Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 12478 / 251,287

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03 2011/04 2011/05
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15 2011/03/16 2011/03/17 2011/03/18 2011/03/19 2011/03/20 2011/03/21 2011/03/22 2011/03/23 2011/03/24 2011/03/25 2011/03/26 2011/03/27 2011/03/28 2011/03/29 2011/03/30 2011/03/31
2011/04/01 2011/04/02 2011/04/03 2011/04/04 2011/04/05 2011/04/06 2011/04/07 2011/04/08 2011/04/09 2011/04/10 2011/04/11 2011/04/12 2011/04/13 2011/04/14 2011/04/15 2011/04/16 2011/04/17 2011/04/18 2011/04/19 2011/04/20 2011/04/21 2011/04/22 2011/04/23 2011/04/24 2011/04/25 2011/04/26 2011/04/27 2011/04/28 2011/04/29 2011/04/30
2011/05/01 2011/05/02 2011/05/03 2011/05/04 2011/05/05 2011/05/06 2011/05/07 2011/05/08

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 96 97 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1985/03 1985/06
1986/05
1987/06
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
1991/05
1992/01 1992/06 1992/12
1993/10
1996/11
1997/12
2000/05 2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/06 2001/07 2001/09 2001/10 2001/11
2002/01 2002/02 2002/03 2002/04 2002/07 2002/08 2002/09 2002/11
2003/01 2003/02 2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Apia Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Auckland Consulate Amsterdam Consulate Adana American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belmopan Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Ciudad Juarez Consulate Chennai Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dili Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown Consulate Fukuoka
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guayaquil Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Ho Chi Minh City Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamilton Consulate Hamburg Consulate Halifax
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kingston Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lahore Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE Mission USNATO Mission UNESCO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manila Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Mumbai Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia Embassy Niamey Embassy New Delhi Embassy Ndjamena Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples Consulate Naha
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Of Spain Embassy Port Louis Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito Consulate Quebec
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Suva Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate St Petersburg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sapporo Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn Consulate Toronto Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Office Almaty US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Embassy Valletta Consulate Vladivostok Consulate Vancouver
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AU ASEC AE AF AORC AEMR AMGT ABUD AFFAIRS APER AS AMED AY AG AR AJ AL AID AM AODE ABLD AMG AFIN ATRN AGAO AFU AN AA ALOW APECO ADM ARF ASEAN APEC AMBASSADOR AO ASUP AZ AADP ACOA ANET AMCHAMS ACABQ ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG APCS AGMT AINF AIT AORL ACS AFSI AFSN ACBAQ AFGHANISTAN ADANA ADPM AX ADCO AECL AMEX ACAO ASCH AORG AGR AROC ASIG AND ARM AQ ATFN AC AUC ASEX AER AVERY AGRICULTURE
BL BR BO BA BD BM BK BG BU BB BH BTIO BY BEXP BP BE BRUSSELS BF BIDEN BT BX BC BILAT BN BBSR BTIU BWC BMGT
CA CASC CVIS CM CH CO CU CD CWC CI CS CY CMGT CF CG CR CB CV CW CE CBW CT CPAS COUNTERTERRORISM CJAN CODEL CIDA CDG CDC CIA CTR CNARC CSW CN CONS CLINTON COE CROS CARICOM CONDOLEEZZA COUNTER CL COM CICTE CIS CFED COUNTRY CJUS CBSA CEUDA CLMT CAC COPUOS CIC CBE CHR CTM CVR CITEL CLEARANCE CACS CAN CITT CARSON CACM CDB CAPC CKGR CBC
DEAX DR DJ DA DEA DOMESTIC DO DK DHS DAO DCM DTRA DISENGAGEMENT DOD DPRK DEPT DOE DS DE DEFENSE
