Berlusconi flies to US under pressure to change Iraq policy

ROME (AFP) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi headed to the United States with pressure mounting on him to seek a radical change of policy from President George W. Bush over the occupation of Iraq.

Berlusconi, who contributed 3,000 troops to the US-led force despite the opposition of most Italians, was to see UN chief Kofi Annan in New York late Tuesday before travelling to Washington for talks with Bush Wednesday.

But the right-wing prime minister was forced once again to defend the decision to send Italian troops to Iraq and to keep them there despite the opposition at home as the violence on the ground escalated.

"I do not think that we can abandon Iraq to chaos and civil war. That would be irresponsible and immoral. I will not allow it," he told one of his television channels from his plane.

According to an opinion poll in La Repubblica newspaper, more then 60 percent of Italians want the troops home by June 30, when the United States plans to hand sovereignty to a transitional Iraqi government charged with preparing elections in January 2005.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040518/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_italy_us_un_berlusconi&cid=1514&ncid=1480

You know, if all the right-wing governments supporting Bush get voted out of office by their irate citizens, won't this administration have done the world a great service, albiet inadvertently? Of course, it won't mean much if we can get ourright-wing government voted out!