WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush said Tuesday that Italy and other nations will start pulling out of Iraq as Iraqis are able to defend themselves.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has announced that Italy's troops will start withdrawing from Iraq in September, but Bush said the Italian leader had assured him during telephone talks on Tuesday that there was no change of policy.
"He wanted me to know that there was no change in his policy, that in fact, any withdrawals would be done in consultation with allies and would be done, depending upon the ability of the iraqis to defend themselves," Bush told a press conference.
"I think you will find that countries will be anxious to get out when Iraqis have the capacity to defend themselves, and that is the position of the United States.
"Our troops will come home when Iraq is capable of defending itself and that is generally what I find to be the case when I've talked to other allies on this."
He added: "People want their troops home but they don't want their troops home if it affects the mission." And Bush insisted that Iraqi forces were improving their capability to defend themselves though there were still improvements to be made.
"It is amazing how much progress has been made. Thanks in large part to the courage of the Iraqi people, and when I talk to people, most understand we need to complete the mission," Bush said.
03/16/2005 15:36 GMT