CARABINIERI

... has acquired an international dimension. This has been achieved by its traditional professionalism and its role as a military organization with civil policing functions for immediate response in protection in states of emergency. In particular, it has been involved in overseas peacekeeping operations in contingents of Italians as well as in alliance with other nations, autonomously assisting in the reconstruction of the forces of law and order and in associated training programmes. These activities began with the dispatch of 52 Carabinieri to the Crimea in 1855-6 who carried out an exemplary task in establishing public order and aiding and assisting in the cholera epidemic. The long experience gained by the Institution has made it an organizational reference point for its structural, technical-operational and ethical-professional expertise.
In 1883 four Carabinieri were sent to Assab on the Red Sea to protect Italians nationals working in bureaus in that area which was to eventually become the Eritrea Colony in 1890.
Between 1897 and 1906 the Force was present on the island of Crete to maintain public order, to oversee the conflict between the Christian population against the Ottoman Empire, and to organize a local, efficient, impartial police force modelled on the Carabinieri structure.
From 1900 to 1914 a contingent was sent to Peking to guarantee the security of the Italian Legation during the disorder resulting from the famous "Boxers" revolt.

Carabinieri Officers organized a police force for the Ottoman Government in Macedonia from 1904 to 1911. In 1909, the Chilean government requested instructors for the "Cuerpo de Carabineros de Chile" and Warrant Officers Torquato Cremonesi and Felice Riva served to the completion of the mission in 1911.
From 1912 to 1923, after the success of the mission on the island of Crete, officers of the Force were sent to Athens to organize a Greek version of the Gendarmerie. Also in 1912, after the temporary Italian occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, Carabinieri were posted and remained until 1943.
Between 1918 and 1923 the Force was involved in peacekeeping duties in Constantinople and Anatolia after the fall of the Ottoman Empire until the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey.
From 1913 to 1922 the Carabinieri were also in Albania for the reorganization of the Gendarmerie after the fall of Ottoman domination.
From 1917 to 1921 a Carabinieri Department was assigned to the British Expedition serving in Palestine against the Ottomans, and was responsible for the protection of the civilian population, victims of racial discrimination, in some particularly volatile areas. In 1919 this organization assumed the name "Italian Carabinieri Attachment in Jerusalem", and was given, amongst other duties, the charge of Guard of Honour of the Holy Sepulchre.
In 1917 Major Cosma Manera masterminded a mission carried out in phases: the research, evacuation and repatriation of 10,000 Italian prisoners in Russia who had been incorporated into the Austrian-Hungarian army and who had been fighting in occupied areas.
From 1921 to 1936 an attachment of 20 men were on duty in San Marino until the constitution of the local police force.
In 1935, the Carabinieri Force incorporated in the International Police Corps, was assigned control of 81 of the 320 electoral seats for the return to Germany of the Saar Region, also reclaimed by France.
From 1950 to 1958 a group of Carabinieri, part of AFIS (Amministrazione Fiduciaria Italiana in Somalia) was sent by the United Nations to Somalia with the task of organizing and training the local police force as well as general peacekeeping duties. The long list of Carabinieri missions abroad does not end here because, from 1979 with the Multinational UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, Carabinieri were and are still present in those troublesome areas of the world where they are called to defuse tension and provide dignified and secure living conditions.
Currently there are over 1000 Carabinieri serving in overseas missions.
Since 1855, the Carabinieri Force, as previously illustrated, has had a long tradition in its participation in humanitarian and peacekeeping duties abroad, and has taken an active role in the evolution of these operations by direct intervention in the most significant missions conducted by the United Nations, NATO, OSCE and in Multinational Forces. As well as the traditional military role, human rights, assistance and consultancy in the reconstruction of policing, the implementation of law and order duties have been carried out.
Particularly significant in the sector of law and order is the role being carried out in the Balkans by MSU (Multinational Specialised Unit) a part of the NATO mission designed to bridge the security gap between the military whose troops are not equipped to deal with the problems of public order and safety, and the civilian police forces, either UN or local, untrained to intervene in public order operations. This capability of intervening in different situations, together with perfect interface with other military forces makes MSU an instrument not only useful in the NATO environment but also in any future possible European Union operation. As a result of the experience gained by the Carabinieri MSU, the European Union has approved the institution of an Integrated Police Unit, which can be immediately deployed, flexible and inter-operational with the military to be used for humanitarian aid, peacekeeping and in natural disasters as laid down in the EU directive "Petersburg" after the meeting held there in June 1992. The following are the principal missions in which the Carabinieri Force has taken part over the past ten years:

