The "Antica Babilonia" (Ancient Babylon) mission was established by the Italian Law no. 219 of August 1, 2003. The mission started in May 2003 and ended in December 2006, when the Italian contingent was finally pulled out and all security responsibilities were passed on to the Iraqi Authorities of Dhi Qar Province. By participating in this mission, Italy was involved in a multilateral intervention aimed at ensuring stability, security and support for Iraq pursuant to UN Resolutions no. 1483, 1511, 1546 and 1637. The Italian contingent operated in the MNF (Multi National Force) South-East Headquarters led by the British Army, where they were responsible for security in Dhi Qar Province, the capital of which is Nassiriyah.
In particular, the Italian contingent carried out more than 500 immediate-impact interventions in Nassiriyah. The local population benefitted from various works on the water supply systems, power supply systems, and agriculture; several schools, health facilities and rural roads were also restored with an overall investment worth about 20 million Euro.
