(ANSA) - Sufficient common ground exists between the Italian government coalition and the opposition for an accord for the gradual withdrawal of Italian troops from Iraq, Defense Minister Antonio Martino said here on Monday.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Democratic Left, the largest opposition party, the minister said "I believe the government and opposition can come to an agreement on an hypothesis for a gradual withdrawal" as long as this in no way resembles a "retreat because this would be a betrayal".
A gradual withdrawal of Italian forces, he continued, "will depend on the real situation on the ground, where foreign-trained Iraqi police and military forces are beginning to take over responsibility.".
The challenge of helping Iraq is not easy, Martino observed, "but it must be tackled. We know what the outcome will be if we fail: a Middle East in flames."
"This because the challenge in Iraq goes far beyond that nation's borders. What is at stake is peace for the whole Middle East," he explained.
"The challenge we face is to help to keep Iraq united, to help consolidate its fragile democracy and help create a new state structure with men who are able to administer and serve," Martino said.
If the West fails to do this, the minister warned, "the Middle East will burst into flames, the oil market will be thrown into total upheaval with all the dramatic economic repercussions this will bring, terrorism will lift its head and a great divide will develop between the the Western world
and Islam. We cannot let this happened!".
"On the other hand, consolidating democracy in Iraq could have a positive effect for the whole Arab and Islamic world. It would demonstrate that democracy is possible and that the madness of fundamentalism and existence iron-ruled states make no sense," Martino concluded.
