The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.

An Italian judge sentenced 23 Americans to up to eight years in prison on Wednesday for the abduction of a Muslim cleric, in a symbolic condemnation of the CIA "rendition" flights used by the former U.S. government.The Americans were all tried in absentia because the United States refused to extradite them but the sentence, the first of its kind, was welcomed by campaigners who have long complained that the renditions policy violated basic human rights."This decision sends a clear message to all governments that even in the fight against terrorism you can't forsake the basic rights of our democracies," said prosecutor Armando Spataro.

Switzerland has summoned the Italian ambassador for an explanation over raids Rome carried out against dozens of Swiss banks in Italy as a tax row between the two countries escalates, a Swiss Interior Ministry spokesman said.The Italian tax agency said on Tuesday hundreds of police and tax inspectors made checks at 76 branches of mainly Swiss banks as part of Italy's fight against tax evasion.

A joint military exercise that Israel, the US, NATO, Turkey and Italy were scheduled to conduct this week, was taken off the table because of American disappointment with Ankara's decision to withdraw from the maneuver due to Israel's planned participation, Israeli defense officials said Sunday. Turkey informed Israel of the cancellation of the Anatolian Eagle exercise last week, saying this was because the planes that Israel was going to send likely bombed Hamas targets during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Friday dismissed suggestions that he should step down for the good of Italy's image, saying he was the only person qualified to lead the country now and by far the best in Italian history. Berlusconi, speaking at his first news conference since Italy's top court lifted his immunity from prosecution and opened the way for a resumption of corruption trials against him, also said he was the man most persecuted by judges "in the entire history of the world." Berlusconi was asked by an American reporter about calls by critics that he step down because his personal and legal problems damage Italy's image in the world."The reality is completely the opposite," he said, remaining unusually calm in his response. "In my opinion, and not only mine, I am the best prime minister we can find today.""I am without a doubt the person who has been most persecuted by judges of all times, in the entire history of the world and the history of man," he said.

"The kidnapping of a terror suspect is too grave a crime to be covered up just to protect government secrets, a prosecutor declared Wednesday in the trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians charged in the abduction of an Egyptian cleric. Prosecutor Armando Spataro gave his closing arguments in a trial that is the first in any country to scrutinize the CIA's extraordinary renditions. Under that program, the U.S. spy agency transferred terrorism suspects to third countries for interrogation. Human rights advocates say that renditions were the CIA's way to outsource the torture of prisoners to countries where torture was practiced."

Berlusconi rented 28 rooms in a relaxation clinic for back problems and had sex - among others-with a soap opera actress called Nunez. The state attorney is now investigating due to organized prostitution.

Facing ever new relevations about the private life of Mr.Berlusconi, the Italians are loosing more and more their trust into their head of govt. Berlusconi has only 49%left of the trust of his peoples according to a poll of LaRepubblica, the other half thinks of him as not trustworthy or totally untrustworthy. It is the first time since may's 2008 return to power that he dropped below 50%.

"And in that instant the earth trembles. This time it is not the earthquake. The flowers raise and get out from the ground for the first time in their lives. They get up for their ignored rights..."

Six policemen were hurt in clashes late Saturday with demonstrators at a rally of more than 3,000 people against the 500-million-dollar enlargement of a US military base in Italy, police said. Some 300 youths, wearing helmets and carrying plexiglass shields, pelted riot cops with rocks and bottles during the American Independence Day demo. The police replied with tear gas and baton charges, AFP photographers said. The work at the base, a former airport in northern Vicenza -- which has a current troop capacity of 2,750 -- will enable 1,800 soldiers currently based in Germany to be stationed there. Six policemen were hurt in clashes late Saturday with demonstrators at a rally of more than 3,000 people against the 500-million-dollar enlargement of a US military base in Italy, police said. Some 300 youths, wearing helmets and carrying plexiglass shields, pelted riot cops with rocks and bottles during the American Independence Day demo. The police replied with tear gas and baton charges, AFP photographers said. Demonstrators who have regularly cut their way through barbed wire guarding the site cried "No arms here" and "We won't be a rear base for the killing of Afghan kids."

Do they have a fourth of July in Italy? That's not a trick question. This July 4th, Italians plan to gather in Vicenza to take nonviolent action aimed at freeing Italy from U.S. occupation and opposing the proposed construction of an enormous new U.S. military base in a town already swarming with U.S. troops stationed at existing bases. For years now, a major campaign organized by local residents has resisted the construction of the new base. The history of this campaign is chronicled in English here and here. A local referendum voted 95 percent against the base. A leader of the opposition to the base has been elected to the local government. An Italian prime minister has been temporarily thrown out of power. Local activists and members of parliament have visited Washington to oppose the base, and testified before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs on April 23, 2009. The European media has been unable to avoid the story. Last month, participants broke into the fenced off construction site to plant flags and banners: (video). Last week, U.S. soldiers jogging through Vicenza were greeted with signs asking them to go home...

