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Italian PM wanted US to avoid war in Iraq

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a close ally of President Bush, said in a television interview that he tried repeatedly to dissuade the American leader from going to war in Iraq and was never convinced military force was the best way to achieve democracy there.

Berlusconi, who is facing a tough reelection battle next year and whose popularity has fallen in part over Italians` opposition to the war, made the comments on the eve of a trip to Washington. "I was never convinced that war was the best way to succeed in bringing democracy to a country and in leading it out of a bloody dictatorship," he said. "I tried on numerous occasions to convince the American president not to go to war. I did what was within my capabilities to avoid that happening."

The Italian prime minister was one of Bush`s strongest supporters in the run-up to the Iraq war. Italy now has about 2,900 troops in Iraq. He said he tried to contact Middle Eastern Arab leaders to try and get them to help prevent the war by convincing Iraq to cooperate, but "We did not succeed and war followed," said Berlusconi.