a. UN,EU,OSCE Missions or multinational/bilateral agreements

There were 10 representatives present from 7th August 1991 to 30th April 1995 and from 27th July 1995 to 31st December 2001 in the ONUSAL mission (United Nations Operation in San Salvador), and in MINUGUA (United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala), instigated by the United Nations for the verification of the peace agreement signed by the Governors of Salvador and Guatemala and by the opposition guerrilla movement and to protect the human rights of the local populations.
At the same time as the mission in San Salvador, after the signing of the peace treaty in Cambodia, the United Nations instigated UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia) in July 1992 for a period of twelve months. Italy participated in this mission with 80 members of the Carabinieri Force who carried out peacekeeping and supervision of the local policing with authority to carry out independent investigations and control and supervision of the electoral system.
Since 1994 the Carabinieri Force has been present as part of a police contingent, set up by UEO countries, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, (UEOPOL) to organize, train and supervise the Croatian and Muslim police in the Mostar area. They also form part of the IPTF (International Police Task Force) of the United Nations with the task of assisting and reorganizing the local police force.
The Force is also currently present in Bosnia as part of the EUPM (European Union Police Mission), which since 1st January 2003, substituted IPTF. In this first European Union mission there are 22 members on the Task Force staff and in the international police stations situated in the Croatian-Muslim territory as well as in the Serbian Republic of Bosnia.
In Kosovo, Carabinieri have been operating with 16 members in the KVM (Kosovo Verification Mission) of OSCE, and between 1998 and 1999 were directly responsible for the maintenance of peace at the end to hostility and cease fire, for negotiation with politicians regarding the return of refugees to their homes, and ensuring free access to humanitarian organizations.
The Force has been present on numerous missions in Albania. As part of the Multinational Protection Force it has been responsible for the security of the OSCE observers in their supervision of the electoral system. Twelve Officers and NCO's took part in the European Union initiative MAPE (Multinational Advisory Police Element) which carried out assistance, consultancy and training duties for the Albanian police. In November 1997, the Italian Ministry of the Interior set up an inter-force police mission. This mission ended in December, 2001. The purpose of the mission was to involve the Albanian police more decisively, particularly in the collaboration of the reorganization of their Force and in the development of the joint fight against crime and illegal immigration by the two countries.
A similar mission was then set up with the D.I.E. (Italian Delegation of Experts) between the Italian and Albanian Ministries of Defence and since 1998 the Force has the task of reconstructing and training the military police, and has recently been nominated as the model for a new police organization, the Albanian State Guard, and further assistance and consultancy services will be given.
The Force plays a very important part in Palestine in the role of observers. There are 17 members in the multinational TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) mission, based in the city of Hebron since January 1996, with the task of supervising the application of the agreement signed by Israel and the PLO in the difficult and delicate process of Arab-Israeli peace with special responsibility for patrolling and observing for any possible violation of fundamental human rights.
Since 28th September 1988, the Force has participated in the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) acting as international military police. Two units are presently based in Naqura and form part of the Multinational Military Police Organization responsible for the security of traffic in and out of headquarters, general traffic control, escorts and vehicle convoys, assistance at road accidents and policing and control of all cross border movements to and from Israel. This organization exercises authority over all UNIFIL personnel and associated civilians. It is commanded by a Provost Marshal, a rank equivalent to Lt. Col., and is the Military Police Commander.
In Africa the Force has participated under the United Nations flag in mission ONUMOZ (United Nations Operation in Mozambique) and UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia) beginning in the early nineties with a military policing duty and with personnel employed on national and international Central Command Staff until November 2000, when it joined the UNMEE (United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea). The Force has recently been given overall responsibility for the entire national contingent made up of a company of international military police and staff personnel.
In Indonesia, 33 Carabinieri parachutists participated in INTERFET (International Force in Eastern Timor) from September 1999 to March 2000. This mission, requested by the UN Security Council, followed incidents of civil unrest on the island and involved the task of restoring peace and security in the area as well as helping in the humanitarian operation for the local population.
Finally, the Force has recently participated in the United Nations ISAF mission, (International Security and Assistance Force) in Afghanistan with a Platoon of Carabinieri Parachutists for the defence of the multinational Central Command, a number of national military police, and an Officer, Provost Marshal who is a member of Central Command Staff. A Special Intervention Group of the Carabinieri has been designated the task of guarding the former Sovereign, Zahir Shah, who returned to Afghanistan on 18th April 2002 after more than thirty years of exile in Italy.

b. NATO Missions

The NATO mission in the Balkans has constituted the most significant operational and logistic task of the Force since the beginning of the IFOR mission (Implementation Force) discharging, not only the duties of military police, but also operational tasks involving the Carabinieri Parachutists Regiment "Tuscania". Since August 1998, Carabinieri troops are alongside the traditional military organization in Bosnia with an MSU (Multinational Specialized Unit), which is part of the SFOR (Stabilisation Force). The tasks of this Special Unit at regimental level consists of public security, assistance in the return of refugees, implementation of local government structures elected by minority groups as well as a contribution in the management of the critical situation regarding law and order in coordination with the IPTF.
The gratifying results obtained by MSU and SFOR, in the "Allied Harbour" Mission resulted in the request for a similar operation in Albania, MSU AFOR, which was operational from 19th April to 1st September 1999. The MSU AFOR reported directly to NATO on par with MSU SFOR and operated in the entire Albanian territory.
Since 4th August 1999 a further MSU Regiment has been deployed in the NATO force in Kosovo, KFOR. This Unit, as well as carrying out security tasks by patrolling selective, highly sensitive areas and maintaining public law and order, is working in collaboration with the UN Police in the field of criminal investigation and intelligence in the UNMIK mission (United Nations Mission in Kosovo).
The success of MSU in Bosnia has generated interest from countries both inside and outside of Europe, and requests to contribute personnel to the Unit, thereby augmenting the multinational bond and contributing in the international leadership position of the Force in the maintenance of law and order and security in areas of conflict.
Finally, since 2001 the Force participated in NATO missions in Macedonia as military police and in intelligence which has been necessary for the disarming of the UCK (Kosovo Liberation Army) and in the stabilising process of the country. With the same task, an Officer of the Carabinieri Force is on duty in Albania, attached to the General Headquarters established by NATO in July 2002, to act as their negotiator with the Albanian government and to monitor communications with Kosovo.