BAGHDAD – Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema yesterday confirmed that Italy would pull its troops out of Iraq by the end of 2006.
“The Italian military presence in Iraq will conclude by the end of this year,” he said in a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari. D’Alema arrived in Iraq two days after an attack on the Italian contingent near the southern town of Nassariyah killed one soldier and wounded four.In the three years since its deployment the Italian force has lost 31 soldiers in a conflict opposed by the majority of Italians.”The Italian military mission is in the process of coming to an end and, over the course of the next months, our forces will return to Italy,” D’Alema said, underlining his government’s continuing desire to work with Iraq in the political and economic spheres.The withdrawal will be done in stages, he emphasised, and in consultation with Iraqi and coalition forces so as not to create a security vacuum in Dhi Qar province, of which Nasiriyah is the capital, where the Italians were based.”Leaving aside, for the moment, questions about the legitimacy of the war, all democrats cannot but show interest and support the Iraqi democracy,” said the minister, who hails from Italy’s left which opposed the US-led invasion in March 2003.In May, D’Alema said in a newspaper interview that Italy planned to reduce troop numbers in Iraq from 2 700 to 1 600 in June and to repatriate the remainder by the end of the year.The soldiers will be replaced by a civilian group still to be defined.- Nampa-AFPD’Alema arrived in Iraq two days after an attack on the Italian contingent near the southern town of Nassariyah killed one soldier and wounded four.In the three years since its deployment the Italian force has lost 31 soldiers in a conflict opposed by the majority of Italians.”The Italian military mission is in the process of coming to an end and, over the course of the next months, our forces will return to Italy,” D’Alema said, underlining his government’s continuing desire to work with Iraq in the political and economic spheres.The withdrawal will be done in stages, he emphasised, and in consultation with Iraqi and coalition forces so as not to create a security vacuum in Dhi Qar province, of which Nasiriyah is the capital, where the Italians were based.”Leaving aside, for the moment, questions about the legitimacy of the war, all democrats cannot but show interest and support the Iraqi democracy,” said the minister, who hails from Italy’s left which opposed the US-led invasion in March 2003.In May, D’Alema said in a newspaper interview that Italy planned to reduce troop numbers in Iraq from 2 700 to 1 600 in June and to repatriate the remainder by the end of the year.The soldiers will be replaced by a civilian group still to be defined.- Nampa-AFP
