Italy Plans To Withdraw Some Of Its Troops From Iraq

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (NINA) - Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said he would propose to the parliament the transfer of some troops from his country's troops based in Iraq to Niger to combat human smuggling and terrorism. "It is now possible to reduce Italy's 1,400-strong military presence in Iraq after victories over the militants and deploy troops instead in the Saharan Sahel region of West Africa," Gentiloni told reporters. "We must continue to work and focus our attention and energies on the danger of human trafficking and terrorism in the Sahel region," he said on board the Italian ship Etna, which is used in the European Union's anti-smuggling operation in Sofia. "Starting this season, some of our forces deployed in Iraq will be transferred to Niger in the coming months, and this is the proposal that the government will submit to parliament," he said. He did not say how many troops might be sent to Niger./ End