Italian troops to stay, after all
From Richard Owen in Rome
TO BITING criticism from the Italian Opposition and the press, Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, backtracked yesterday over his announcement that Italian troops would start withdrawing from Iraq in September, claiming that this had only ever been a “hope” rather than a commitment.
On Tuesday night Signor Berlusconi had caused consternation in London and Washington by declaring on state television that Italy would begin a “progressive withdrawal” of its 3,000-strong contingent from Iraq starting in September, provided local security conditions allowed this.
He said that he had discussed an “exit strategy” with Tony Blair and was responding to public opinion.
Il Giornale, the newspaper owned by the Berlusconi family, carried a front-page headline the next day reading “Troops to start pulling back in September” and described the move as “a turning point”.
Yesterday, however, Italian newspapers carried a “clarification” from Signor Berlusconi’s office stating that after a “long and cordial” conversation with President Bush the Italian leader wished to make it clear that there was “no fixed date” for withdrawal, which could only take place “in consultation with our allies”.
Signor Berlusconi said that the media had misinterpreted his words and built “castles in the air”.
La Repubblica retaliated with a front-page cartoon showing the Prime Minister declaring: “I never said what I said, and if I did say it, I misrepresented myself.”
The cartoon in Corriere della Sera had Signor Berlusconi dictating a statement reading: “I have agreed with Bush on an immediate withdrawal — that is, the immediate withdrawal of what I said on television.”
Signor Berlusconi insisted that he had not “corrected myself in anything” and rejected calls from the centre-left Opposition to go before parliament to clarify his position. ...
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