Power vs. Diplomacy, Globalism vs. Regionalism: United States and Italy Facing International Terrorism. The Sidra Crisis, 1986
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Paolo Soave [1]
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[1] Università degli Studi di Bologna
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- Localización: Nuova rivista storica, ISSN 0029-6236, Vol. 101, Nº. 1, 2017, págs. 161-179
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
In the ’80s Muammar Gaddafi forced Reagan administration to escalate in determination against terrorism. While European countries seemed not so sensitive and engaged in facing Middle East through a “regional” approach, American foreign policy dealt with the new threat like a kind of warfare in Cold War, and in 1986 opted for the raid over Libya. Reagan’s will in reestablishing a strategic leadership also suitable in dealing with Gorbachev humbled the EEC’s attempts to promote a political solution to preserve the Mediterranean from military confrontation. Italy was the European member most affected by the Sidra crisis and after the Sigonella incident some differences and tensions between Rome and Washington raised again. Craxi and Andreotti had tried for so long to mediate between Atlantic solidarity and economic interests with Tripoli but finally the American global approach had prevailed over the regional one. Difficulties in allied cooperation against terrorism can be largely related to political and cultural characters. While United States were engaged in Reagan’s historical attempt to win the Cold War, EEC, after having experienced ideological terrorism, was starting to develop a political identity focused on civilian and soft power. Despite the American raid on Libya showed attitude to unilateralism and some scholars had defined it as “first war on terror”, it was just a test case.
