The Italian government denied a newspaper report Thursday that its secret services paid the Taliban thousands of dollars to keep an area in Afghanistan controlled by the Italians safe.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi”s office called the report in the Times of London “completely groundless.” The defense minister said the paper published “rubbish.”
The Times reported that Italy had paid “tens of thousands of dollars” to Taliban commanders and warlords in the Surobi district, east of the capital, Kabul. The newspaper cites Western military officials, including high-ranking officers at NATO.
It accused Rome of failing to inform its allies, misleading the French, who took over the Surobi district in mid-2008, into thinking the area was quiet and safe. Shortly thereafter, the French contingent was hit with an ambush that killed 10 soldiers and had big political repercussions back in Paris.
NATO spokesman James Appathurai and French government officials refused to comment on the report.
“The Berlusconi government has never authorized nor has it allowed any form of payment toward members of the Taliban insurgence,” a statement by the premier”s office said. It says it does not know of any such payment by the previous government.
