Secret Sardinia | People and Power

The Italian island of Sardinia presents many faces to the world, from the pretty harbours, sun-kissed beaches and fancy coastal villas of the super-rich to the famously stunning landscape of the interior, with picturesque towns and remote villages dotted among the mountains, woods and streams. Unsurprisingly, such things attract holidaymakers from all over Europe and tourism has long been one of the island's main industries.
But few of those visitors will fully appreciate just how much of the island is barred to them - and indeed to locals as well. That is because about a third of Sardinia's territory is controlled by the Italian military and rented out as a testing ground for war.
This restricted fiefdom includes places like Salto di Quirra - a huge weapon-proving range and rocket launching site near Perdasdefogu, one of the largest such bases in the European Union - and large sections of Sardinian coastal waters reserved for use by NATO for naval and amphibious warfare training and kept off-limits even to local fishermen.
Inevitably some Sardinians baulk at the constraints all this imposes on them, but their principle concern is not about restricted movement, it is about their health. In areas near the test sites, there have been high rates of cancer, birth defects and early death. In one village, in one year, a shocking one-in-four new baby had some kind of defect. Elsewhere whole families have been hit.
"My mother-in-law died of cancer. They cut my father-in-law's leg off because it was cancerous. My father died. My sister died young of lung cancer," says Sardinian citizen Guilio Angioni. Farmers and veterinarians say grazing livestock has also been affected, with numerous documented cases of animals giving birth to young with grotesquely twisted limbs.
All of these instances, say concerned locals, are a toxic side effect of the thousands of high-explosive bombs, missiles, and rockets that have been tested here by European armies over the years - weapons that in some cases have contained depleted uranium, thorium and other radioactive materials, about which the authorities have been less than forthcoming.
Despite the military's alleged secrecy in covering up these health problems for decades, in early 2019 formal police investigations began to shed clarity on the issue. "The causal link between the exposure to depleted uranium and diseases suffered ... has been confirmed at a judicial level. It is a milestone," says Gianpiero Scanu, leader of a two-year parliamentary inquiry.
This film from Australian journalist Emma Alberici investigates the background to this disturbing story and the human cost of getting too close to the machinery of war.
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[@Gnignigni-dv8uf]

Thank you for making this documentary..... We Sardinians have been trying for years to investigate and make justice about this topic and the Italian government censored us! It's time to stand up and let the world know what has been going on for half a century in our island!

[@franci.f.]

Più che altro ora dovremmo manifestare per chiedere le bonifiche e che i soldi che prende il governo per le esercitazioni vadano ai cittadini sardi.

[@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223]

The most predominant wind direction in coastal Sardinia is maestrale meaning the wind blows in a southern direction blowing particles into the sea. I don't think there will be comprehensive studies as there is to much economic interest. Sardinians are generally nice and welcoming people, sadly they are islanders with proper island mentality. They are quite close minded and not open to change. Maybe it's wat keeps it so authentic as an experience but don't expect much.

[@dennismorris7573]

One of the most beautiful places on Earth - the island of Sardinia.

[@andreamura633]

We all love Sardinia man, but that's not really the sense of it now, is it?

[@donalain69]

Why would the army spend billions for warheads and ammo, and then blow it up in a pit? The only answer I can think of is that they have a deal with defence contractors to waste it so those contractors can sell replacements... for tax money. That secret area isn’t primarily for testing weapons.. it’s for wasting ammo to justify a high defense budget and make sure that budget doesn’t go down. I know this first hand. When I was in the army we where ordered to shoot with Bazookas at a mountain wall.. all day long.. without any target to shoot at. And with a cost of 10k per shot. My commander told me it was because it was almost end of the year, and they had to generate enough costs to make sure they get the same budget again next year. I then refused to follow the order.. im not that stupid to shoot my own tax money at a wall.. unfortunately the rest of the recruits didn’t seem to mind about that and had fun all day while wasting about 1 million each.. they where also ordered to keep this confidential.. but since I was in a cell when that happened I didn’t get that order :)

[@muokapear9138]

Wow, that's a n eye opener. Thanks.

