The Story of Operation Tobruk

The Story of Operation Tobruk

The Libyan dissident Aref Abdul Gialil, killed April 19, 1980 in
Rome at the Cafe de Paris, was the holder of Neptunia Lines, a company
which operated in the maritime transport sector and which had its seat in Switzerland
and offices in Italy. Honored Maioli, born in Reggio Emilia in 1924,
former communist paramilitary entered in SAP (Teams Armed Partisan)
electronics engineer by profession, has worked for over twenty years in Libya
(1964-1984) following the establishment of military bases and installations
in that country. He has also held positions for NATO (at the bases of
Montelimbaro and Capo San Lorenzo in Sardinia, Montevergine in Naples,
Gambarie d'Aspromonte, Passo del Melogno at Finale Ligure,
Monte Venda at Vicenza and Bolzano Laives, based at
which they served the two policemen died June 27, 1980
in the disaster of the DC9 Itavia) and the Ministry of Economy of Libya.
With regard to its relations with the exiled Gialil and its commercial network,
said: "As far as my presence in Libya I have to say
that between June 1964 and August 25, 1970, I was working in Beida in Cyrenaica,
with Edil Industry Rivelli Naples for the construction of 800
villas for diplomats, embassies and consulates in what was to become
the new capital, according to the plans of King Idris, who was the Bedouin
Cyrenaica. At the time of Gaddafi's revolution (September 1, 1969)
the project fell. To me it was confiscated his passport, because I thought
important in the sense that, being gone those of Fiat, was left
one of the few who knew, such as electrical engineering, commissioning and maintenance
of the generators. "
At the end of August 1970, during the return trip to Italy,
Maioli and others were invited by the Italian Foreign Ministry to return
Tripoli to return home the other fellow countrymen were in Libya.
But the operation failed. "At the end of 1971 I returned to Taranto, adds
Maioli, in the Mar Piccolo to complete the lighting of the
docking base for nuclear submarines on behalf of Simonazzi. "
At that time he was called to Naples by Admiral Eugenio Henke,
Director of CIS, who proposed to go back to Libya under
Agip coverage. But Maioli refuse the invitation, even if at the end of the year
I go back to Libya 'as a civilian "to assume the position of foreman
King of the Fire, Italian company, I believe the New Pinion for work
military base in Sirte, in the gulf. "
Just part of that project, Maioli you take care of the entire network
hydraulics of the base. "We ended May 30, 1974 stated the
Technical June 1st I started working with Gisa, and that a
livestock company of Reggio Emilia with functions of import-export and
customs clearance. During this period, at the same time, I also start work
with the company Neptunia Lines with headquarters in Switzerland to Chiasso. "
Bastogi was headed, in fact, "the Libyan, who was killed at the Cafe de
Paris. "
Maioli worked for a year and a half with the brother of
Gaddafi Salah Farkas, brother of the wife of Colonel. "Salah Farkas
was Director General of Military Farm Tajoura. "always according
the electrotechnical of Reggio Emilia, the Libyans could not speak, "the only
thing that was always repeating that the Services Italian protecting Libya
[...]. The Libyans were buying weapons in Europe, through a central site
Paris on the rue Kepler. "Within these close relations with the regime
Tripoli, Maioli also had the opportunity to hear about the coup of Tobruk:
"It was organized by junior officers who, it was said, leaned
Prime Minister Jallud. "
Other details of Operation Tobruk were collected by Colonel
Carabinieri Nicholas Bozzo, Genoese, born in 1934, former head of the office
Crime in the First Division Police in Milan in 1980 driven
by General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, who has stated on the record:
"At that time [in 1980] From the Dalla Chiesa received a call from
Marshal Argentieri, commander of the station in Novi Ligure
the province of Alessandria, who had already worked with him in counter.
That marshal reported having experienced a certain Krizmanich,
of Yugoslav nationality, who worked as foreman in Libya, with
a construction company specializing in the construction of the Yugoslav military airports,
could be useful to know about the presence of schools of training
Italian terrorists in Libya. From the church commissioned me to speak
with this Krizmanich. This took place between February and March 1980. "
So it was that Colonel Bozzo match the source was pointed Yugoslav
by General Dalla Chiesa. Krizmanich reported that his firm was engaged
in the construction of underground bunkers and jet ski for more
bases in Libya, the latest of which was to the south of Tripoli, in the desert. "He
Bozzo said also added that there was turmoil in environments
officers against Gaddafi Libyan Air Force. He knew
Arabic very well and was able to understand even hints or jokes,
attending official circles [...]. After a few months, not more than
May, Dalla Chiesa told me to come back in Serravalle because the marshal
Argentieri told him that he had returned from the Krizmanich
Libya. On this occasion he told me many things, including on Tripoli,
where he had been many times. "
This time the source Yugoslav let her know that at this time
(Spring 1980) there were many Italians in Libya (referring to elements
who trained in paramilitary camps) and that the operation against
Gaddafi was about to end. "The operation ± said the colonel

