Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday that he hopes to withdraw troops from Iraq starting in September, but that the timing was not fixed and could be changed if necessary. "There's never been a fixed date," Berlusconi said. "It was only my hope ... If it is not possible, it is not possible. The solution should be agreed with the allies". Berlusconi, one of U.S. President George W. Bush's most vocal supporters, on Tuesday said Italy would start pulling back its troops in September. He added he was in talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair about a total exit strategy. Berlusconi has invested considerable political capital in backing the U.S.-led war in Iraq despite overwhelming opposition at home. Although Italy played no part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it dispatched some 3,000 troops following the fall of Baghdad and has the fourth largest foreign contingent there after the United States, Britain and South Korea. Twenty one Italian soldiers have died in Iraq, the latest in a shooting accident on Tuesday.
