Italy ready to increase role in Afghan battle zones

Tuesday July 29, 2008 (2304 PST)

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ROME: Italy has a "moral duty" to increase its military role in Afghanistan, even if the public is wary of casualties, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the other day.

Italy - as U.S. ally and NATO member - is also prepared to temporarily deploy troops to the more volatile areas in southern Afghanistan, Frattini said in an interview before leaving for Washington.

In the past Italy and other allies have refused to send troops to face Taliban strongholds in the south, prompting accusations that they were not carrying their weight in the NATO-led mission. The brunt of the fighting in those areas had been borne by Canadian, British, U.S. and Dutch troops.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s new government has pledged, however, to become more engaged in the southern battle zones.

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