Failed mission to free Christopher McManus and Franco Lamolinara from terrorist group led to anger in Rome
Relatives of the Italian hostage Franco Lamolinara follow his coffin at Ciampino airport near Rome. Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters
Italy's intelligence services were told by their UK counterparts that two hostages held by a Nigerian terrorist group had been located, but were not specifically warned a raid to release them was imminent, the defence secretary, Phillip Hammond, said on Tuesday.
The Italian government was informed after the raid had started, he said in a Commons statement designed to mollify angry Italian public opinion over the lack of consultation.
The raid led to an Italian engineer, Franco Lamolinara, and his British colleague, Christopher McManus, being killed by their captors.
The pair's shooting at the start of the raid on Thursday by Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram led to fierce protests by Italy's president, Giorgio Napolitano, over the lack of British consultation.
British defence sources claimed that Italian intelligence had been aware last Wednesday "of the direction of travel" and specifically that information had been secured indicating where the two captors were being held.
The men had been tracked down to a compound in the north-western town of Sokoto after information obtained late on Wednesday from a debriefing of two arrested Boko Haram leaders.
Hammond confirmed that Britain's ambassador in Rome, Christopher Prentice, did not tell the Italian government of the raid until it was under way, saying that Prentice went to see the government as soon as possible.
Hammond did not explain why Downing Street simply failed to ring the Italian government.
Hammond said: "The United Kingdom has had regular contacts with Italy through diplomatic channels and intelligence. We have not agreed on a right of veto by the Italian authorities on a possible intervention to free the hostages but I can assure you that they were well informed about the direction we were taking.
"There wasn't time to have the kind of discussions at government to government level that perhaps we would have had, had there been another day or even 12 hours available to us".
Hammond claimed the Italian authorities had been assuaged by British explanations, saying "the situation has been clarified to the satisfaction of both parties". He said there had been "an accelerating closing of a time window", and the judgment was made that force had to be used to release the hostages.
The foreign secretary, William Hague, has also reassured the Italians that there was no intentional delay in informing them, or that this had been dictated by a fear that they might oppose the operation.
David Cameron has written to the widow of Franco Lamolinara to express his regret.
The information on the hostages whereabouts came from two cell leaders captured on Wednesday and the belief was that the consequent increased presence of Nigerian troops in the area would have alerted the terrorist captors, so requiring great urgency.
The defence secretary disclosed that the UK had been assisting the Nigerian government in counter-terrorism measures ever since Cameron agreed such co-operation at a meeting with the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, in June.
In a sign that Britain has further to go to appease the Italian government, UK intelligence officials are due to visit Rome this week. Hague will visit Rome this month.
Hammond said: "The assessment on the ground was there was a significant possibility the kidnappers, if present, were already aware their security had been compromised and, if they were not, the level of military activity in the town meant there was a real risk of them developing that awareness.
"The military judgment was the hostages were facing an imminent and escalating threat, and, while an immediate rescue attempt would inevitably involve risk, it represented the best chance of securing the release of Chris and Franco alive."
Hammond said the operation lasted about 90 minutes and the two hostages were probably killed at the outset of the raid.
The Italian government was informed after the raid had started, he said in a Commons statement designed to mollify angry Italian public opinion over the lack of consultation.
The raid led to an Italian engineer, Franco Lamolinara, and his British colleague, Christopher McManus, being killed by their captors.
The pair's shooting at the start of the raid on Thursday by Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram led to fierce protests by Italy's president, Giorgio Napolitano, over the lack of British consultation.
British defence sources claimed that Italian intelligence had been aware last Wednesday "of the direction of travel" and specifically that information had been secured indicating where the two captors were being held.
The men had been tracked down to a compound in the north-western town of Sokoto after information obtained late on Wednesday from a debriefing of two arrested Boko Haram leaders.
Hammond confirmed that Britain's ambassador in Rome, Christopher Prentice, did not tell the Italian government of the raid until it was under way, saying that Prentice went to see the government as soon as possible.
Hammond did not explain why Downing Street simply failed to ring the Italian government.
Hammond said: "The United Kingdom has had regular contacts with Italy through diplomatic channels and intelligence. We have not agreed on a right of veto by the Italian authorities on a possible intervention to free the hostages but I can assure you that they were well informed about the direction we were taking.
"There wasn't time to have the kind of discussions at government to government level that perhaps we would have had, had there been another day or even 12 hours available to us".
Hammond claimed the Italian authorities had been assuaged by British explanations, saying "the situation has been clarified to the satisfaction of both parties". He said there had been "an accelerating closing of a time window", and the judgment was made that force had to be used to release the hostages.
The foreign secretary, William Hague, has also reassured the Italians that there was no intentional delay in informing them, or that this had been dictated by a fear that they might oppose the operation.
David Cameron has written to the widow of Franco Lamolinara to express his regret.
The information on the hostages whereabouts came from two cell leaders captured on Wednesday and the belief was that the consequent increased presence of Nigerian troops in the area would have alerted the terrorist captors, so requiring great urgency.
The defence secretary disclosed that the UK had been assisting the Nigerian government in counter-terrorism measures ever since Cameron agreed such co-operation at a meeting with the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, in June.
In a sign that Britain has further to go to appease the Italian government, UK intelligence officials are due to visit Rome this week. Hague will visit Rome this month.
Hammond said: "The assessment on the ground was there was a significant possibility the kidnappers, if present, were already aware their security had been compromised and, if they were not, the level of military activity in the town meant there was a real risk of them developing that awareness.
"The military judgment was the hostages were facing an imminent and escalating threat, and, while an immediate rescue attempt would inevitably involve risk, it represented the best chance of securing the release of Chris and Franco alive."
Hammond said the operation lasted about 90 minutes and the two hostages were probably killed at the outset of the raid.
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