Silvio, get hold of yourself. "Berlusconi in trouble over troop pull-out pledge," from the Times Online, :
Silvio Berlusconi was tonight forced into a partial climbdown after his surprise announcement on live television last night that Italy would begin withdrawing its forces from Iraq in September.The off the cuff remark took Downing Street by surprise. This morning it emerged that Britain, which controls the 3,200 Italian troops and paramilitary police in the southern city of al-Nasiriyah, had not been informed of the Italian Prime Minister's "exit strategy".
Neither had President Ciampi or Gianfranco Fini, the Italian Foreign Minister, who are both visiting the UK this week, or the state Parliament.
Tony Blair issued an urgent statement saying that the Italian premier had been "misinterpreted". He told Parliament today: "Their [the Italian] position is exactly the same as ours, which is that there should be a build up of Iraqi forces so that security is increasingly taken over by them.
"Neither the Italian government nor ourselves have set some deadline to withdraw."
After a conversation with the US President, George Bush, Signor Berlusconi appeared to be forced to backtrack, issuing a statement that tonight that Italy will not begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq in September without the consent of its US and British allies....
And no more Aethelred the Unready acts, either, ok, Silvio? "Italy to stop paying ransoms," from the Times Online again, and again :
THE Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has promised President George W Bush that he will not pay more ransoms to free hostages in Iraq.The Italian government has denied newspaper reports that $6m (£3.1m) was paid for the release of Giuliana Sgrena, who worked for the Communist daily Il Manifesto. But senior officials and intelligence sources have confirmed that money did change hands.
The payment of the ransoms to the insurgents is an appalling practice. Why not just be honest and pay the ransom in high explosives? Ransom payments are killing innocent Iraqis and American soldiers. It is nothing short of criminal, and we must make our displeasure known. The Phillipines did it, and so did Germany. It won't stop until the world agrees that it is intolerable.
How can you pay ransom for one hostage and then say you will not ever pay ransom again? That's like the saying, "once a cheater, always a cheater." I just do not believe Italy will not pay the jihadists another ransom should a new hostage be taken.
Maybe the Italians should qualify the pledge: no more ransoming journos and NGOs whose sympathies lie with the Baathists and jihaddists. They go in there at their own risk.
Posted by: TigerHawk at March 18, 2005 07:55 AM
and today an iraqi sweed was set free??
Now ask how much money they paid??
Then ask how do the people know where to pay and why are these monsters not caught in the sting so they can't hurt anyone else??
As for Berliconi thought he had added that the Itlian pull out will be when the Iraqi army are stronger??
And we know they are because we have spent so much money and the Elections and their gaurding of the polling places show that we don't have to be there forever the Iraqis will have their own country!!
Lets not be to hard on Italy after all they didn't do what the Spanish did and run away?? Or like hondurs or the Philippens did yea they ran away???
Beriloconi is just an Italian and was feeling a little slighted??
Sometimes this is the problem when dealing with so many egos???
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
GOD BLESS THE USA AND HER FIGHTING FORCES AND ALL WHO FIGHT WITH HER GIVE THEM STRENGTH, WISDOM, SIGHT, AND COURAGE [ITALY TOO]TO STAY THE COURSE TO DESTROY ALL ISLAMIC TERRORIST AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM OPEN THE WORLDS EYES TO THEIR THREAT LET NOT THE WOORLD BE DECEIVED BY THEM AMEN
PS
I think the Italians have a better grasp on this threat look at the laws they have changed now you can shoot an intruder this is a big move look at britian they took the guns of their citizans away??
No Italy knows the Threat they have stopped the mulsums from buliding a mosque across from St. Peters Sq.[of course it is really hard to get building premits because of all the ruins every where]
the smuggle rout of the albains brought with them viliant crime to the likes the Itailans had not seen in a long time they[the italians] are taken the right steps!!