Italy Guilty of War Crimes if Using US-Armed Drones in Killings - NGO

US advocacy group Veterans For Peace Coordinator Leah Bolger claims that Italy could be accused of committing war crimes if it uses the equipment it is purchasing from the United States to weaponize its Reaper drones for killings.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Italy could be accused of committing war crimes if it uses the equipment it is purchasing from the United States to weaponize its Reaper drones for killings, US advocacy group Veterans For Peace Coordinator Leah Bolger told Sputnik.

“Italy is a NATO country which has been used by the United States to do its bidding,” Bolgers said on Thursday. “If Italy actually uses its newly armed Reapers to assassinate people, it will be guilty of war crimes just like the United States.”

On Wednesday, the US Department of State approved the sale of equipment to Italy to weaponize the country’s Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

However, Bolger pointed out that buying the new equipment to give the drones lethal capability was not logical, because Italy was not involved in any conflicts.

“It makes no sense for countries to buy weapons unless they intend to use them, yet Italy is not at war with, nor is it threatened by any other country,” Bolger noted.

Italy has also expressed interest in buying US Hellfire II Missiles, 30 GBU-12 Laser Guided Bombs, 30 GBU-49 Enhanced Laser Guided Bombs and 30 GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions in the done arms deal.

The prime contractor in the deal will be the General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc. of San Diego, California.