Bribes are to decide the fate of the country's energy?

In a story released today on http://espresso.repubblica.it web site an on line Italian news site, Claims are made that bribes were to decide the fate of Italys Nuclear energy.

In a secret cable sent to Washington, the U.S. ambassador reveals that 'senior officers' executive for Berlusconi would have taken bribes to buy technology from France.

At first it's just a fear, then it becomes more of a suspect: the rebirth of nuclear power in Italy is influenced by bribes. Detailed hypothesis, put pen to paper in a 2009 report by the Energy Minister of Obama, Steven Chu. In the over four thousand cabled the U.S. Embassy in Rome the word corruption appears very few times, and in general terms. But when we talk of new power plants to be built, then the documents sent to Washington become explicit, outlining a scenario in which bribes are to decide the fate of the country's energy.

At a time when the devastating earthquake in Japan requires the world to deal with the risks of the installations and the specter of a massive contamination, the documents obtained by WikiLeaks that "Espresso" exclusive public allow us to reconstruct the secret nuclear war six years is being fought in Italy.

A clash of states even before the companies to get their hands on works that are worth at least € 24 billion and will mark the future of generations. French, Russians and Americans battle it out on a board where you confuse the interests of industry, politicians and diplomats, looking for contacts in the government, ministries, political parties and businesses. To be able to conquer what appears Europe's richest market. And they do - according to the U.S. dossier - no holds barred.

PHOENIX THE ATOMIC

The Americans begin to move in 2005, with some surprise when they discover that nuclear energy is rising from the ashes of the 1987 referendum. The U.S. is a unique opportunity: the tool to remove Italy from dependence on Russian gas, the most powerful weapon in the hands of Vladimir Putin. The question then becomes "priority" for the embassy in Rome, which is moving toward two goals: to convince politicians to realize the nuclear program and bring into the game the giants of American industry. Complicit in the increasingly high price of oil, rising prices of bills and promises of more advanced reactor safety, the Italians seem less and less hostile to nuclear power. And the government of Silvio Berlusconi shows no doubts about this choice. More difficult - writing in 2005 - to convince the center that "is largely opposed to the idea. However, our contacts say that, even if it were to return to the government's renewed commitment in nuclear programs will not stop."

The green component of Romano Prodi's majority is opposed to any program. Minister Pier Luigi Bersani instead opens the stresses and U.S. ambassador in 2007 explains that "Italy is not out of the production of nuclear energy, has only suspended, and then recognize that" clean coal and nuclear will probably play a important role in ensuring the needs of the future. " Bersani himself in these days, after the crisis, Japan was ready to condemn "the nuclear program of the government."

The fiercest battle, however, is what happens to build future plants, at least six plants, each costing about 4 billion. Lines up-State companies, which are direct emanation of the governments and have the support of diplomacy and intelligence. Pole position in France's Areva, quasi-monopoly in the Old Continent, where they opened the only sites for the latest generation of reactors: they have 58 000 employees and 10 billion in revenue a year. And the Russians, who continue to export despite Chernobyl reactor in Asia, seeking to participate in the sharing of the cake.

In the U.S. there are Westinghouse and General Electric who are "interested in selling nuclear technology to Italy, but are facing stiff competition from foreign rivals, whose governments are making a heavy lobbying effort on the Italian government."


Sourced at http://espresso.repubblica.it Translated by Daran Oswyn Jones