Berlusconi Accused of Bowing to US Over Iraq: Withdrawal of Withdrawal

Berlusconi Accused of Bowing to U.S. Over Iraq

Thu Mar 17,10:31 AM ET

By Crispian Balmer

ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was accused on Thursday of bowing to pressure from the United States after he apparently backtracked on an announcement that Italian troops would start withdrawing from Iraq this September.

"It's a world record. The withdrawal of an announced withdrawal in half a day," said Francesco Rutelli, leader of the opposition, center-left Daisy party.

Berlusconi told a television chat show earlier this week that he wanted to begin reducing Italy's 3,000-strong contingent in September, but he later said he had never set a fixed date for any pullout.

Opposition politicians lambasted Berlusconi's change of tack, which came just hours after he received a phone call from President Bush.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&u=/nm/20050317/wl_nm/iraq_italy_berlusconi_dc&printer=1

Surprise, surprise, surprise. Berlusconi is a twit. He's Europes conservative equivalent of tony blair.

He's a far-right-wing media magnate who managed to get elected himself. Imagine President Rupert Murdoch :puke: , and you might get the idea.

Do we have any Italian DUers? I've long wondered if there's a reasonable chance of a change of power in Parliament in Italy.

But Italians may be getting tired of being ripped off by him.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1301148

He has dropped 1.5% since December, while the center left coalition increased their support 1%. I guess this is within the margin of error, so it is very close... In any case, elections are scheduled for next year, so he won't be going away soon.

-Union (Unione) 48% 47%
Olive Tree United List (Ulivo) 34.5% 33.5%
Popular Alliance (UDEUR) 1% 1%
Party of Italian Communists (PCI) 2.5% 2.5%
Green / Sunflower (Verdi / Girasole) 2% 2%
Italy of Values (Lista di Pietro / Occhetti) 1.5% 1.5%
Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 6.5% 6.5%

-House of Freedom (Casa) 46% 47.5%
Forwards Italy (Forza Italia) 20.5% 22%
National Alliance (AN) 13% 12.5%
Union of Christian and Centre-Democrats (UDC) 5.5% 5.5%
Northern League (LN) 4.5% 5%
New Italian Socialist Party (Nuovo PSI) 2% 2%
Republicans (R) 0.5% 0.5%
Marco Panella / Emma Bonino List 2% 2%
Social Alternative (AS) 1% 1%

-Other 3% 2.5%

Berlusconi's slow decline but what my relatives have been saying to me is more telling:

He got in because he controls the media and played on people's fear of immigration deluge especially from Albania/Mideast.

But he's infuriated my relatives for being B* 's subordinate in Iraq policy. . .both his exaggerated allegiance to B* and Calipari's death last week tread on my relatives Italian pride.

Berlusconi is toast. :smoke:

Berlusconi Accused of Blowing Bush Over Iraq

http://images.globalfreepress.com

peace

Everything is playing out quite nicely: trouble for Bush, trouble for Berlusconi, hope for Iraq.

Too early to hope, but so far, so good.

:)