Italian Political Leaders Express Condolences over US Space Shuttle Columbia

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 03, 2003

Italian Political Leaders Express Condolences over US Space Shuttle Columbia

Italian political leaders have offeredtheir condolences to America over the loss of the US space shuttleColumbia, a disaster which cost the lives of seven astronauts.

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Italian political leaders have offeredtheir condolences to America over the loss of the US space shuttleColumbia, a disaster which cost the lives of seven astronauts.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi sent a message to USPresident George W. Bush on Saturday evening saying he was "deeplyshocked by the tragedy."

"Once again, the United States of America is paying a highprice for humanity's progress," he said.

"I am thinking of you and in the name of the Italian people andgovernment, I send my condolences to the families of the victimsand the American nation," Berlusconi said.

He also sent a message to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharonsaying: "We were moved by the tragic loss of the first member ofthe Israeli population to take part in a space mission."Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said in a message toBush that he was "deeply grieved by the space shuttle disasterwhich has cost the lives of the entire crew after a missionconsisting of 16 days in orbit."

"The men and women lost in the tragedy were the courageousprotagonists of a long battle for the progress of science and thebroadening of humanity's frontiers," he said, "We share themourning of the US and Israel."

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini expressed hiscondolences in a letter to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.The Columbia carried out some 80 experiments during its mission,which began on Jan. 16, nine of which were funded by the ItalianSpace Agency.

The shuttle, which flew its first mission in 1981, broke up inclear blue skies over Texas on Saturday afternoon, minutes beforeit was due to land in Florida.

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