[@mahdiabderraouf5795]

Interesting..

[@blrplatoon7338]

❤️ Thank you so much for your open mind. :( It is a neverending circle and we know who is in the background. Death penalty for those who create military rubbish and who want to make a war for profit. They poisoned the world :( This made me cry

[@giulianoatzeni6582]

A Foras sa N.A.T.O de sa SARDIGNA

[@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223]

Keep in mind that Sardinia is roughly the size of Belgium. The area affected is roughly 1/10th the size of London so don't be discouraged and visit it as it truly is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Still very bad for what happend and still is happening. luckily the truth came out

[@saraswatishaktimayi]

Are the military bases not all around the island? I would love some recent studies on the contamination levels in different parts of the island.

[@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223]

@@saraswatishaktimayi there are quite a lot but only this one is used as a ballistic test range..

[@saraswatishaktimayi]

@@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223 thats good to hear! But still it travels with the clouds and rain.... I would really love some recent studies, but havent been able to find anything.

[@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223]

@@saraswatishaktimayi I would like to apologize in advance for the abrupt change of topic. Your profile name and picture and your interest in a Island that I'm calling home over the last 15years made me curious as whom I was answering so I hade a look ad the content your publishing. You are so beautiful and it looks like your in so much harmony with your self. I sincerely give you my compliments.

[@saraswatishaktimayi]

@@NoMoreMrNiceGuy223 thank you for your beautiful and kind message. I would love to know more about life on Sardinia. It is calling me so strongly! Would you be willing to share your experience? Maybe we can have a chat on messenger?

[@jarednovel]

HOW COME THE FRENCH ARE NOT TESTING THEIR WEAPONS IN FRANCE

[@justscrolling9779]

Sadly, they did test Nuclear Weapons in 'French Polynesia'...

[@jarednovel]

@@justscrolling9779 They only do that because they feel they have power and no one can challenge them. The French like other European powers are arrogant bullies but they will meet their match one day

[@jarednovel]

@@justscrolling9779 It is all based on racism. The French think that Italians are lesser human beings ,,,and so are the people of Polynesia

[@mahdiabderraouf5795]

@@justscrolling9779 They used to test nuclear weapons in Algeria as well..

[@veda8154]

Hi. Al Jazeera.. Please broadcast anti CAA, NRC and NPR protests in india, recently children in karnataka state in region bidar are charged for sedition and are being interrogated by police officers in their school. Their parents are arrested for sedition charges.peacefull Protesters are brutally lati charged by police. Children are charged for sedition only because they ENACTED A PLAY IN SUPPORT OF ANTI CAA PROTESTS.. PLEASE SHOW THIS CHILD ABUSE BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT

[@utkarshpratapsingh4225]

🤣🤣

[@naveenkumar-cd4td]

Jihadi channel

[@eagleking771]

@@naveenkumar-cd4td tu kia kar raha gbe idhar....ja,ja k gaumutra pi k so ja

[@tazboy1934]

@@naveenkumar-cd4td u dont even know wat jihad mean ,go back and clean yourself in holy ganges more

[@naveenkumar-cd4td]

@@tazboy1934 cleaning in don't clean the heart,you PPL are low hearted

[@ldc5449]

if the military sell the land ... the real estate speculators will do lot money

[@dezah8360]

Hard to sell land that's been bombed with depleted uranium and thorium

[@marvinegreen]

8 Common Logical Fallacies 1) The Straw Man Fallacy. ... 2) The Bandwagon Fallacy. ... 3) The Appeal to Authority Fallacy. ... 4) The False Dilemma Fallacy. ... 5) The Hasty Generalization Fallacy. ... 6) The Slothful Induction Fallacy. ... 7) The Correlation/Causation Fallacy. ... 8) The Anecdotal Evidence Fallacy.

