field test. It was no longer a question of training, but of a commitment, albeit humanitarian, military and in a war zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tasks are demanding: to provide security in the area from the airport to the centre of the capital, in a periphery with a strong presence of Palestinian refugee camps, including those infamous for the massacres there, of Sabra and Chatila, escorts for local and foreign political, civilian and military personnel and, most difficult of all, protection from attackers. Fighting in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Italian contingent, initially of a thousand men, under the command of Parachutist Colonel Franco Angioni, the 24 September 1982<\/strong> arrived in Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relations with the local population and the different warring parties were also greatly facilitated by the construction of a field hospital near Beirut airport, where all wounded of any faction and civilians were treated. In the following months, Angioni was promoted to brigadier general and the contingent reached a strength of 2,300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Si avvicendarono il 1\u00b0 Battaglione Carabinieri Paracadutisti \u201cTuscania\u201d<\/strong>, the 2\u00b0 Battaglione Paracadutisti \u201cTarquinia\u201d<\/strong> and the 5\u00b0 Battaglione Paracadutisti \u201cEl Alamein\u201d<\/strong> as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n