Analysis: Italy-U.S. Ties Likely to Change

[tocqueville]

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press Writer
Wed Apr 12, 5:01 PM ET

ROME - For most Americans, Italy will still be the country of luxury wear, good food and fine wine.

But a new center-left government led by Romano Prodi could bring changes in Italy's relationship with the United States, including a return to the "old Europe" that opposed the war in Iraq and has worries about what it considers Washington's aggressive foreign policy.

Ties with the United States could face their first trial when Prodi is asked to push for the arrest and extradition of 22 purported CIA agents who have been accused by an Italian prosecutor of kidnapping an Egyptian cleric from Milan as a suspected terrorist.
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In response to a question about whether heads of state had called him to congratulate him, Prodi said that he had received congratulatory calls from French President Jacques Chirac and other world leaders, but he had not heard from Bush.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060412/ap_on_re_eu/italy_us_stakes_2

[Greeby]

1. Well, it's not like they've never met

Prodi on the right end there, Shrub and President Tony on the other end