08 September 2013 (19:12 UTC-07 Tango 07 September 2013)/03 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/17 Shahrivar 1391/04 Xin-You (8th month) 4711

Italy’s new destroyer, Andrea Doria, along with the frigate Maestrale, has been deployed to Lebanon to evacuate Italian citizens.

The crews of the Andrea Doria and Maestrale will also conduct coastal recon of Syria.   There are already 11-hundred Italian troops taking part in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

Officially Italian leaders say they will not act militarily against Syria, unless there is a mandate from the UN.