Minister calls for withdrawal of Italian troops from Afghanistan

A key member of Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative government has called for Italy’s soldiers to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, but the Italian defence minister immediately insisted the troops would stay.

Italian media quoted Reforms Minister Umberto Bossi as saying at a gathering in northern Italy: “I’d bring them all home.”

Mr Bossi acknowledged Afghanistan was a difficult problem, but “given the results and costs, I’d think about” withdrawing the troops, he said last night.

Mr Bossi was reacting to the wounding of three Italian soldiers in two separate attacks in Afghanistan yesterday.

Until now, the government coalition has been united on the war in Afghanistan.

But Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa quickly responded, insisting that Italy’s 2,800 troops would stay until the conclusion of the mission to provide security for Afghanistan as part of wider, international fight against terrorism.

Mr Bossi, the closest political ally of Mr Berlusconi, leads the Northern League, a party based in the affluent northeast. The party recently made strong gains at the polls in European Parliament elections, strengthening its prestige in Berlusconi’s 14-month-old coalition.

Mr La Russa said: “We know what the boys are doing in Afghanistan, along with all the other international contingents, is an important task which cannot be renounced or set aside.”

Foreign Minister Franco Frattini indicated that Rome would ratchet up its military might to protect Italian troops in Afghanistan.

Italy will increase the number of Predators, an unmanned aircraft that can be used to fire missiles, Mr Frattini said in an interview published today.

In addition, Italy’s military will expand its use of Tornado fighter jets, going beyond the reconnaissance missions they now perform to provide coverage for ground troops, he said.

A total of 14 Italian troops have been killed in the war, with the latest fatality a soldier who was killed by a roadside bomb in July.