Italy Planning to Start Pullout of Iraq Troops

Ian Fisher, New York Times

ROME, March 15 — Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Tuesday that he aimed to begin withdrawing Italy's 3,000 troops from Iraq by September, in a signal that the domestic cost of loyalty to the United States over the war was growing too high.

Mr. Berlusconi, one of President Bush's few close allies in Europe, framed his words carefully, saying in brief comments on a talk show here that the timing of the withdrawal depended on the strength of the Iraqi government. Italy has the fourth largest contingent of foreign troops in Iraq, its soldiers acting largely as peacekeepers near the southern city of Nasiriya.But there could be little doubt that Mr. Berlusconi was looking not only at events in Iraq, for on the same show he said that he would run for re-election in the spring of 2006. Political commentators here have long assumed that given the deep opposition to the war in Iraq among Italians, Mr. Berlusconi would be forced to begin the troop withdrawal by then.

That opposition to the war found a galvanizing new cause two weeks ago when an Italian intelligence agent was shot to death in Iraq by American soldiers after he obtained the freedom of a kidnapped Italian journalist.

While the shooting cast a shadow over relations between Italy and Washington, it was unclear how great a role it played in Mr. Berlusconi's decision, a rare nod to public sentiment against the war.

"I've spoken about it with Tony Blair, and it's the public opinion of our countries that expects this decision," Mr. Berlusconi said in the talk show "Porta a Porta," referring to the British prime minister, who faces similar public disenchantment for his support of the war. "We have to build an exit strategy."

There was no immediate comment from Mr. Blair, but British opponents of the Iraq war were quick to applaud Mr. Berlusconi's action. "It is time the U.K. showed a similar resolve," said Sir Menzies Campbell, the foreign affairs spokesman of the Liberal Democratic Party, which opposed the war from the beginning and plans to fight the election expected in May in part on an antiwar platform. "Britain's objective should be to achieve the withdrawal of British forces by the expiration date of the U.N. mandate which ends in December 2005."

Mr. Berlusconi's announcement seemed a blow to the Bush administration's efforts both to keep up the number of troops in Iraq and to portray the war there as the effort of a broad coalition of nations, as other allies have said they, too, will begin withdrawing their troops in the coming months.

Britain, with 8,000 troops, the second largest contingent in Iraq after the United States' 150,000, has not announced any withdrawal date. But Poland, another important European ally, has announced it will withdraw several hundred of its 1,700 troops in July with the intent of leaving entirely around the start of the new year. The Netherlands and Ukraine have both begun withdrawing their combined 2,900 troops or plan to do so.

In Washington, the Bush administration had little to say, other than applauding the role Italy has played in Iraq and focusing on Mr. Berlusconi's promise not to withdraw precipitously. "This will be based on the ability and capability of Iraqi forces and the Iraqi government to be able to assume more responsibility and that he will work in agreement with allies in the region before taking those steps," said Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman.

At the Pentagon, a spokesman said late Tuesday that news reports on the Italian withdrawal would require no immediate action or reaction by the American-led coalition forces in Iraq. "Although we are still awaiting the details of the apparent Italian policy decision, as we understand it, it would start in September with a phased or gradual withdrawal," the spokesman said. "There is ample time to work any potential issues that may arise."

Asked whether he thought Mr. Berlusconi had made his announcement because of the shooting of the intelligence agent, Mr. McClellan said, "I'm not sure I'd make a connection there."