Italy and Poland, two major European allies in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, pressed on Tuesday for a prompt handover of power to a government that fully represents the Iraqi people. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Ukraine will consider withdrawing its troops.
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''It's very clear,'' Berlusconi said. ''We want to be certain that there is a clear turnaround in the Iraqi situation that sovereignty really passes to the government chosen by the U.N. envoy (Lakhdar) Brahimi and that this government gives life to an assembly that is representative of the Iraqi civilization.''
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Recent violence in Karbala and Najaf both in the part of Iraq where Polish troops are based has also increased pressure on Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka. He said Tuesday that the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council ''does not have enough legitimacy'' and he urged Washington to move more quickly toward a return to Iraqi sovereignty.
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In Ukraine, demands for the withdrawal of the country's troops in Iraq have increased since two soldiers were killed there last month, bringing the number of combat deaths to three. Some Ukrainian lawmakers have repeatedly demanded that the troops be removed.
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http://www.boston.com/dailynews/139/world/Amid_Iraq_bloodshed_Italy_and_:.shtml