Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu has warned of potential serious threats during US President George W Bush's visit to the country in the next few days.
Pisanu told a party conference of conservative Forza Italia: "There is a great threat to the president from our own media. Journalists will ask questions. The president will hesitate. Time will pass and still the president will have no response. Finally he will say something foolish."
A worried Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister, has decided to reduce the risk of embarrassment by ordering Italy's media not to ask the president any questions he might not be able to answer. Journalists are expected to have their work cut out.
President Bush seemed unaware of such concerns at the weekend. He told reporters he was looking forward to his trip to Italy, saying it would be a good opportunity to practice his Spanish.
