Italy to pull 1,100 troops from Iraq

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Italy will pull 1,100 of its troops from Iraq in June, the new government said Friday, giving its first specific numbers about the planned withdrawal. "In June we will reduce our troops from 2,700 to 1,600," Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said during an evening television show. His announcement came hours after he met with Premier Romano Prodi to map Italy's exit strategy from the US-led coalition. Most Italian troops in Iraq are in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. They are involved in training, security and reconstruction.