The recent guilty verdict and lengthy sentence in the murder case of American student Amanda Knox and her boyfriend in Perugia for the brutal murder of their British roommate has generated much international media attention, as well as controversy in the United States. Those sympathetic to the convicted murderess blame the Italian police for focusing their probe on Knox because of her immoral sexual behavior that led to the murder in the first place. As with other recent high-profile criminal cases, the accusation of bias is used in order to dismiss the considerable evidence of guilt. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed an interest in ensuring that the American citizen is treated fairly, as is appropriate, but the Obama Administration would be wise to allow the appeals process to occur and not to be seen as trying to manipulate the result through diplomatic pressure of its Italian ally.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was injured in an assault today at a political rally in Milan, apparently by a man with mental illness. The man struck the Premier of Italy with a statue, breaking his nose and two teeth.
The incident was probably isolated, but it occurs just a little over a week after the opposition staged demonstrations in several major Italian cities coinciding with a labor strike intended as a protest. The opposition accuses the billionaire media businessman Berlusconi of having supported laws that give him immunity from prosecution for various alleged financial misdeeds. The Prime Minister asserts that the laws were for the benefit of all Italians. The left accuses Berlusconi of having too much control over Italian media. He points to his high public approval rating. However, Berlusconi has not helped himself with his sexual indiscretions, which have led his wife to divorce him, as well as to a major scandal.
Despite the noise from the left, Berlusconi, backed by a stable coalition, continues to exhibit unusually strong leadership for an Italian premier. The government’s crackdown on the mafia has produced spectacular results; many of the most wanted have been captured, including the Number Two leader of the mob. Italian police have also been successful in retrieving thousands of archaeological artifacts stolen and removed from Italy. Berlusconi’s government has been successful in implementing better accountability for public servants in a land where government workers are not especially known for productivity; for example, turnstiles have been installed at government offices. Finally, the Italian government has announced that it will send 1,000 more troops and 200 more Carabinieri (the national gendarmerie) to Afghanistan, which would increase the current Italian contribution to the Afghan front of the War on Terrorism to 4,000.
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