Multidimensional Threats and Military Engagement: The Case of the Italian Intervention in Libya

The military operation in Libya (2011) is aparadigmatic case regarding the growing interaction of new security challenges: regional instability, transnational organized crime and illegal immigration. The main aim of the paper is to answer the question: Why has Italy employed aspecifically military instrument to tackle transnational and non-military threats? Through process tracing the research looks at the political debate over the decisionmaking process in the case of the Italian military engagement in Libya, emphasizing the role played by the strategic culture, international norms and domestic dynamics.