Italy to withdraw soliders from Iraq in September

Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi says he will start bringing the country’s 3000 troops home from Iraq in September. Picture / Reuters

ROME - United States ally Italy said it would start withdrawing its soldiers from Iraq in September, in a fresh blow to US President George W. Bush's shrinking coalition.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, one of Bush's most vocal supporters, said he was in talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair about a total exit strategy from Iraq, adding people in both countries wanted their troops to return home.

"We will begin to reduce our contingent even before the end of the year, starting in September, in agreement with our allies," said Berlusconi, who faces an election next year and went against public opinion to deploy troops in Iraq.

Despite strong opposition at home, Berlusconi sent some 3000 troops to Iraq - the fourth largest foreign contingent after US, British and South Korean forces.

But pressure has mounted to withdraw the troops since intelligence agent Nicola Calipari was killed by US soldiers shortly after rescuing an Italian hostage.

The White House said Berlusconi's decision was not linked to Calipari's death, but the incident has strained relations and Bush has promised an investigation.

"[Bush] knows he can't let down a loyal ally," said Berlusconi.

Berlusconi had stood by Bush as other US allies announced plans to pull out of Iraq.

Spain withdrew last year and more recently the Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine have said they propose bringing their forces home this year.

Earlier yesterday, Bulgaria's President said his country should withdraw its 450 troops from Iraq by the end of this year after a Bulgarian soldier was accidentally killed by US forces.

A final decision is expected by the end of the month.

In Iraq, more than six weeks after being elected, the transitional National Assembly was convening today for the first time with prayer and pomp, but no Government.

The January 30 elections gave many Iraqis their first glimpse of the joys of democracy. Now they are seeing its messy side.

Leaders of the top two political blocs, the Shiite Muslim alliance and the Kurds, are wrangling over how the Government should operate and who should run it.

Though they claim to have reached agreement on the fundamentals, talks drag on amid public posturing, private griping and false alarms.

Iraqi and Western analysts warn that a long delay could reverse Iraq's recent progress, particularly in fighting an insurgency that retains the ability to inflict tremendous carnage.

An independent anti-graft group is warning that the reconstruction of Iraq risks turning into the world's biggest corruption scandal.

Transparency International's annual Global Corruption Report criticised the US for its poor handling of procurement and said calls for rapid privatisation to reduce debts were misguided.

Corruption was likely to worsen with large-scale spending on building contracts and procurement.

Also yesterday, the New York Times, citing military officials, reported that at least 26 prisoners have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002 in what Army and Navy investigators have concluded or suspect were acts of criminal homicide.

In 18 of those cases, investigators have recommended them for prosecution or referred them to other agencies for action, the Times said.

 

- REUTERS, AGENCIES