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Isn't the Panorama Berlusconi-owned, too? (I'm thinking of Larisa @ rawstory's story on Ledeen and Panorama). Is Burba still employed there? What happened after she published this story critical of the forgeries?
Posted by emptywheel at February 23, 2006 05:09 AMYes, Panorama is also Berlusconi owned. I suspect that as long as SISMI or the Govt is not blamed they should have been OK with her because the Govt (laughably) distanced themselves from the forgeries too.
Posted by eriposte at February 23, 2006 07:08 AMI'm not sure I understand what you mean. You seem to be suggesting that Berlusconi had some influence over the way Il Giornale spun this story (and, if you follow Larisa's direction to its logical implication, that those documents were leaked to Panorama because 1) Ledeen had clout there and 2) Berlusconi could ensure they ended up at the Embassy, and not CIA). If so, then it seems like Burba's outspokenness on this story could get her in trouble. That is, her reporting as far back as 2003 refutes the stuff they're trying to spin now. Which is why I asked where she is.
But I don't see how spinning something in Il Giornale is going to convince Italians, at least, that they weren't involved in this. La Repubblica is not Berlusconi owned, right?
Posted by emptywheel at February 23, 2006 07:51 AMEW,
Sorry I should have been more precise. I am not quite familiar with the details of Larisa's story so I can't comment on that specifically. That said, il Giornale has been trying to spin this in Berlusconi's favor for some time and they've been trying to trash the few bloggers here who have been uncovering the facts as conspiracy theorists.
My point is that I have no idea if Berlusconi himself had a hand in the creation of the forgeries. What there is evidence for is that some individuals within SISMI had some role in it - but as to whether Berlusconi was directly or indirectly involved, I don't know. Since Berlusconi's position has been to denounce the forgeries and claim he and SISMI had nothing to do with them, it would not be inconsistent to allow Panorama to report that they were fakes. There are multiple ways for him to play this game.
La Repubblica is not Berlusconi owned.
Posted by eriposte at February 23, 2006 08:31 AMHere's the Ledeen story.
Larisa is circling pretty close, with this and her other recent stories, to the gaming of intelligence both for Iraq and for Iran. While she doesn't say it, she seems to be implying that one venue of involvement for Ledeen was through Panorama.
Posted by emptywheel at February 23, 2006 10:03 AM