EC EG EPET ECON ETRD EFIN EIND EMIN ENRG EAID EAGR EUN ETTC EAIR ENIV ES EU EINV ELAB ECIN EFIS ELTN EWWT ECPS ECONOMIC ENGR EN EINT EPA ELN ESA EZ ER ET EFTA EINVECONSENVCSJA EUMEM ETRA EXTERNAL EI EUR EK ERNG ENGY ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ENERG EINVEFIN ENVR ECA ELECTIONS ETC EUREM ENNP EFINECONCS EURN ECINECONCS EEPET EXIM ERD ENVI ETRC ETRDEINVTINTCS ETRO EDU ETRN EAIG ECONCS ECONOMICS EAP ECONOMY EINN EIAR EXBS ECUN EINDETRD EREL EUC ESENV ECONEFIN ECIP EFIM EAIDS ETRDECONWTOCS EUNCH EINVETC
FR FI FJ FBI FAC FM FO FAO FDA FTAA FARC FTA FREEDOM FISO FOR FOREIGN FOI FAS FINR FINANCE FMLN
GM GG GE GT GR GH GTIP GV GA GOI GAERC GY GOV GERARD GANGS GAZA GTMO GL GF GCC GZ GLOBAL
HA HO HU HUMOR HK HURI HR HEBRON HSTC HILLARY HUMAN HI HYMPSK
IZ IT IR IS IN IC IAEA IO ICAO IWC ID IV ISRAEL IAHRC IQ ICTR IMF IRS IDP IGAD ICRC ICTY IMO IL INRA INRO ICJ ITU IBRD INMARSAT IIP ITALY IEFIN IACI ILO INTELSAT ILC ITRA IDA INRB IRC INTERPOL IA IPR IRAQI ISRAELI INTERNAL ISLAMISTS INDO ITPHUM ITPGOV ITALIAN IBET INR IEA IZPREL IRAJ ITF IF
JO JA JM JOHN JP JOSEPH JUS JAMES JOHNNIE
KDEM KU KPAL KNNP KCRM KZ KN KS KJUS KTFN KSCA KV KISL KPAO KPKO KIRF KTIA KIPR KFLO KFRD KTIP KAWC KSUM KCOM KAID KE KTDB KMDR KOMC KWBG KDRG KVPR KTEX KGIC KWMN KSCI KCOR KACT KDDG KHLS KSAF KFLU KSEO KMRS KSPR KOLY KSEP KVIR KGHG KIRC KUNR KIFR KCIP KMCA KMPI KBCT KHSA KICC KIDE KCRS KMFO KRVC KRGY KR KAWK KG KFIN KHIV KBIO KOCI KBTR KNEI KPOA KCFE KPLS KSTC KHDP KPRP KCRCM KLIG KCFC KTER KREC KTBT KPRV KSTH KRIM KRAD KWAC KWMM KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOMS KX KMIG KRCM KVRP KBTS KPAONZ KNUC KNAR KPWR KNPP KDEMAF KNUP KNNPMNUC KERG KGIT KPAI KTLA KFSC KCSY KSAC KTRD KID KOM KMOC KJUST KGCC KREL KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KFTFN KO KNSD KHUM KSEC KCMR KCHG KICA KPIN KESS KDEV KCGC KWWMN KPAK KWNM KWMNCS KRFD
LY LH LG LE LO LI LA LU LTTE LAB LOG LT LABOR
MOPS MCAP MPOS MARR MO MNUC MX MASS MG MY MU ML MR MILITARY MTCRE MT MEPP MA MDC MP MAR MASSMNUC MARAD MAPP MZ MD MI MEETINGS MK MCC MEPN MRCRE MAS MIL MASC MC MV MTCR MIK MUCN MEDIA MERCOSUR MW MOPPS MTS MLS MILI MTRE MEPI MQADHAFI MAPS
NO NATO NL NP NZ NSF NI NH NG NAFTA NU NASA NR NATOPREL NSSP NSG NA NT NW NK NPT NPA NATIONAL NPG NSFO NS NSC NE NGO NDP NIPP NRR NEW NZUS NC NAR NV NORAD
OTRA OPCW OVIP OAS OREP OPIC OIIP OPRC ODIP OEXC OPDC OSCE OIC OSCI OECD OFDP OFDA OMIG OPAD OFFICIALS OVP OIE OHUM OCS OBSP OTR OSAC ON OCII OES
PGOV PREL PHUM PTER PINS PINR PREF PK PROP PA PARM PBTS PMAR PM PGIV PE PRAM PHUH PHSA PL PNAT PO PLN PAO PSA PHUMPGOV PF PEL PBIO POLITICS PHUMBA PAS POL PREO PAHO PMIL POGOV POV PAK PNR PRL PG PREFA PSI PINL PU PARMS PRGOV PALESTINIAN PAIGH POLITICAL PARTIES POSTS PROG PORG PTBS PUNE POLICY PDOV PCI PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PP PS PY PTERE PGOF PKFK PSOE PEPR PPA PINT PRELP PSEPC PGOVE PINF PNG PGOC PFOR PCUL POLINT PGGV PHALANAGE PARTY PGOVLO PHUS PDEM PECON PROV PHUMPREL
QA
RS RU RELATIONS RW RO RM RP ROOD RICE RUPREL RSO RCMP REACTION REPORT REGION RIGHTS RF RFE RSP RIGHTSPOLMIL ROBERT
SU SCUL SNAR SOCI SF SA SHUM SENV SP SR SY SANC SC SMIG SZ SARS SW SEVN SO SEN SL SNARCS SNARN SI SG SN SH SYR SAARC SPCE SHI SCRS SENVKGHG SYRIA SWE STEINBERG SIPRS ST SNARIZ SSA SK SPCVIS SOFA SIPDIS SAN
TC TI TBIO TH TSPL TRGY TSPA TPHY TU TW TS TAGS TK TX TNGD TZ TF TL TV TN TD TIP TR TP TO TT TFIN THPY TERRORISM TINT TRSY TURKEY TBID
US UK UNGA UP UZ UNMIK USTR UNO UNSC UN UNESCO UNAUS UNHRC UY UG UNHCR UNCND USOAS USEU UNICEF UNEP UV UNPUOS UNCSD USUN UNCHR UNDC USNC UE UNDP UNC USPS USAID UNVIE UAE UNFICYP UNODC UNCHS UNIDROIT UNDESCO UNCHC
VE VT VZ VTIZ VTPREL VAT VC VM VN VTEG VI
WHO WTRO WS WZ WHA WI WMD WHTI WA WTO WMO WBG WITH WIPO WTRQ WFP WWARD WB WEU
XR XM XL XS XW XF XG XT XU XA XK XY XV XB XZ XQ XC XTAG XX XE XD XH XI
YM YI YE YMCS
ZB ZU ZP ZR ZI ZANU ZL ZF ZJ ZO ZEALAND ZK ZN ZA ZOELLICK

