Prodi Backs Kerry Plan on Iraq
October 25, 2004Prodi's statement of support for Kerry's Iraq conference proposal is likely to be interpreted as tacit support for Kerry’s campaign and a criticism of US President George W. Bush’s policies. In an interview with the Bloomberg news agency, Prodi said that the conference, proposed by Kerry to re-engage the international community, would help dissolve some of the splits over the execution of the war in Iraq. "A conference is certainly a message of a new strategy: not war but negotiation, trying to solve the problems together", Prodi said. However he backed away from an outright endorsement of the Democratic candidate. It would "not only [be] unfair, but indelicate to interfere or to make forecasts about internal political decisions", Prodi is quoted as saying. (EUobserver.com)