(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 14 - "Italy does not forget who in these years in Afghanistan collaborated with our military".
This is the comment by Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerin on the arrival in Italy of the first plane carrying 82 Afghan civilian shoulder workers and their families, which landed this morning at Fiumicino airport.
With the military retreat of the NATO Resolute Support mission, in fact, the collaborators could be exposed to the risk of retaliation by the Taliban.
The operation called Aquila, planned and directed by the Operational Command of Vertice Interforze, has the purpose of transferring to Italy about 270 collaborators and family members for whom there is evidence of the existing working relationship or his time lent to the Italian contingent. Furthermore, for about 400 Afghans, an assessment is underway for the effective collaboration relationship given to the Italian contingent.
These people will be progressively transferred to Italy where, after the foreseen quarantine period, they will be taken on by the Ministry of the Interior for the subsequent insertion into the reception and integration network. (HANDLE).