Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino told the Senate Wednesday that the government felt it a moral and political obligation to be directly involved in Iraq "in a humanitarian reconstruction initiative which could not wait."

The operation, he said, "will essentially involve protection, security, stabilization and assistance."

According to Martino, Italian troops deployed in Iraq will exercise force "at the lowest level possible, in proportion to the circumstances and situations they find themselves in, in full respect of international law as well as national laws and regulations."

He also announced that a second detachment of Carabinieri military police will leave Thursday for Baghdad to bolster security at the Italian field hospital which has been set up there.

Joining the Italian contingent will be units from the army, navy and air force, as well as the Carabinieri, and professionals and veterans of similar experiences.

The contingent will also include women "who can better interact with the local female population," he added. Italy's area of responsibility will be in southern Iraq and the Italian command headquarters will be set up in Basra, the defense minister said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2003)