[quote=pri_dk][quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Forget about how endemically corrupt Italy is, or that the Mafia/organized crime effectively run that country. Forget Berlusconi’s shenanigans. Forget the fact that Italy’s intelligence and security apparatus is essentially a wholly owned subsidiary of the CIA.[/quote]
Allan,
You are correct. We should forget about all of the above. Because it is totally irrelevant to the issue.
The only issue here is this: Did these agents break the law? If so, they should be held accountable. A crime committed in a nation that has a corrupt government is no less of a crime.[/quote]
Pri: No disagreement here. My point, using the references about Italy, was that this was a show trial and conducted as same.
We obviously don’t have the time or space to really delve into this, but Italy, like France, Germany, the UK and others (including Poland), have not only supported the rendition policy, but are actively involved with it as well (for instance, there are numerous “black” sites in Poland used for interrogations).
This goes well beyond disingenuous, in that the government of Italy is well aware of their internal policies regarding security and intelligence procedures, and this “trial” was nothing other than a craven attempt to curry favor with the leftist elements.