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 09MILAN209, LEGA'S BIG NIGHT OUT: FILM PREMIERE OF ""BARBAROSSA""

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09MILAN209.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09MILAN209 | 2009-10-20 08:34 | 2011-03-06 11:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Consulate Milan

`

    VZCZCXRO4391
    RR RUEHFL RUEHNP
    DE RUEHMIL #0209/01 2930834
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    R 200834Z OCT 09
    FM AMCONSUL MILAN
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1857
    INFO RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 8935
    RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 0227
    RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 0222
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MILAN 000209

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
    TAGS: PREL PGOV IT

    SUBJECT: LEGA'S BIG NIGHT OUT: FILM PREMIERE OF ""BARBAROSSA""

    Classified By: Consul General Carol Z. Perez for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

     ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Hundreds of local and national politicians,
    including PM Berlusconi, attended the Milan premiere of the
    colossal Braveheart-like epic film ""Barbarossa.""  The movie
    tells the story of the birth of northern Italy,s Lombard
    League and its defeat of the Holy Roman army at the 12th
    century Battle of Legnano.  Throughout its production,
    Northern League (LN) leader Umberto Bossi and fellow LN
    colleagues have supported and eagerly anticipated the film,
    which describes in loving, big-blockbuster detail the
    quasi-historical origins of their modern political movement.
    Regardless of the quality of the film, ""Barbarossa"" brings to
    life the populist and traditional imagery that underscores
    much of the LN,s increasing popular appeal among northern
    Italian voters. END SUMMARY.

