Berlusconi Denies Taliban Scandal on Return from Bulgaria

Bulgaria in EU | October 16, 2009, Friday // 11:38|  views

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office rejected the Taliban report after returning from his one day visit to Bulgaria on Thursday. Photo by BGNES

Italy has angrily denied a UK newspaper report that it paid Taliban fighters in Afghanistan to keep the peace.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office rejected the report after returning from his one day visit to Bulgaria on Thursday, the BBC reported.

"The Berlusconi government has never authorised or allowed any form of payment of sums of money in favour of members of the insurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, and is not aware of similar initiatives by the previous government," Berlusconi’s office said in a statement.

Italy's defence minister said his country was planning to sue the Times newspaper over the claims.

French forces took over the area unaware of the policy, leaving them unaware of the risks, the paper says. Ten soldiers were killed within weeks.

In France, opposition socialists demanded the defence minister should answer questions on the claims.

The Times' report, quoting Western military officials, says the policy was operated by Italian secret services in Afghanistan's Sarobi area, east of Kabul.

Warlords as well as Taliban commanders were paid, the paper says, with the amounts running to tens of thousands of dollars.

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Tags: Silvio Berlusconi, Taliban, The Times

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