Dear Diary:
Italian helicopter pilots have refused to serve in Iraq, saying that they won't fly unless their security is guaranteed. They received orders to deploy to Nassiriya in December. After their initial refusal, a military inquest was opened. The report has just been issued and with a recommendation that the pilots be charged with mutiny.
The security problem has to do with the rudimentary anti-missile system installed on the Agusta Ch47 Chinook transport helicopter and the Agusta-Bell 412 Griffon which they pilot. If an incoming missile is detected by radar, the pilots have to manually press a button to release phosphorous anti-missile flares to "confuse" the warhead. Obviously, there may not be enough time to press the button, especially if the pilot is distracted by other events. The pilots demand an automatically actuated system.
From what I gather, most of the National Guard helicopters in Iraq fly unprotected..they don't even have phosphorous flares.
The Italian Constitution specifies that the national army is a peacekeeping force only. Luckily, if convicted of mutiny, they don't face the firing squad...just six months to 3 years in the brig.