Berlusconi seeking Afghan exit for Italian troops

CNN ^ | September 18, 2009

[rightwingintelligentsia]

ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said it would be "best" for the country's troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible after six were killed in a car bombing in Kabul.

Berlusconi, speaking to reporters Thursday, gave no timeline for a withdrawal and said any pullout would have to be coordinated with Italy's allies.

"There is no idea," Berlusconi said about a possible date for leaving Afghanistan. "It is an international problem. It is not a problem that a country present there can take on its own. Doing so could betray the accord and trust of the other countries present."

However, the 500 troops Italy sent to Afghanistan this summer will be home by Christmas, Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Friday. The troops were sent ahead of the Afghan presidential election August 20.

The rest of the nation's 2,800 troops in Afghanistan will withdraw only when NATO calls for it, La Russa said.

Ten Afghan civilians were killed along with the paratroopers Thursday and about 50 people were wounded, NATO said.

Italian newspapers labeled the soldiers' death a "slaughter," with at least four major papers using that word in their headlines Friday. "The slaughter of the Italians shakes Italy," declared the national newspaper Corriere della Sera.

[federal]

Mr Berlusconi I can’t blame you even a small amount, Do what is best for your soldiers and Country. Obama would sell you out in a heart beat look at what he has done to Poland.

I would get the hell out of there.

[fabrizio]

The headline is deceiving. Berlusconi has been repeating for months that he's not going to withdraw the Italian units unless there is an international decision to do it. In fact he's been the first to respond to the US request that NATO partners sent more troops to help with the Afghan elections so he sent 400 more troops. Those are the only ones that will be withdrawn because the Italian parliament had authorized those 400 only for the time necessary to the voting operations. What the press never reports is the several battles fought and won by the Italians lately, when Taliban strongholds that had never been taken since the Soviet invasion were in fact taken and cleaned up. Only weeks ago, tens of Taliban terrorists were killed by the Italian paratroopers in a devastaing battle a Baha Morgan with only 3 Italians wounded at the end of operations.

The Taliban know they have a snowball's chance in hell to win a regular battle against western forces - despite the absurd rules of engagement - so these carbombs are payback for their continued defeats and they can always count on the collaborationist western media

It is true that with Obama in office Berlusconi's position on Afghanistan has become harder to hold, but the Italian PM has to be credited with reaffirming after every Italian loss that war is no picnic and that there a reason why we send professionals and not boyscouts to these places.

[federal]

Hey I’m aware of the great job and tremendous help the Italians have been in Afghanistan and in no way did I mean to imply anything but my respect and gratitude for their fine soldiers.

My remarks were meant to reflect my disgust with the Obama Administration’s ridiculous and deadly ROE. We see now that the US Generals have asked for more troops and that is unlikely to happen, We now have the politicians running the ground operations for the USA. Same thing happened in Vietnam and even though we never lost any major battles to the VC the sacrifice was in vain because of Washington.

I guess what my ultimate point was if I were Mr Berlusconi I certainly wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice much blood or treasure. Because first Obama’s ROE are going to make it next too impossible to fight effectively, second he is going to go after our forces legally for even small violations of the ROE and third he has shown by what he has done to Poland he is not a ally which can be counted on.

[fabrizio]

No explanations needed my friend, really. I only meant to underline how the MSM try to slant everything in a way they think will help their cause, which is the same cause of the Taliban: divide and bring down what’s left of the West and end America’s leadership. Little do they know that if their turban-sporting friends win, they’re gonna be subjugated and beheaded like the rest of us, should they - by an extraordinary divine intervention - find the guts to refuse slavery and conversion to Jihadist Islamism.

[Gritty]

I don't blame Mr. Berlusconi. After seeing what we did to Poland and the Czech Republic, why hang around to lose more troops when you know in the end you will get stabbed in the back by Obama?

Return your troops to Italy, Mr. Berlusconi, and start girding your nation's loins for the final battle against radical Islam on your home turf. You won't get any help from us as long as our own radicals remain in power here.