"A former U.S. spy at the center of a kidnapping trial in Italy appeared to acknowledge a role in the abduction of a Muslim cleric but said he was only following orders, according to a rare interview published on Tuesday. Robert Seldon Lady is one of 26 Americans, almost all believed to have been working for the CIA, who are accused along with Italian spies of grabbing a terrorism suspect off the streets of Milan in 2003 and flying him to Egypt. There, Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr says he was tortured and held for years without charge."

ON the night of Barack Obama’s election as US president last November, Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, threw a candlelit dinner party for three beautiful women at Palazzo Grazioli, his luxurious residence in Rome. One of the guests, a former actress and escort girl called Patrizia D’Addario, 42, says he then asked her to stay the night. Not only that, but she claims to have taped the conversation that followed. “Go and wait for me in the big bed,” the 72-year-old billionaire is said to have told her. He was going to have a shower and change into a bathrobe.

he seemingly infinite story of Berlusconi and the girls continues: this time with even more intimate details A forty two year old formerly prostitute maintains to have been ordered into Berlusconi's private hosuse for partys for a payment of 2000 euros. Furthermore money was paid for stay and expenses and meals She also maintains she stayed 1 time at Berlusconi's private house overnight. The woman reports of several young girls who accumulated at berlusconis private villa. She claims she has proofs id est video cuts on her portable.She was hooked up by some of berlusconis friends who is a businessman an investigation is under way against this man for thriving prostitution a paper reports the prime refuses all accusations He calls them a conspiracy, lies and lopsided deals or intrigues the opposition intends to topple him like with several other scandals before for example with a newyears party with several only barely clothed young girls or the meetings with several women who were underage this time though berlusconi could have serious problems: the state attoney already has statements of five women who all claim they met berlusconi for money.

The Iranian leadership has ordered in a couple of foreign ambassadors to protest the so-called "hostile" reactions of the respective governments concerning the outcome of the presidential elections. How official Iranian media reported, the ambassadors of the UK, the Netherlands, Italy, and Czech were ordered into (Iranian state dept.) besides the German ambassador. Czech is currently head of the European council. Western govts. were demanded to respect the outcome of the vote and they were demanded (non-intrusion) into internal affairs of Iran

What happened immediately after is prohibited to minors...

Italy: berlusconi fell back to 35% and the white conservatives are at 10%. Socialists gained 26% and extreme left IDV gained 8%. Center is at 6%. Germany: 99 seats in total: Conservatives 42seats in total; Social dems 23 seats; ecos 14 seats; Lib Dems 12 seats ; leftparty (ex-coms) 8 seats United Kingdom: Conservatives: 24 seats; Labour 11 seats; Lib Dems 10 seats; United Kingdom Independence Party 23; ecos 2 seats; british Nationalist Party (nazis) 2 seats REPUBLIQUE FRANCAIS ump (conservative) 27.9 - socialist party 16,5 % - Europe Ecologie 16,3% - MoDem (populist) 8,5% - FN (Nazis) 6,3% -Leftfront 6,1% - Nouveau parti anticapitaliste (NPA) - New anitcapitalist party 4,8% - MPF-CPNT (nazi) 4,8%

Being one of the world's wealthiest men and prime minister of a country rich in history and culture should give Italy's Silvio Berlusconi the right to live la dolce vita in private. So when photos of a nude romp at Burlusconi's Sardinia villa showed up in Spain's El Pais newspaper, the Italian PM did his best Mount Vesuvius impersonation.

Dear Italian Minister, before making your next public speech, take a look at a library...

The landmark trial of American and Italian spies accused of abducting an Egyptian cleric in Milan will continue, a judge has ruled, rejecting a defence bid to end the proceedings. The ruling was a victory for prosecutors in the first trial to examine the "rendition" process, in which the CIA allegedly abducted suspects abroad and sent them to other countries for harsh interrogation. It benefits two former Italian spy chiefs by upholding a Constitutional Court judgment in March excluding evidence on state secrecy grounds. "The most important thing is the fact that the trial goes on, but it's clear that the court ruling has imposed some surgical cuts," the lead prosecutor, Armando Spataro, said. "We will have to see … which part of the interrogations we will be able to use."