Italy Withdraws Troops from Iraq in Jan

Italy will pull another 300 troops out of Iraq in January 2006, told Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino earlier Thursday. By the end of January, the number of Italian troops stationed in Iraq will fall from 2,900 to 2,600, Martino added in his statement. Italy withdrew nearly 300 troops in September this year. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi sent around 3,000 troops to Iraq despite the opposition’s objection after Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003. Berlusconi said Italy would announce a complete withdrawal from the region by the end of 2006 if the Iraqi government would be willing to co-operate.

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