ROME, March 16: Italy will not begin withdrawing its troops from Iraq in September without the consent of its US and British allies, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday. The remarks were seen as an attempt to end media speculations of a rift between Rome, on the one hand, and Washington and London, on the other. Wednesday’s papers on both sides of the Atlantic were awash with analyses suggesting that Mr Berlusconi’s Tuesday announcement of an Italian pullout from Iraq in September meant he had fallen out with US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair over Iraq. “If it’s not possible, it’s not possible. Everything has to be agreed with the allies. We will do everything in a concerted manner,” Mr Berlusconi told journalists when asked whether Italy would go ahead with a withdrawal without the consent of Washington and London.

In London, Mr Blair played down the remarks by his Italian counterpart, insisting that no date had been set.

Analysts have warned that Britain may be called on to fill the gap left by a pullout of Italy’s 3,300-strong military contingent. Mr Blair told parliament that Italy, like Britain, remained committed to building up Iraq’s own security forces before exiting the country.

“We have always said we should leave as soon as possible once the Iraqi forces are in the position where they are capable of dealing with their own security,” Mr Blair said during weekly questions. “Neither the Italian government nor ourselves have set some deadline for withdrawal,” he said.

Mr Berlusconi’s office, however said that the Italian prime minister, a staunch US ally, had told President Bush in a telephone call that he wanted to start removing Italy’s military contingent from Iraq in September if possible.—AFP