Battisti is one of those enigmatic figures from the Years of
Lead. This period (mainly the 1970s and 1980s) so-named by the Italians due to
the constant threat of terrorism and the many deaths and injuries that resulted
from attacks, is still shrouded in unanswered questions.
Many crimes haven't been solved. Many officials and reporters
insist that suspects are being protected and many of the investigatory trails
lead back to intelligence services. Left-wing organisations like the Red
Brigades were heavily infiltrated by Right-wing fascists. While Italy wasn't
the only place this was happening, in many ways its legacy continues to be the
most complex and mysterious. The ties extend not only to the Mafia and the
Vatican but to South America and even some former Nazis.
Battisti has been on the run for decades and yet it's hard
not to think that he has some powerful friends looking out for him. His 'luck'
seems to know no bounds. We shall see if it has at last run out.
I've come to believe that for many of these figures, people
involved in dark government intrigues of past eras, there reaches a point when
their protectors are dead, retired or no longer have enough influence to shield
them. At that point they're truly on their own. They can turn snitch and blow
the whistle but that always means risking death and indeed many (too many to
count) informants, and people that have been 'turned' from terrorist groups,
intelligence agencies and the mafia have ended up dead or 'suicided' before
they were able to testify.
Others are all but gagged by judicial procedure, something
that is not easily perceived by the casually observant public.
This story is interesting and I will continue to watch it
develop.
Temer is desperately looking for friends and hopes to find some in Italy.
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