Italy PM can testify over rendition
14/5/08
A judge in Milan has ruled that Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, can be called to testify in a trial of CIA and Italian spies who are accused of kidnapping a ‘terrorism’ suspect in Milan and flying him to Egypt. Berlusconi is not accused of any crime and would appear as a witness to speak on the issue of state secrets in the case. The 71-year-old billionaire could become the first head of government in the world to testify in criminal proceedings over secret US transfers of “terrorism” suspects, known as renditions. Judge Oscar Magi also ruled that Romano Prodi, Berlusconi’s predecessor, could be called to give evidence.
See: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/581A35F5-6FD9-42F2-9292-42FDE480E2B4.htm
Bomber strikes Iraq funeral
14/5/08
A suicide bomber has killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens more at a funeral being attended by Sunni Arab tribesmen opposed to al-Qaeda. Police said the bomber blew himself up inside the funeral tent in the village of Abu Munasir, in Anbar province, west of Baghdad on Wednesday. Forty people were wounded. No group has come forward to say it carried out the attack. Police said the funeral was for Taha Obaid, a school headmaster who had been shot dead a day earlier.
See: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9590A6D4-225F-4FB4-A284-4BFB4413C782.htm