1) BUSH AND ITALIAN PREMIER PLEDGE TO FIGHT TERRORISM TOGETHER
     "great closeness on both a political as well as a human level in a 
     meeting where   there had been a total confluence on all themes discussed."   
        
2) WALL STREET JOURNAL RE-EVALUATES SILVIO BERLUSCONI
     "Berlusconi has more intellectual weight than the weight of his 
     intellectual critics    combined." 

3) FIRST WORLDWIDE ITALIAN LANGUAGE WEEK LAUNCHED
    "For one week, almost 100 Italian Cultural Institutes scattered over five 
     continents will present special lectures, conferences and debates, 
     culminating in  a 24-hour-long video conference on October 18 in which all 
     Italian institutes and  cultural centers in the world will participate. 
======================================================
1) AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND ITALIAN PREMIER 
    PLEDGE TO FIGHT TERRORISM TOGETHER

At the conclusion of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's official visit to the 
United States, President George W. Bush gave a press conference in the White 
House Rose Garden. The president thanked the prime minister for "our mutual 
desire to rout out terrorism where it might exist," and said he was grateful 
that both were on the same line in their understanding that the war on 
terrorism will be waged on many fronts. He mentioned disrupting financial 
networks and sharing intelligence as two key elements. The president 
continued saying: "I'm pleased that the prime minister understands that Al 
Qaeda has cells all around the world, and he's more than willing to work with 
us to disrupt those cells, to bring people to justice." Premier Berlusconi, 
speaking through an interpreter, characterized the United States as "the 
defender of liberty all over the world." He reiterated Italy's unconditional 
support and said he was departing with the satisfaction that he had found 
great closeness on both a political as well as a human level in a meeting where 
there had been a total confluence on all themes discussed.
====================================================

2) WALL STREET JOURNAL RE-EVALUATES SILVIO BERLUSCONI

The European edition of the financial daily The Wall Street Journal wrote a 
favorable opinion of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi after his 
official visit with the president of the United States, George W. Bush. It 
reported that "Silvio Berlusconi has more intellectual weight than the weight 
of his intellectual critics combined." The newspaper attacked Europe's 
left-wing thinkers, who sketch the prime minister as "a thief, or worse, a 
media magnate who only seeks to protect his own interests. But, 
paradoxically, his critics only reinforce his true value."
===================================================

3) FIRST WORLDWIDE ITALIAN LANGUAGE WEEK LAUNCHED

This week, Italian language and culture is promoted in a new initiative from 
the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Italians in the World, in collaboration 
with the Crusca Academy of Florence. For one week, almost 100 Italian 
Cultural Institutes scattered over five continents will present special 
lectures, conferences and debates, culminating in a 24-hour-long video 
conference on October 18 in which all Italian institutes and cultural centers 
in the world will participate. "There is an increasing demand to learn our 
language," stated the director of the foreign office's Cultural Promotion 
Abroad department, Mr. Aloisi, who asserted that more than 150,000 
persons around the world participated in Italian language classes last year.
 
=============================================================