Italy to withdraw troops gradually from Iraq

[bemildred]

Berluscolini must be feeling the heat. He's making
pacifying noises.

ROME, March 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Friday that Italy will begin a gradual withdrawal of its troops only when Iraqi forces are able to guarantee security in the country.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Rome ceremony unveiling a memorial to victims of terrorism, Berlusconi said Italy's 3000-strong contingent will withdraw "gradually, coinciding with an increased ability by Iraq to guarantee public order with its own men."

The Berlusconi's statement came amid polemics over the "friendly fire" shooting in Iraq of an Italian agent taking a a just-freed hostage - Giuliana Sgrena - to Baghdad airport.

The agent, Nicola Calipari died shielding Sgrena from the fire of the US soldiers at a mobile checkpoint.

China View

[sonicx]

1. Who writes these headlines?

<<<when Iraqi forces are able to guarantee security in the country.>>>

That could take decades. This 'news' is meaningless.

[pie]

3. Right you are!

Blaire can rest easy.

[pie]

2. very good

Does Blair plan on sending more men to their death
to make up for this?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

4. i read that the Ukraine is also withdrawing it's troops from Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

6. Ukraine does seem to be withdrawing some troops...very slowly n/t

[cliss]

5. The little Danny De Vito lookalike

is sweating now. He's caught in the classic trap of 'split loyalties', or 'vowing loyalty to one, but actually being loyal to the other'.

Sort of like a bigamist. At some point, the bigamist gets caught in his double life. The one wife finds out about the other, or one of the kids finds about the other set of kids. The moment of truth. The bigamist must decide: which will it be? Family #1, or Family #2?

The bigamist would rather not be forced into such pressing issues. The arrangement has worked so well, for such a long time. Bigamist decides to procrastinate, until it's crisis time: both wives find out about each other, and threaten to kill each other.

Silvio Berlusconi was elected by the Italian people. He most probably took a vow to protect the Italians through thick and thin. They are his first priority.

So when he signed clandestine, "back-door" deals with Bush, he probably convinced himself it was for "his people". They would get to share in the oil profits, somehow......some way......maybe.

Like the bigamist, Silvio is trapped. He'd prefer to keep both families, but a crisis has developed.

Which one will Silvio choose? Hard to tell. It's a carrot & stick issue.

[Straight Shooter]

8. If he's a real Italian -- and a real man -- he'll choose his people.

I don't know if he wants to lie down and be bush's doormat, which is precisely how he appears right now.

I wish the Heavens had spared Calipari. What a different story we would be hearing now.

[w4rma]

9. Berlusconi like Mussolini is a fascist, therefore he'll choose Bush.

And he'll use his ownership of almost all the media in Italy to cover that up.

[0007]

7. It's a Catch 22 - only when Iraqi forces are able to guarantee security

[ausiedownunderground]

10. The Shia might learn how to take control?

It will take years to get the Shia up to scratch!! Some Shia are fighting with the Sunni. The anglo-saxons have to realize that the Shia were so surpressed under Saddam, they didn't have a clue about civil order duties let alone fighting in an army. If the American's want a Shia run Iraq, which is the largest population segment, so democratic, it will take potentially "Decades" and an enormous amount of US Taxpayers money to make it happen! But America wants to invade Iran/Syria within the next three years and 10 months. You people are digging a hole you'll never come out off. America needs to stop digging!!