Summary: November 13, 2003: Iraq: Europe and the world rally in support of Italy (Rome)
The day after a terrorist attack against an Italian military base in southern Iraq killed 19 Italians and 9 Iraqis, the international community rallied to Italy's support and began reviewing possible strategic options for the immediate future.
US President George W. Bush called for the transfer of postwar authority to the Iraqi people to be speeded up and telephoned Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi to express American support to Italy.
The Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda expressed "condemnation and grief" for the "cowardly attack" during a meeting today with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
Sorrow and concern over the situation in Iraq were also voiced by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin spoke of the "horrible" terrorist attack and raised the crucial query: "how many more lives need to be lost before it becomes clear that a new approach must be taken?"
According to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the "worst mistake" that could be made now would be to pull troops out of Iraq.
In a message to Berlusconi, Spanish Premier Jose' Maria Aznar expressed his "utmost condemnation for the savage attack" against the Italian military base.
Grief and solidarity were also forthcoming from Russia, Poland, Romania, Austria and Ireland as well as from all the institutions of the European Union.
Shocked by the attack in Nassiriya, Japan has decided to delay the deployment of its troops in Iraq.
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