Berlusconi appears to have backtracked

Berlusconi backtracks on Iraq withdrawal
Sydney Morning Herald

March 17, 2005 - 8:34PM
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi appears to have backtracked from his proposal of withdrawing troops from Iraq starting from September, saying the date was only his hope and could be changed.
Berlusconi, one of US President George Bush's most vocal supporters, shocked friend and foe on Tuesday when he said Italy would start pulling out its troops in September, adding he was in talks with Britain's Tony Blair about a total exit.
"There's never been a fixed date," Berlusconi told reporters yesterday.
"It was only my hope ... If it is not possible, it is not possible. The solution should be agreed with the allies."
Berlusconi's comments came as Bush insisted the US-led coalition in Iraq was not crumbling.
"I think the coalition has been buoyed by the courage of the Iraqi people," Bush said, adding the Italian Prime Minister had told him any withdrawals would be in consultation with allies.
Blair yesterday said he would not follow Berlusconi's suit and set a timetable for withdrawal of British troops.
Berlusconi is one of Bush's most fervent European allies and has invested considerable political capital in backing the war in Iraq despite overwhelming opposition at home.
His initial announcement on a television chat show delivered a blow to Bush's coalition.
But analysts cautioned it did not signal a U-turn in a pro-US foreign policy or retaliation for the killing of an Italian agent in Iraq by US forces.
Rather, it indicated Berlusconi is under pressure on the home front ahead of regional elections next month and national elections next year.
"We are entering an important electoral phase and Berlusconi has understood that most Italians want the soldiers out," said Sergio Romano, a former ambassador and political commentator.
"He does not want to campaign for the 2006 elections with troops still on the ground in Iraq," he told Reuters.
Berlusconi has brushed off accusations the withdrawal was inspired by electioneering.
Although Italy played no part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it dispatched about 3000 troops following the fall of Baghdad and has the fourth largest foreign contingent there after the United States, Britain and South Korea.
Twenty-one Italian soldiers have died in Iraq.
Most Italians opposed the deployment, and public opinion was further soured by the "friendly fire" shooting of an Italian officer as he escorted a hostage to freedom on March 4. One survey said 70 per cent of Italians wanted the troops home.
Berlusconi on Tuesday said Italy would "begin to reduce our contingent even before the end of year, starting in September".
Nonetheless, prior to Tuesday's announcement, there had been no indication of any firm date being set for a withdrawal.
Berlusconi had said the issue would only be addressed at the end of the year. Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini told a French magazine on Tuesday there was "no reason" to pull troops out.
Some politicians suggested Berlusconi had made a gaffe during the chat show and plucked a date out of thin air.
But veteran commentators were not convinced.
"Nothing that Berlusconi does is unplanned. He is a great communicator and there is a reason behind everything he does," Italy's top pollster, Renato Mannheimer, said.
"This will help Berlusconi persuade his supporters to go out and vote," he told Reuters.
Opinion polls have indicated Berlusconi's centre-right coalition will lose control of some regions in next month's elections.
The outcome of the general election, due in the first half of 2006, is still highly uncertain.
Reuters