The foreign ministry in Rome
said Tuesday that it had summoned United States Ambassador John
Phillips for clarification following reports that the telephone
conversations of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi and his close
aides were tapped in 2011.
Daily newspaper La Repubblica and sister weekly magazine
l'Espresso reported on new Wikileaks files that suggested a
special unit of the United States National Security Agency (NSA)
listened in on the media magnate during the last of his three
terms as the head of government.
Premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday that Italy would "ask
for information in all seats, also via formal steps," on the
alleged US tapping of Berlusconi.
Berlusconi's opposition, centre-right Forza Italia (FI)
party demanded answers, calling on Renzi to report to parliament
and requesting an urgent meeting with Intelligence
Undersecretary Marco Minniti.
"What happened seems to be an extremely serious thing,"
said Forza Italia Senate whip Paolo Romani.
"It's serious that the NSA took the liberty to take
wiretaps at the highest level on Italian territory and did not
inform the Italian government which, when faced with our
questions, has always said that this is not true.
"It seems to me that the executive must now give a clear
response".
Berlusconi has frequently said there was plot to cause his
third government to collapse late in 2011, when Italy risked a
Greek-style financial meltdown.
Forza Italia Lower House whip Renato Brunetta reiterated
his demand for a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the
collapse of Berlusconi's third government.
"A parliamentary commission of inquiry is needed now more
than ever," Brunetta said.
"We are asking for it for the events of 2011 and we asked
for one on the banks crisis at the end of 2015.
"The two could be combined given that they are two sides
of the same coin, with the hands of international finance on
Italy and dark powers intending to put their hands on our
country".
The Italian media said the NSA's Special Collection
Service (SCS) tapped the conversations of Berlusconi, his
personal advisor Valentino Valentini, his national security
advisor Bruno Archi, diplomatic advisor Marco Carnelos and
Italy's NATO representative Stefano Stefanini.
They said the NSA knew about a meeting on October 22,
2011, with then French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel at which Sarkozy told Berlusconi that
Italy's financial institutions risked popping like a champagne
cork.
The conversation is said to have contributed to
Berlusconi's decision to step down as premier.
According to the documents, the NSA also recorded
Berlusconi promising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
that he would help repair relations with Washington in a phone
conversation.
Giacomo Stucchi, the head of the COPASIR parliamentary
oversight committee of the intelligence services, said Tuesday
that he will ask Minniti to report on the case.
"It seems right and proper to put the question to the
attention of Undersecretary Minniti in the hearing set to take
place the day after tomorrow," Stucchi told ANSA.
Sources at Rome's prosecutors office said that a probe
will only be opened if a formal complaint is filed.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
