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Italy firm on Iraq pullout

Baghdad: Italy announced its intention on Wednesday to pull out all its troops by the end of the year, an action that further reduces the number of international troops supporting the U.S. in Iraq.

Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said his country would begin reducing the number of troops in Iraq this month and ``the Italian military presence in Iraq will end by the end of the year.''

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraqis would be ready to take over responsibility for the southeastern area where the Italians are based.

``This withdrawal will not begin suddenly but it will be gradual,'' he said during a joint news conference at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. ``We have a security plan to transfer the security tasks from the Italian forces to the Iraqi forces starting end of this month.'' Italy has 2,700 troops based in Nasiriyah, and already has said it plans to pull out 1,600 of them this month.

The announcement falls in line with a previous pullout plan by the former Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi, but it is the first time that a timetable has been given. It also makes good on a pledge by Italy's new government to withdraw the troops. — AP

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