Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has told Arab television station Al Jazeera that the United States should close its Guantanamo Bay prison as soon as possible. Speaking in an interview recorded on Tuesday and due to be broadcast on Friday, Berlusconi referred to the many reports of abuse and torture of detainees at the United States naval base in Cuba.
"I too think that these centres where there have been episodes that the whole world has condemned should be closed as quickly as possible," he said. The premier indicated that this was the view of his administration, saying he had discussed the matter with "many of my colleagues".
There are about 500 inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison. Many of them have been there since being detained in Afghanistan four years ago during the first phase of the 'war on terror' launched by US President George W.Bush.
Last week a report by five United Nations special envoys called for the prison to be closed, accusing the US of serious mistreatment of mostly Muslim prisoners and of denying them the right to a trial. Washington has so far flatly refused to shut down the facility, denying accusations of torture and saying the prison is needed to prevent the "dangerous terrorists" inside
causing harm.
Berlusconi's remarks on Guantanamo marked a step away from Bush and the United States, for whom he has been a staunch European ally in the war on global terrorism. They also came less than a week before the premier is scheduled to meet the US president at the White House. A February 28 meeting was announced on Wednesday.
But Berlusconi's call was in line with a European parliament resolution last week which also called for the closure of the detention centre and fair trials for the prisoners. Italy's foreign ministry commented on the UN report by stressing the need to reconcile effective anti-terrorism measures with due respect for rights and human dignity. The Italian premier's interview with Al Jazeera also touched on the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed which appeared in the European press, provoking violent protests in some Muslim countries.
Berlusconi said the publication of the cartoons was a "mistake" and noted that he had voiced his criticism several times because the cartoons "hit the profound sensitivity of believers". But he also told his interviewer that satire was a fundamental part of European culture and was seen there as an integral part of liberty. He also noted that Europeans joked about their own religions.
Berlusconi was then asked about his ex-reforms minister, Roberto Calderoli, who unbuttoned his shirt on national television to reveal a T-shirt showing one of the controversial cartoons. Under pressure from the premier, Calderoli resigned last Saturday.
"I thought that it was necessary to act immediately in the face of an action which was a mistake and that there should be an immediate consequence," Berlusconi told Al Jazeera.
Some 14 people were killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi in demonstrations apparently sparked by Calderoli's act.
Calderoli's Northern League party argues that Italy and Europe should do more to protect its Christian values cultural identity in the face of Muslim immigration.
