MILAN, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Most Italian troops have already left Iraq and the last soldiers will be back home by Dec. 2, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said on Monday.

"Only 60-70 soldiers are still in Nassiriya for the handover with the Iraqi police," Prodi told local television Telelombardia. "Between Dec. 1 and 2 they will all be home."

Prodi's predecessor, centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi, deployed 3,000 troops in Iraq in 2003 despite strong domestic opposition to the U.S.-led invasion.

Prodi, who narrowly beat Berlusconi in an April election, had pledged to pull out all troops by the end of this year.

AlertNet news is provided by

Delicio.us  |   Digg  |   NewsVine  |   Reddit                                                                                  Permalink