AEROPLANE TO AEROPLANO

Stepan Bandera L’Operazione ANYFACE: quando l’Esercito statunitense sottrasse un nazionalista ucraino ai servizi sovietici. Di Thomas Boghardt (traduzione di L. Pavese) Protetto dal rifiuto dell'Esercito degli Stati Uniti di soddisfare una richiesta di estradizione sovietica, Stepan Bandera tramò nell’ombra per l’indipendenza ucraina per quasi quindici anni, dopo la fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Alla fine della guerra, la Germania e la sua capitale, Berlino, caddero sotto l’occupazione congiunta degli Alleati. La cosiddetta Guerra Fredda non era ancora giunta a temperatura, ma cominciavano a manifestarsi crepe nell’alleanza del periodo bellico. Mentre il governatorato statunitense della Germania cercava di cooperare con i sovietici, i servizi d’informazione dello U.S. Army (l’Esercito degli Stati Uniti) diffidavano invece del dittatore sovietico Stalin, e cercavano di tenere alta la guardia sulle sue reali intenzioni nei riguardi dell’Europa Centrale e dell’Occidente. E, rig...

     Father Bergoglio and the Argentine Iron Guard      by Massimo Introvigne      (translated and edited by L. Pavese)      In the past few days, the international media have been entertaining us on the relations between the Jesuit Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis I, and an Argentine political organization called the Iron Guard. A few articles were quite accurate; others created considerable confusion, leaving one with the impression that the Holy Father belonged to a dangerous “fascist” association, or to a “communist” one, depending on the inclination of the writers. The true story is curious enough to deserve to be clearly told.           The political life of 20th century Argentina up to our present day has been vastly dominated by that typically Argentine phenomenon called “Justicialísmo” (the Movement for Justice), or Peronism, from the name of its founder, G...

Falling from Great Heights By Roberto Vacca Translated and re-elaborated (a bit) by Leonardo Pavese Lieutenant Giovanni Badalini of the Italian Royal Air Force completed 180 bombing missions over Malta. He was awarded one gold medal and two silver medals for military valor. On July 13, 1943, his S.M. 79 tri-motor bomber was shot down by a British fighter and dove to the ground. Badalini was ejected from the aircraft and fell at a speed greater than 310 mph. His parachute opened almost immediately and decelerated his fall so abruptly it caused him serious internal injuries. Normally, airmen who are ejected at high speed wait for the air resistance to slow them down to about 120 mph before opening their parachutes. After spending about 15 hours in the sea, Badalini was rescued by a British ship. After the Armistice , he went back to fly for the Italian Royal Force, this time against the Nazis; but before that he had to carry out a liaison mission wit...