Italian troops destroy radical Shiite cleric's office in Nasiriyah

Yahooo via AFP ^ | 4/11/04

[areafiftyone]

NASIRIYAH, Iraq (AFP) - Italian soldiers of the US-led coalition destroyed the office of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr in this southern Iraqi town, a day after Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi visited the contingent.

Residents said the Italians used explosive charges to level the building at dawn in the wake of bloody clashes between Sadr's banned Mehdi Army militia and coalition forces.

There was no immediate reaction from Sadr loyalists in the town where Italian soldiers have increased patrols.

Berlusconi, a close Washington ally, spent several hours here on a surprise morale-boosting visit to his troops Saturday, telling them their presence was proof that "Italy is a nation capable of carrying through the world the values of justice and civilization."

Tuesday, fighting between Italian troops and Sadr militiamen left 15 Iraqis dead and 37 wounded. A dozen Italians were slightly injured.

Last November, 19 Italian paramilitary officers, soldiers and civilians died here in a truck-bomb attack that also killed nine Iraqis.

Italy maintains a 3,000-strong battalion in Iraq (news - web sites).

[livius]

Good. He probably wasn't planning on using it again any time soon (hopefully, he'll soon be dead, in any case), but the symbolic value is important.

[Broadside Joe]

Bump

[rhombus]

...but the symbolic value is important.

Agreed. Where are the pictures we need for the PR battle we are waging in the Homeland?

[nuconvert]

BUONO!

[areafiftyone]

Too bad he wasn't in it! :-) God Bless the Italian Troops!

[BCrago66]

Wasn't too long ago the Italian were agin' us : )

Strange world.

[wretchard]

While the press is fixated on Fallujah, there has been full scale combat everywhere, on the same intensity as OIF. It's not just the Jihadis who can use the disinfo.

[Skooz]

Guess he got behind on his protection payment.

[ChadGore]

Berlusconi visits the troops *during* the "uprising" ??? Woohooo !

WTG ITALY !

[areafiftyone]

Yesterday he visited them. Here is the link! CLICK

[areafiftyone]

The Italian Population is still against the war. If their troops get killed believe me there will be protests in their country.

[samtheman]

Nice to have them on our side, for now. How long before the socialists take over, as in Spain?

[Solamente]

Right in the labonza!

[areafiftyone]

When their elections come up I guess. The socialists will probably try to take over Italy too with the help of Al Qaeda.

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

"Berlusconi visits the troops *during* the "uprising" ??? Woohooo !
WTG ITALY !"

I think Bush should do the same and visit our troops. I said this yesterday(Or the day before. I Can't remember lol) and everyone said it was a stupid idea and that it was too dangerous. It's definitely not too dangerous for Bush to visit and it would have a great effect on several different aspects of this war. It would be good for our troops, the American people, and it would show the terrorist scum we have a strong leader who isn't afraid of them and isn't going to back down. I hope Bush makes an unannounced visit soon. I have a feeling that he will be doing just that sometime soon.

[BCrago66]

I'd bet President Bush will visit our troops within the next 10 days or so.

[numberonepal]

MULTO BUONO!

[Da Mav]

Boy are you right about that PR battle in the homeland. The 'mainstream' press is really going all out to demoralize our troops and our efforts in Iraq

[lavrenti]

The Italians, Poles, Bulgarians and Ukranians have all shown their mettle. I particularly like how the Bulgarians did a "*&^% this" and went Detroit Rock City on the Mahdi.