Italy's PM says warned Bush against Iraq war - Yahoo! News

Italy's PM says warned Bush against Iraq war - Yahoo! News: "Sat Oct 29, 3:56 PM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, on the eve of a trip to Washington, said he repeatedly tried to persuade U.S.
President George W. Bush against invading
Iraq.

The Italian leader voiced his unease with the military operation to topple
Saddam Hussein during a television interview to be broadcast on Monday -- the same day he meets Bush.

Berlusconi is one of Washington's strongest allies but he did not send troops to join the invasion, preferring to despatch troops only after the fall of Baghdad.

'I tried many times to convince the American president not to go to war,' Berlusconi was quoted as saying by La7 television network, which recorded the interview."