Italian FM believes troops home from Iraq end 2006

BAGHDAD, June 7 (Reuters) Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said today that he believes Italian troops will return home from Iraq by the end of this year.

''We believe the Italian military mission in Iraq is moving towards its end. During the coming months military forces will return to their country. We think that by the end of this year the Italian military mission will end in Iraq,'' he said during a news conference through an Arabic translator.

Reuters CH GC1256