Italy's defense minister on Saturday said coalition forces in Iraq could be «gradually» reduced after January elections there if Iraqi troops and police can keep the country stable. «We have an Iraqi government which, after the January elections, will have full democratic legitimacy,» Defense Minister Antonio Martino said in an interview on Sky TG24 TV. Noting that Italian forces helped train Iraqi soldiers and police, Martino added, «If the Iraqis can handle stability by themselves, gradually, first the visibility, then the presence of the coalition will be reduced.» Italy, with some 3,000 troops in Iraq, is one of the biggest contributors to the U.S.-led military contingent there. Martino's comments followed on those earlier this month by Italian Deputy Premier Gianfranco Fini, who said it will take security and a stable political system _ not just elections _ before Italian troops will be able to withdraw from Iraq.