    MEDIEVAL NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
    ¶2. (U) On October 2, thousands of eager spectators were
    treated to a screening of the  medieval war epic
    ""Barbarossa."" The premiere was held in the picturesque
    courtyard of Milan,s Castello Sforzesco, illuminated by
    candles and torches and populated by dozens of actors dressed
    as medieval knights and swordsmen.  Unlike a regular movie
    premiere, however, the red carpet featured virtually no
    actors nor actresses; the guest list was instead a veritable
    who,s who of center-right politicians.  A beaming Northern
    League (LN) leader Umberto Bossi sat in the front row next to
    Prime Minister Berlusconi and numerous Cabinet ministers
    (Minister of Economy Giulio Tremonti, Minister of Legislative
    Simplification Roberto Calderoli, Minister of Agriculture
    Luca Zaia, Minister of Defense La Russa, among others) along
    with Mayor of Milan Letizia Moratti, Lombardy Regional
    President Roberto Formigoni, and hundreds of LN politicians
    and supporters, bedecked in the party,s traditional bright
    green scarves and ties.

    ""BARBAROSSA"":  PLOT AND CONTEXT
    ¶3. (U) ""Barbarossa"" recounts the destruction of Milan in 1162
    by the army of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I in his quest to
    dominate northern Italy, and the subsequent birth of the
    Lombard League, an alliance of northern Italian cities united
    by Milanese blacksmith Alberto da Giussano that successfully
    repulsed the much larger imperial army at the Battle of
    Legnano.  The battle itself serves as the mythical birthplace
    of the modern LN party, which (accurately or not) traces its
    roots back to the Lombard League and claims as its mandate
    those of the original League:  northern Italian autonomy and
    defense from external threats (though Roman bureaucrats have
    replaced the soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire).  The movie,
    which even features Bossi as an extra, is rich with symbolism
    beloved by modern LN supporters; it features a lengthy
    montage in which hero da Guissano forges hundreds of steel
    rings emblazoned with the shield that serves as the modern
    LN,s emblem, and distributes them to eager Lombard League
    recruits.

    ¶4. (U) The movie, directed by Bossi,s friend and LN
    supporter Renzo Martinelli, has had the firm backing of the
    LN throughout its production.  The official LN website
    featured links to ""Barbarossa"" and other information about
    the movie prior to its release, and LN newspaper ""La Padania""
    even devoted five pages to coverage of the movie on the day
    of its Milan premiere, under the lead title, ""The story of
    our people who recaptured their liberty.""  Speaking to
    journalists at the premiere, Bossi showered praise on the
    ""modern Alberto da Giussanos"" whose continued fight for
    freedom is a ""sign that the desire for liberty will never
    die.""

    ¶5. (C) COMMENT: ""Barbarossa"", much like the political party
    that supported the film,s creation, is short on subtlety and
    heavily reliant on mythology and folklorist symbolism.  This
    flair for dramatic imagery has helped the Northern League
    stand out among the ever-evolving, and rhetorically boring,
    array of political parties in Italy.  Furthermore, as
    evidenced by the crush of political VIPs at the opening of an
    otherwise forgettable war movie, the LN leadership has
    managed to create a relevant and important party, at the
    national as well as regional level, because beneath its crude
    rhetoric and silly rituals, it understands and taps into the
    deep-seated and very real concerns of voters in northern
    Italy.  Many in the affluent north, the traditional economic
    and industrial backbone of the country, feel that the central
    government in Rome takes their money and uses it to feed its
    enormous, inefficient bureaucracy and to subsidize the
    chronically underperforming South.  Furthermore, the influx
    of immigrants to the region makes many northern Italians feel
    that their geographical and cultural spaces are under attack
    from outsiders.  Therefore, for LN supporters ""Barbarossa's""
    box office success is beside the point.  Its existence alone,
    with its big-screen glorification of the Lombard League and

    MILAN 00000209  002 OF 002

    its noble fight for liberty from outside rule, underscores
    the party,s most populist and viscerally resonant themes.
     PEREZ
    "

`