Bozzo would consist in breaking the plane that Gaddafi
used for his travels, both inside and outside of Libya. The operation
would be implemented by the Libyan Air Force officers.
I remember that he also names Krizman bases for sure and maybe even
officers. On these statements has concluded the officer of the Force
I wrote a note to the General Dalla Chiesa, making this a
voice that would be the source of most interest to the military service for
we as a Counterterrorism. From the church told me that we would have thought
and I think he has done to drive more relevant offices. "
On 17 October 1990 Krizmanich Benedict, born in Trieste in 1921, and
was questioned by the examining magistrate Rosario Priore, who among other
said: "I was four years in Libya and precisely since March
1979 to 1983-1984. At first I worked with Neptunia Lines,
which had its headquarters in Switzerland and offices in Livorno. the owner
was that the Libyan, who was killed in Rome by the Libyans themselves. they are
then passed into society Sices of Milan, which was owned by the Libyan: company
  who was in charge of the construction of supermarkets across Libya.
I was coordinator of the transport of heavy vehicles, for which I worked also
in the port of Tripoli. I knew several officers. I've heard of
most attempts at coups against the regime of Gaddafi. I remember a
attempt made ​​to Tobruk, where the Italians were involved,
two of which, surveyors, were also arrested. "In the group of conspirators
Italian (arrested between 2 and August 4, 1980) in cahoots with emissaries of the
Egyptian government concerned to throw down the regime of Colonel, included
the names of the contractors Aldo Del Re Cremona, Edward Seliciato
Padua and Milan technical Enzo Castelli, member of the Socialist Party.
"I do not remember other details added to this Krizmanich
draft coup. On these facts could report more detailed data
a friend of mine who lives in Reggio Emilia and with whom we have worked
so much together. It's called Maioli Onorato and worked for the Sices function
importer. It was very well introduced in government circles
Libyan [...]. The brother of Colonel [ie Salah Farkas, already mentioned by
Maioli, author's note] who told me about the trip Gaddafi worked in Poland
with us to Sices. We talked about what I reported in the workplace
in Tajoura, which is a village 22 kilometers from Tripoli, where the Sices
stores had then under construction. This person was hired
by Sices because it is mandatory to have a Libyan in firms that operate in
Libya. His duties were to "turn" for the offices. on this
current investigation, prosecutors wrote: "There is no evidence
certain to do so, but it is possible that the intense movement of forces
U.S. airlines and specialists in communications that you check on the
European bases to Egypt in the third decade of June was in some
way correlated with the preparation of the insurrectionary attempt. reliable and
that also in this direction have been carried out detailed investigations in this
procedure, in order to check whether the transfer of means ± also through
the air corridor when transiting the DC9 might have some
manner resulted in the loss of the aircraft dell'Itavia. Of particular importance,
for our purposes, and that these operations were developed right at the end of
June, so that in the issue on newsstands June 23 the specialist magazine
U.S. American Week and Space Techology revealed activities in
course and announced for 26 June sending other specialists in Cairo.

Source : COMMISSIONE PARLAMENTARE D'INCHIESTA
SUL TERRORISMO IN ITALIA E SULLE CAUSE DELLA
MANCATA INDIVIDUAZIONE DEI RESPONSABILI DELLE STRAGI XIII Legislatura
Doc. XXIII n.64 VOLUME PRIMO Tomo III