Pizza Maker (Prodi) Gets Ready To Quit Iraq Coalition

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-2-2006 | Oliver Poole

[blam]

Pizza maker gets ready to quit the Iraq coalition

By Oliver Poole in Nasariyah
(Filed: 02/05/2006)

The election of Romano Prodi as Italy's prime minister is not good news for Signore Ciano, a pizza maker flown to Iraq by the Italian military more than two years ago to ensure that its troops there ate in a style their mothers would approve of.

Since he established his Neapolitan-style restaurant on a base near Nasariyah, it has served about 150 pizzas a day - a number that partly reflects its popularity with dozens of female American troops from an adjacent camp who turn up every evening to bask in the attention of its Italian clientele.

But now allies of Mr Prodi, a staunch opponent of the war, have said that the remaining 2,500 Italian soldiers could leave soon, probably by the end of the summer.

For Signore Ciano - he prefers not to use a forename - that means the end of his business. But his time in Iraq has been a very profitable one.

As he prepares to leave for home, customers say that in unguarded moments he has admitted to earning more than $100,000.

[FDNYRHEROES]

Since he established his Neapolitan-style restaurant on a base near Nasariyah, it has served about 150 pizzas a day - a number that partly reflects its popularity with dozens of female American troops from an adjacent camp who turn up every evening to bask in the attention of its Italian clientele

That's Amore!....

[CodeToad]

As a pizza fanatic I shall mourn for the troops.

[usarmysoldier]

As a soldier stationed at this base, I see no sign of them leaving, quite the opposite. I am sitting in the restaurant right now and I see new products and new improvements that makes it seem they aren't going anywhere! Best pizza and Best cigarettes in Iraq!