Posted on 03/15/2005 10:52:43 AM PST by MadIvan
Italy will start withdrawing its troops from Iraq in September, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said.
More to follow...
"That's how I want to view it as well. Thanks Italy."
I'm with you both!
Thank you Italians.
Italy is to begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq in September 2005, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said.
He told Rai state television the pullout would take place "in agreement with our allies".
Italy has 3,000 troops in Iraq - the fourth largest foreign contingent.
Domestic opposition to Italy's involvement in Iraq intensified after the killing of an Italian agent by US troops in Baghdad earlier this month.
The announcement comes weeks after the Italian Senate voted to extend the country's military presence in Iraq beyond June.
Mr Berlusconi has been one of US President George W Bush's staunchest allies in the US-led war in Iraq.
But, he said, after speaking to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair he concluded that public opinion in both countries favoured a troop withdrawal.
"I spoke to Tony Blair about it, and public opinion in our countries is expecting this decision," he told Rai.
Thanks Sara!
Be Ever Vigilant!
My exact thoughts!
Exactly how I see this. (Unfortunately that's not how it will be portrayed in 'news' reports.) I say thanks to Italy as well.
Hopefully, if things still keep going well, the U.S. can also do the same. It would be nice if by September, some of our troops can come home and more responsability is undertaken by the Iraq's forces. Maybe this is a good sign?
I agree. They have been there a long time, and will now reduce their forces, until they are out. One day we will do the same, but we are the top dog there, and we will be the last to really begin drawing down. This withdrawel will happen after they meet about their new constitution I believe.
Thank you to Italy for helping us in Iraq.
As anyone who has read my posts knows, I am no Europhile by any stretch of the imagination. But in this case I am willing to cut Berlusconi some slack. Italy is not an easy nation to govern, the communists still have considerable influence, and since WWII Italy has changed governments more often than my grand-dad changed his socks. Polls have shown that 70% of Italians favor pulling out of Iraq, and by not giving in to that 70% of his people Berlusconi has shown that he, along with Blair, are the only true friends we have in any of the EU governments.
In any case, we have announced that we also intend to incrementally reduce our forces in Iraq as time goes on. I don't see the Italian staged withdrawal as being all that much different from our own long range plans.
What does bother me though is the impression this will give to Iraqi terrorists in the immediate aftermath of the faked "kidnapping" and subsequent ransoming of that Italian communist wench. I'm afraid that the announced withdrawal will be seen as the result of that incident, and will almost certainly lead to more such staged (IMO) "kidnappings" of terrorist sympathizers from nations which have troops serving in Iraq. But I still don't condemn Berlusconi for this latest announcement. If his government falls because of a totally inflexible policy on troop withdrawals, the result will be an immediate Italian replay of the Spanish withdrawal following the Madrid train bombing.
No they don't. And their soldiers died fighting with ours. That can never be forgotten. God bless them for their help.
I like to think so, but then what I call my positive outlook others consider idealism or pie-in-the-sky thinking. :o)
I agree, and also the Spanish prior to their withdrawal.
(General) Myers Sees Iraqi Army Recruits in Action
"Some of the Iraqi officers said they were encouraged at progress in developing a capable army, as well as confident that they will eventually have the wherewithal to take full control of the security situation across the entire country.
Until I hear that is why they are pulling out, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. If that is the reason, eventually we will hear about it. I will not berate them, that isn't fair to their troops who have died. To even say such a thing about them without proof is abhorant.
So Blair's gone wobbly, too. Cheery.
Thanks for the post.
Yes, many of the Spanish soldiers were angry that they didn't get to finish their job in Iraq. But when their new government ordered them home, they went home.
That's what good troops do...
Yes it is. And I thank them.
I kind of feel the same way as you do, but I think the timing of this announcement is way to close to the journalist's hostage thingy---
I think the propaganda that US troops purposly targeted the journalist (after all, being a journalist, she has a personal podium to spew from), has initiated a groundswell of distrust of us yet again---
Also, isn't Berlusconi up for re-election soon? If so, it might explain the timing, but yet again Bush gets stabbed in the back by the commies!
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