ROME – Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, one of Washington’s most ardent supporters in Iraq, signaled his intention Tuesday to withdraw Italian troops from the country beginning in September. That would make Italy the latest country to reduce or eliminate its military contingent in the U.S.-led force.
With the newly elected National Assembly set to meet for the first time today, representatives from Shiite Muslim and Kurdish parties continued talks aimed at reaching agreement on broad policy objectives for a new government, including how to deal with the insurgency. Sources on both sides of the negotiations said agreement was close.
A final accord on policy goals would smooth the way for the formation of a coalition government with Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the interim vice president who heads the Shiite Dawa party, serving as prime minister. Jalal Talabani, a key Kurdish leader, would fill the ceremonial post of president. But appointment of the government could be days or weeks away, Iraqis involved in the talks said.
Italy, with about 3,000 soldiers in the country, is the fourth-largest contributor of foreign military forces in Iraq after the United States, Britain and South Korea. Following the March 4 killing of an Italian intelligence agent by U.S. troops near the Baghdad airport, Berlusconi has come under new public pressure to take a cue from other countries that are withdrawing their troops from Iraq.
On Monday, 160 troops from the Netherlands arrived home as part of a phased Dutch withdrawal. On Tuesday, Ukraine welcomed back more than 130 members of its 1,650-person force and has said it would complete a pullout by October. Poland plans to remove a few hundred of its 1,700 soldiers this summer and the rest by early 2006.
-Tribnet
So... One more pulls out. Leaving the US troops that much more under manned. They can no longer attempt to claim they are "Canadian" or "Polish" to avoid some conflicts as I heard many troops say on occasion. Would it now be wise for the US to pull out before things get worse? Or should they just pile on the robot troops?
Current troop levels
• United States, 150,000 (no end date; withdrawing 12,000 over next few months)
• Britain, 8,000 (no end date)
• South Korea, 3,600 (mission ends Dec. 31)
• Italy, 3,000 (no end date, but plans to begin reducing number in September)
• Poland, 1,700 (plans to withdraw several hundred in July; mission to end Dec. 31 or early 2006)
• Ukraine, 1,500 (137 recently withdrawn; 550 to leave by May 15; rest by Oct. 15)
• Georgia, 850 (no end date)
• Romania, 800 (no end date)
• Japan, 550 (expires Dec. 14)
• Denmark, 530 (mission ends in June; six-month extension expected)
• Bulgaria, 460 (mission ends midyear; likely to be renewed to Dec. 31)
• El Salvador, 380 (ends in August)
Countries that have withdrawn
• The Netherlands, 1,400; 150 returned home Feb. 21; rest to follow by April 30
• Spain, 1,300
• Thailand, 423
• Honduras, 370
• Dominican Republic, 302
• Hungary, 300
• Singapore, 160
• Norway, 150; left 16 liaison officers
• Nicaragua, 115
• Portugal, 127
• New Zealand, 60
• Philippines, 51
• Tonga, 44
• Moldova, 12
With the newly elected National Assembly set to meet for the first time today, representatives from Shiite Muslim and Kurdish parties continued talks aimed at reaching agreement on broad policy objectives for a new government, including how to deal with the insurgency. Sources on both sides of the negotiations said agreement was close.
A final accord on policy goals would smooth the way for the formation of a coalition government with Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the interim vice president who heads the Shiite Dawa party, serving as prime minister. Jalal Talabani, a key Kurdish leader, would fill the ceremonial post of president. But appointment of the government could be days or weeks away, Iraqis involved in the talks said.
Italy, with about 3,000 soldiers in the country, is the fourth-largest contributor of foreign military forces in Iraq after the United States, Britain and South Korea. Following the March 4 killing of an Italian intelligence agent by U.S. troops near the Baghdad airport, Berlusconi has come under new public pressure to take a cue from other countries that are withdrawing their troops from Iraq.
On Monday, 160 troops from the Netherlands arrived home as part of a phased Dutch withdrawal. On Tuesday, Ukraine welcomed back more than 130 members of its 1,650-person force and has said it would complete a pullout by October. Poland plans to remove a few hundred of its 1,700 soldiers this summer and the rest by early 2006.
-Tribnet
So... One more pulls out. Leaving the US troops that much more under manned. They can no longer attempt to claim they are "Canadian" or "Polish" to avoid some conflicts as I heard many troops say on occasion. Would it now be wise for the US to pull out before things get worse? Or should they just pile on the robot troops?
Current troop levels
• United States, 150,000 (no end date; withdrawing 12,000 over next few months)
• Britain, 8,000 (no end date)
• South Korea, 3,600 (mission ends Dec. 31)
• Italy, 3,000 (no end date, but plans to begin reducing number in September)
• Poland, 1,700 (plans to withdraw several hundred in July; mission to end Dec. 31 or early 2006)
• Ukraine, 1,500 (137 recently withdrawn; 550 to leave by May 15; rest by Oct. 15)
• Georgia, 850 (no end date)
• Romania, 800 (no end date)
• Japan, 550 (expires Dec. 14)
• Denmark, 530 (mission ends in June; six-month extension expected)
• Bulgaria, 460 (mission ends midyear; likely to be renewed to Dec. 31)
• El Salvador, 380 (ends in August)
Countries that have withdrawn
• The Netherlands, 1,400; 150 returned home Feb. 21; rest to follow by April 30
• Spain, 1,300
• Thailand, 423
• Honduras, 370
• Dominican Republic, 302
• Hungary, 300
• Singapore, 160
• Norway, 150; left 16 liaison officers
• Nicaragua, 115
• Portugal, 127
• New Zealand, 60
• Philippines, 51
• Tonga, 44
• Moldova, 12
