Italy PM urged to speed Iraq pullout after soldier killed

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ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Romano Prodi resisted calls by leftist allies on Tuesday to speed up the withdrawal of troops from Iraq after an Italian soldier was killed near the southern city of Nassiriya.

Prodi, who campaigned on troop withdrawal, took office last month calling the Iraq war a "grave error" and has pledged to announce a timetable soon for a speedy pullout of Italy's 2,600 forces this year.

"Nothing changes," Prodi said, addressing the lower the house of parliament. "Yesterday's attack will have no repercussions on the timetable for withdrawal, which is being defined."

However, other allies on the left of his coalition, which ranges from Roman Catholic moderates to communists, suggested that anything beyond August would be too long to wait.