Italy To Pull
Out Of Iraq
By Peter Popham
16 March 2005
The
Independent
Silvio
Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, will begin withdrawing Italian
troops from Iraq in September.
On Porta a Porta,
a television talk show on which he often makes important announcements,
he said: "As early as September we will begin a progressive reduction
of the number of our soldiers in Iraq." The pace of the withdrawal
will depend, he said, "on the capability of the Iraqi government
to give itself structures for acceptable security. I've spoken about
it with Tony Blair, and it's the public opinion of our countries that
expects this decision."
Between 70 and 80
per cent of Italians are hostile to Italy's involvement in Iraq, but
until now Mr Berlusconi has resisted pressure to say when the Italian
troops, described as peacekeepers, would leave. In the past he has said
they would stay until the government of Iraq asked them to go.
Italy has about
2,700 soldiers and carabinieri in the country, based in Nasiriyah, a
relatively peaceful town in the south. Twenty-eight have lost their
lives, 19 as a result of a massive suicide bomb which struck their barracks
nearly two years ago. One more died yesterday, accidentally shooting
himself in the head during target practice.
Military experts
warned that as a consequence of the Italian withdrawal, it was likely
that more British troops would be sent to Iraq to fill the gap. Charles
Heyman, senior defence analyst for Jane's Information Group, said: "There's
no doubt whatsoever that the embryonic Iraqi security forces are really
not capable of controlling the area they need coalition forces
to support them. It's going to leave a big hole, there's no doubt about
that. We're probably going to be asked to help to fill the gap."
Mr Berlusconi, who
faces important regional elections in less than a month, has been under
pressure to do something to shore up the centre-right's crumbling position
in the opinion polls. Economic stagnation and declining standards of
living have hit the standing of his party and its allies.
But the killing
of Nicola Calipari, a secret service agent, by American troops on 4
March, minutes after he liberated Giuliana Sgrena, a journalist who
had been held hostage for a month, revived hostility to Italian involvement
in the war. Mr Berlusconi's popularity took a nosedive in opinion polls
immediately after the killing.
James Walston, professor
of political science at the American University in Rome, said: "Berlusconi
has been saying for quite a long time that he wanted Italian troops
to leave fairly soon. Presumably the killing of Nicola Calipari has
concentrated minds. Berlusconi cannot and will not cut and run, but
he will contrive to leave Iraq as quickly as is elegant. And he doesn't
want the expense of another hostage rescue operation weighing on taxpayers'
minds when they go to vote.
"The centre-right
are likely to lose the upcoming election, but this will reduce their
decline in the opinion polls. Berlusconi's announcement is a rearguard
action."
Gabriele Polo, editor
of Il Manifesto, the newspaper on which Giuliana Sgrena works, said:
"Like all members of the coalition in Iraq, Berlusconi has had
difficulties with popular opinion against the war. This decision is
definitely related to the upcoming election. What I fear is that the
US and Italy have done a deal. America has agreed to Italy's withdrawal,
and Italy has agreed that the inquiry into the killing of Calipari will
not shed any light on the incident. It will leave it in the dark. We
will not find out what really happened."
Mr Berlusconi's
announcement came on the day the lower house of the Italian parliament
voted to extend the Italian mission in Iraq for six months, at a cost
of ¤267.8m [£186.3m].
The Bulgarian President,
Georgi Parvanov, meanwhile said yesterday that Bulgaria should pull
its 450 troops out of Iraq by the end of the year. The announcement
came a week after a Bulgarian soldier was killed by American friendly
fire.
REMAINING FORCES
US: 150,000
Britain: 8,850
South Korea: 3,600
Australia: 900 (up
to 1,350 by April)
Romania: 800 (to
900)
Japan: 600
Denmark: 500
Bulgaria: 380
El Salvador: 380
Georgia: 300 (to
rise to 800)
Mongolia: 180
Azerbaijan: 150
Latvia: 120
Lithuania: 100
Slovakia: 100
Czech Rep: 90
Albania: 70
Estonia: 50
Tonga: 40
Kazakhstan: 30
Macedonia: 30
Moldova: 25
On their way out:
Italy: 3,000
Netherlands: 1,500
Ukraine: 1,650
Poland: 1,700 (will
reduce by half)