Italian Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said today that Italy would decide next week whether to join in shelling Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's troops, but was likely to remain in a supporting role.
"Italy will decide in the middle of next week whether to participate in the bombardments, after I have met with the British and French defence ministers," La Russa said in an interview with La Repubblica daily.
La Russa said he would informally meet France's Gerard Longuet and Britain's Liam Fox on Monday or Tuesday "to see what they would like Italy to do."
"The government will consider the allies' requests and will then autonomously decide," he said, adding that Italy was "inclined to continue supporting the mission without getting directly involved in the raid."
Italy has limited itself to a supporting role so far, offering strategic bases for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya and pushing for a diplomatic strategy to oust the Libyan leader.
"I don't think Italy is moving towards taking part in the bombardments. We could opt for extra protection procedures that would help make the coalition's mission to safeguard the population more effective," La Russa said.
"The Italian contribution remains decisive: our air planes protect the allied fighters that are shelling the regime's tanks."
The head of Libya's Transitional National Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, is set to visit Rome on Tuesday after Italy this week recognised the opposition as its "sole interlocutor" in Libya.
The government has promised the rebels sweeping economic aid measures, particularly in the war-torn east, though it has been hesitant over the idea of supplying them with arms.
"The rebels have asked us for arms. We are engaged in a huge humanitarian mission, even though the rebels need protecting. If the West hadn't intervened there would have been a massacre," La Russa said.
On Friday Italy sent two military transport planes with medical aid to the rebel-held city of Benghazi in eastern Libya and will bring back 25 wounded for treatment in Italy.