WilliamPitt

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Thu Apr-13-06 02:03 PM
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Prodi: Italy Will Remove Troops from Iraq

The rest of this article shares his vision of multilateral cooperation. Prodi strikes me as having the potential to be a great leader.

Italy Must Go Forward Again
By Romano Prodi
Le Monde

Wednesday 12 April 2006

After experiencing a government brimming with media activity, but stripped of any political plan, Italy must move forward again. Her role and contribution in terms of foreign policy must be re-launched with firmness and realism if she desires to maintain her rank and to avoid finding herself isolated vis-à-vis participants in world affairs, as happened, for example, with the Berlin Summit consultations on Iran between the United States, Russia, China, and the three EU countries that initiated negotiations with Teheran. My foreign policy program, the objective of which is to restore Italy's active participation in global affairs, is based on three principles: a strong and united Europe, a solid alliance with the United States and an opening to the problems of the globe, notably those crises that constitute a threat for all of us, with a concerted multilateral approach.

At the intersection of European and Atlantic security, Italy finds itself in a position that explains the remarkable potential for political and diplomatic influence that we have traditionally used. Nonetheless, we would be deceiving ourselves thinking that we can box above our weight class: Italy is a middle weight European power in the Mediterranean region, located on an arc of instability that goes from North Africa to the Middle East and Central Asia by way of the Balkans. The political tradition of the last fifty years as well as the challenges launched at our security and our prosperity consequently demand a foreign policy based on international cooperation.

(snip)

Italy will not cease in its efforts. On the contrary, we will continue to participate, as in the past, in multilateral peace-keeping missions. We consider that the intervention in Iraq was wrong and unjustifiable: no weapons of mass destruction have ever been found; multilateral legitimacy has never been solicited; and, finally, far from countering terrorism, the war has only contributed to exacerbating it. We will withdraw our troops from Iraq in agreement with any legitimate government in Baghdad and we will send a civilian contingent charged with helping in the reconstruction of Iraqi infrastructure and institutions.

Terrorism cannot be fought by military means only: on the contrary, it's at the political, social, and economic level that we must confront it, as well as according to our own principles and values, in particular by wrong-footing the terrorists' alienation and marginalization. All that implies a global level strategy against terrorism in which Europe must play its role. Following the elections, Italy is ready to take its place.

More: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041306B.shtml

Prodi: Italy Will Remove Troops from Iraq

In boca al lupo! (Best of luck!)

Chi la dura, la vince! (Slow and steady wins the race!):toast: :loveya:

Chi la dura, la vince! (Slow and steady wins the race!)

:toast: :loveya: