Posted on 04/12/2006 1:53:16 PM PDT by veronica
Centre-left leader also stresses commitment to EU (ANSA) - Rome, April 12 - Centre-left leader Romano Prodi confirmed on Wednesday that his coalition intended to pull Italian troops out of Iraq by the end of 2006 and to push for a softer European line on Hamas.
In a series of comments to the media on his foreign policy objectives, the former European Commission chief also confirmed that he would be more pro-Brussels and less pro-Washington than Premier Silvio Berlusconi .
Much of the foreign interest in Prodi's foreign policy focused on Italy's involvement in Iraq. The country did not take part in the US-led war but sent troops later for peacekeeping and reconstruction .
Prodi and the centre left opposed Italian involvement from the start. "We will withdraw our troops from Iraq in agreement with the Baghdad government and we will send a civilian contingent to help with the reconstruction," he said in an article in French daily Le Monde .
Pressed to say exactly when the troops would come home, Prodi later told Italian television that the Berlusconi government had already said soldiers would be pulled out by the end of 2006 .
"We will respect that deadline," he said .
But his hard-left allies in Rome appeared to see this as not soon enough. "We have to arrange for an immediate withdrawal," said Marco Rizzo of the Italian Communists' Party .
In an interview with Arab satellite television al Jazeera, Prodi was quizzed about the Mideast peace process and the European Union's attitude to Hamas, the militant movement which won Palestinian elections earlier this year .
"I will work in Europe for a new position on the Palestinian government and I'm paying close attention to Hamas's signals of openness," Prodi said .
The EU this month cut direct aid to the Palestinian Authority, saying Hamas must recognise the right of Israel to exist and acknowledge past peace agreements .
In other interviews, the centre-left leader was keen to stress his desire to overcome a rift which Berlusconi's pro-American line had provoked between Italy on the one side and France and Germany on the other. Berlusconi has been one of President George W.Bush's staunchest allies in Europe and the two have developed a warm personal relationship .
Prodi said that his first international engagement as premier was likely to be the EU summit in June. Referring to his coalition's avowed commitment to Europe, he told French radio that it was "as if things were arranged like that on purpose" .
"Italy's neighbours have reason to be happy. At least now they have a reliable partner with an undoubted commitment to Europe," he wrote in Le Monde .
Sounds like Spain.
they elected Mussolini... :(
So what do you think?
Good move by them?
they will be there for 7 more months, we really shouldn't miss them. only 2,600 troops anyhow
Also, France has settled down and is much more supportive on Iran than it was for Iraq.
But plainly Italy will now be the new media darling. If you read the article, all the new leader is doing is continuing Berlusconi's policy on Iraq.
Pressed to say exactly when the troops would come home, Prodi later told Italian television that the Berlusconi government had already said soldiers would be pulled out by the end of 2006 .
"We will respect that deadline," he said .
For all the bleating of the media about a “defeat for Bush” you’d think Italy was actually changing something about their Iraq plans as a result of this election.
Exactly, looks like they were set to pull out anyhow.
Another EU nation veers to the very far left.
Bye bye.
I'm less worried about Iraq policy, as there appears to be little or no change. I'm extremely annoyed by the possibility that he will try and soften relations with Hamas. Hamas are a bunch of rabid hyenas and need to be put down immediately - softening relations with them is a nonsense.
Regards, Ivan
Their Muslim neighbors especially.
The projected installation date for minarets and muezzins at St. Peter's Basilica just moved up a few years.
It is my understanding the with his party in the minority and the slapped together coalition he has with minority parties only having seven one hundreths of one percent of the votes, it is still unsure if he can keep all the fringe party members in line and even form a government.
His coalition will be given 55% of the seats in the lower house, pursuant to Italian election rules, even though it barely won. He'll only have a one seat margin in the senate, however - a co-equal branch of govt.
Europe,what a sh*thole.
It's Italy. Give the government a week or so.
Thats true.
Europe is dying fast.
If you haven't visited, do so soon. There's still a lot left, particularly outside the major cities, but that won't last 15 more years.
Most of the former central and eastern former communist countries, on the other hand, including their cities, are still blessedly free of muslim domination, you'll have more time to visit them.
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