[@juhintao3605]

I had to scroll through all that long thread of garbled and twisted bullshits above before to finally read this. At least one working brain on this post.

[@marvinegreen]

@@juhintao3605 I ferried my car from Palermo to Cagliari and drove the island north to Sassari then ferried on to Genoa. Beautiful island. Pleasant people. Disappointing video.

[@pongufogu9457]

@@marvinegreen video full of bullshits. Thanks for your kind words.

[@andreamura633]

@@pongufogu9457 what do you mean bullshit man? AKA fill'e chini sesi? Which proofs do you all claim to deny what told on this video? Have you ever been in those towns or do you know somebody who has a personal story related to it? I bet you're all judging from your world that doesn't know about it, you're just claiming a position like it was a match or a game. Ridiculous

[@24hoursago3]

Poor Italy lazy system

[@dharma4914]

We are not lazy we are a colony

[@femalehuman1540]

@@dharma4914 thank you

[@juhintao3605]

This "video" about the Sardinian "misteries" represent one of the lowest peaks of journalistic standard ever reached, since humankind learnt to master written signs of communication and tame raucous growls in meaningful and phonetically articulated sounds. A very biased and futile exercise of partisan activism. The data about the size of Sardinian land devoted to military training and activities is ridiculously overstated; the radioactive contamination in the town of Perdasdefogu has been proved to be one of the most successful hits of fake news and media hoaxes. No mention of the three forensic surveys carried by prominent and independent laboratories on behalf of the Public Attorney which state the absolute absence of nanoparticles in the area. Local municipalities of the areas and population defamated by all sorts of wanna be investigative journalists, anti-militarists and pet lovers, have considered and tried to sue public celebrities and media which have contributed to spread fake news as absurd as those reporting about nuclear experiments carried in the poligono Salto di Quirra. Reality is that the same area targeted by local ex-spirts in military affairs, is the one where it is resident one of the eldest community in the world, whose parameters of longevity have been studied for about 19 years by prominent scientists from all over the world. In fact, the genomic research conducted in the SharDna laboratory of Perdasdefogu has been deemed so important and unique in its kind to be purchased by the Tiziana Life Sciences big Pharma after the bankruptcy of the SharDna for lack of financial resources. As one notable British scientist once remarked: "if there is depleted uranium in this area we are drawn to conclude that depleted uranium is good for health and longevity. please stop fake news and carry on with your hobby with little more respect for local communities and possibly without insulting public decency and human intelligence.

[@andreamura633]

You are talking wrong man, I tell you why. The Blue Zone is not in a direct relationship with the exposure of the video. Yes, a relatively high number of people are 100 yo or more, but this does not necessarily cover the fact that has been proved by a well presented and clear investigation by this movie. I am originally from Teulada, I know many people who died in just 3 months from pancreas cancer. Does this makes a certainty? No, it doesn't, but it sums up to the other stories that some know and reports. I really don't understand your attitude of addict this story as absurd. Your comment is absurd to me.

[@pongufogu9457]

@@andreamura633, ma pisciati una zampa..

[@cucciolobello4751]

and first of all: No radioactive contamination was found in that area and no Uranium, they only radioactive element found are natural thorium isotopes

[@cucciolobello4751]

@@andreamura633 ma voi complessati del sulcis sapete soltanto fare le vittime e rappresentare la sardegna come una terra disastrata e popolata da accattoni che piangono miseria? Da cosa deriva il vostro comportamento? Non soltanto a Quirra non è stato trovato alcun elemento radioattivo di natura antropica, ma si tratta comunque di un'area isolata e la mortalità della popolazione nell'area oggi si attesta nella media regionale...tra l'altro perdasdefogu è una zona blu, con altissima concentrazione di ultracentenari.

[@andreamura633]

@@cucciolobello4751 invece il torio immagino sia naturalmente presente in quelle concentrazioni ovunque e non è correlato con nessun caso di tumore