Romano prodi's shaky centre-left government this week laid to rest, at least for now, the issue that almost caused it to collapse last month. On March 27th the upper-house Senate voted to keep paying for Italian troops abroad. Some 2,000 are in Afghanistan, where Italy's engagement is a source of anguished misgiving for the radical and pacifist left. Mr Prodi can no longer count on a majority in the Senate; in February a rebellion by two far-left senators, prompted by Afghanistan, almost brought his government down.
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