Two Sismi {Italian secret service} officials, Marco Mancini and Gustavo Pignero have been arrested for collaborating in the abduction of a person with the additional factor of abusing their power as public officials, for the kidnapping of the Egyptian, Abu Omar in Milan in December 2003. Abu Omar is still detained in Egypt.

The Milan magistrates that issued the arrest warrant have correctly carried out their duty as no one, not even the secret services can act above the law.
However the importance and the legitimacy of the secret services must be underlined. In every democratic State they are essential to protect the security of the country and in particular in the face of terrorism.

The Italian secret services have acted in agreement with the CIA. It is not credible that the American secret services have kidnapped a person in a foreign State without the prior authorisation of George Bush and that he had not told the Italian government. The Sismi officials are responsible only if they acted independently of the institutional powers without receiving orders from the former President of the Council.

If this is not the case, and it is more likely that it is not, then Silvio Berlusconi, accepting his responsibility, must go as soon as possible to the magistrates and if there are national security issues at stake, he must claim State secrecy.