Prodi would pull out ‘illegitimate’ Iraq troops

Romano Prodi would withdraw Italian forces from Iraq if the centre left coalition he leads were running the country.

The European Commision president is combining his Brussels job with leadership of the Italian 'Olive Tree' coalition - an opposition role he will take on fulltime in November.

Prodi on Saturday wrote to Italian daily Corriere della Sera saying that in the event of victory he would  immediately pull out troops form Iraq.

He writes that "if the Olive Tree had to assume the responsibility of governing, the problem would be deciding whether to continue or interrupt the participation in this war”.

“I have no hesitation in saying that we would chose to end the intervention.”

"Because, in its current form, occupation is the continuation of an unjustified and illegitimate war, and it is not apparently capable of bringing peace and security to Iraq."

Prodi laments the “violence and death” “day after day” in Iraq, and calls for a “new and finally legitimate phase of humanitarian intervention.”

But the Brussels chief denies that this is in any way a response to the recent terrorist attacks in Spain - which many believe were inspired by opposition to Western intervention in Baghdad.

“No one has a right to read in this position a concession to terrorism. Terrorism is a threat to all the free world.”

"In conditions of anarchy and disorder… the population of that land [Iraq] are exposed to the reality of mass violence, of a civil war in which terrorism of every kind can and will appear."

National elections are not scheduled in Rome before 2006, but Italian politics are notoriously volatile, with over 50 governments ruling since the second world war.

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