So it comes down to finally, all the Italian soldiers coming back home from Iraq. 32 of them died in action since 2003, with 7 other Italian civilians (journalists and other agents).
39 is a little figure compared to what the Iraqi people suffered (in the order of half million people killed since 2003), so it's fair to say that we are, as a nation, coming out quite unscathed by this 'mission'.

Considered how unjust this war was in the first place, based on lies and motivated by greediness and imperialism; considered how the 'peaceful' mission of the Italian army consisted basically in garrisoning the prospect of two million barrels in Nassyriha in the name not of our democratic constitution but of ENI, the Italian energy agency, it really was about time to put an end to this shame.

But the shame does not end here, obviously. It never ends. Who will now defend the Italian interests there? What sort of deal ENI is striking and with whom? Mercenaries? Foreign armies? Local mafia? Terrorist groups?
And what about the Italian constitution which states at the Article 11:

Italy repudiates war as an instrument offending the liberty of the peoples and as a means for settling international disputes; it agrees to limitations of sovereignty where they are necessary to allow for a legal system of peace and justice between nations, provided the principle of reciprocity is guaranteed.

I mean, why are we getting out of Iraq now? Because our leaders said that the war was 'wrong', because we never managed or even tried to favor a 'legal system of peace and justice' there.
And who is going to pay for the mistake? Who bypassed our boring old constitution?

I bet the politicians who voted for this war are convinced that the price has been paid already, by those 39 fellow citizens and so they're even. I wish they were wrong -- although they are right of course.

Just let me do a pretty obvious consideration here, and to pose a quick question, after yet another attack against Italian military forces in Iraq in a few weeks, and another Italian soldier dead.

The new left-wing government promised a retirement of the troops from Iraq since before the elections. Even though former Prime Minister Berlusconi himself promised it, swearing he didn't want to go to Iraq in the first place, it is clear that it will be this new government to actually do it. Thus, as the mainstream interpretation goes, comes the terrorist attacks against Italian troops, to "accelerate" the process.

Now for the obvious consideration, from what I see: 'accelerate the process'? this is nonsense. It is obvious to me that the attacks are not possibly meant to "accelerate" the retirement of our troops, but to slow it down, and make it awkward. In fact, it is much harder now for the new government of this very middle-class country to hurry a getaway from Iraq while our troops are under attack. Although our military forces have a tradition of chickening out, this is going to inevitably look like too much of a chickening out.
Now, they promised to retire from Iraq, and they have to do it: but then, with the attacks, they are going to pay a price in popularity if they do it. Whatever the government decides in this situation, to stay a little more or to go away sooner, comes out bad.

So, the quick question: who calls for this attacks? What forces want to undermine the newly formed left-wing European governments just when they're about to unthread themselves from the bloody coalition of the willing? Are those the same forces that, after having realized how Zapatero was about to win in Spain and to retire the Spanish troops right after, tried to make it hard to him at the last moment with the attacks in Madrid? is this all a psy-op to transform decent retirements into humiliating retirements? And, finally: who stands to gain from this?

Not a so quick question, after all. But I think it's worthed a thought or two.

-- in picture: Italian soldiers on a road in Iraq. Some say all Italian professional soldiers are fascists, but I don't believe it. Yet I would like to know what's with all those roman salutes they exchange when they're far from the cameras.