AN ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAID FRIDAY THAT ALL THE NATION'S TROOPS WOULD BE OUT OF IRAQ WITHIN THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, REITERATING THE ASSESSMENT OF ITALY'S FOREIGN MINISTER THAT THE SOLDIERS WOULD BE HOME BY FALL, THE ITALIAN NEWS AGENCY ANSA REPORTED. DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY LORENZO FORCIERI, IN MALTA FOR AN ITALIAN-MALTESE MILITARY EXERCISE, ALSO CONFIRMED THAT ITALY INTENDED TO CONTINUE WITH AID TO IRAQ, AS A CIVILIAN MISSION. THE TROOP PULLOUT «IS A TECHNICAL QUESTION,» FORCIERI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING. «THE MILITARY IS DECIDING, BUT IT IS TALKING ABOUT THREE, FOUR MONTHS FOR THE COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL OF OUR TROOPS,» ANSA QUOTED FORCIERI AS SAYING. ITALY HAS BEEN CONSULTING ITS ALLIES, AND FOREIGN MINISTER MASSIMO D'ALEMA WAS IN IRAQ RECENTLY TO DISCUSS THE WITHDRAWAL PLANS WITH IRAQI OFFICIALS. D'ALEMA, WHO HAS SAID THE TROOPS WOULD BE BACK HOME BY FALL, SAID HE ALSO WOULD DISCUSS THE PULLOUT IN HIS MEETING LATER FRIDAY IN WASHINGTON WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE. «WE ARE WORKING OUT WITH OUR ALLIES THE WAYS TO GUARANTEE A COORDINATED RE-ENTRY IN MAXIMUM SECURITY,» FORCIERI WAS QUOTED AS SAYING. «WE ARE THINKING, HOWEVER, ABOUT A CIVILIAN COLLABORATION IN THE PROCESS OF RECONSTRUCTION,» THE DEFENSE MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAID.
