Il ruolo dell’Italia nella «guerra dei droni» statunitense: una prima analisi degli accordi bilaterali che regolano l’uso della base militare aeronavale di Sigonella

In June 2018, a joint report published by the newspapers “La Repubblica” and “The Intercept” revealed that the United States have conducted about 500 drone strikes in Libya since 2011, most of which were flown out of the military base of Sigonella, in Sicily. The article analyses the bilateral agreements regulating the use of US unmanned aerial vehicles stationed in the Sicilian military base, with a view of discussing whether Italy may incur international responsibility as a result of the use of this facility by the United States. Considering that the existing agreements provide for a certain level of Italian oversight on US drone operations, it is argued that, should a US drone strike operating from Sigonella result in an internationally wrongful act, Italy may incur international responsibility for complicity within the meaning of Article 16 of the 2001 ILC Draft Articles on State Responsibility.