News Analysis: Is Italy ready to launch military action in Libya ?

Italy is prepared to send troops to a possible peacekeeping mission in Libya and the country's secret service agency is ready to direct operations in the African country, local media have reported.

The moves are parsed as signs showing Italy is considering to join a military action in Libya.

Italy has recently agreed to allow American drones to operate from its NATO base Sigonella in Sicily and has said it would play a key role in an international coalition action on the condition that a government of national unity is formed in Libya and there is a request from the new government to intervene.

But Wednesday's news from Libya about the killing of two of four Italian workers taken hostage in July last year appeared to set the stage for an acceleration of the Italian action in Libya.

"The episode of the two workers places Italy in a dilemma," said Francesco Strazzari, a professor of international relations at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, a university based in northern Italy.

Italy pursues mediation and dialogue in resolving conflicts, however, the killing of two Italians working in the construction and infrastructure sector in Libyan has stunned the country, he said.

In Strazzari's view, the emotional reaction for an episode originated by accidental events - the two workers were apparently killed in a raid by Libya's security forces against the Islamic State (IS) - cannot change the strategic approach of Italy regarding the Libyan issue.

Being faithful to its traditional policy of dialogue in the Mediterranean, also in times of regional crises, Italy, the country which is hosting the Catholic Jubilee, has not used the word "war" so far, he noted.

"Parliament's approval is needed if Italy wants to take a more active role in a military intervention. Such a decision (to go to war) cannot be taken by the intelligence as it needs a clear political stance," Strazzari said.

But at the same time, Italy cannot back down from leading the coalition both in terms of strategic interests and migrant flows, said Strazzari, adding Italy should remember the price paid in 2011, when France took the initiative of an intervention in Libya. This time Italy wants to assume a protagonist role and protect its interests in the region, said the expert.

On the part of the United States, it is currently offering strong support for Italy's leading role in an international coalition, which is in line with U.S. President Barack Obama's foreign policy in the Middle East, a sort of "disengagement" and "joint responsibility" given to regional partners, said Arturo Varvelli, a research fellow and head of terrorism program at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI).

"Already in 2011, the United Stated was in favor of 'leading from behind' and would be happy this time if Italy takes the leading responsibility of a military action in Libya," said Varvelli.

"I think this role mainly depends on Italy's interests. The economies of Italy and Libya are complementary. Italy needs oil and gas, and has historically supplied know-how and technology to Libya," he noted.

The stability in the area and the migration issue also place Libya high on Italy's agenda, he added.

Varvelli also underlined that Italy was now focused on the primary objective of the formation of the Libyan government of national unity.

"I think a military action would risk to torpedo the talks and even to make Islamist forces more compact around the IS," he explained.

"Then, should the Libyan government be formed - which is still uncertain - I think the country would ask for international help in military training and provision of advisors and troops for a second line to support the action of the Libyan forces," Varvelli said.

Meanwhile, it cannot be excluded that the international coalition would also carry out raids, and in this case it is not clear yet whether Italy could have a more active role besides putting its military bases at disposal, he said.

What is certain, according to the expert, is that even in case of a more sizable military intervention, "Italy would take every precaution to make it clear that it would be acting so only in favor of the new Libyan government of national unity and not as a new type of colonialism." Enditem