ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ON ISAF/OEF PARTICIPATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001251 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2012 TAGS: EU IT MARR MOPS PARM PREL AFGHANISTAN SUBJECT: ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ON ISAF/OEF PARTICIPATION CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01251 111215Z CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. ITALY MAY EXTEND ITS PARTICIPATION IN ISAF UNTIL LATE JUNE IF REQUESTED, ACCORDING TO FRANCESCO GRECO (PROTECT),DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR TO DEFENSE MINISTER ANTONIO MARTINO. GRECO CONFIRMED COMMENTS MARTINO MADE TO THE PRESS DURING A RECENT TRIP TO VISIT ITALIAN TROOPS IN THE PERSIAN GULF AND AFGHANISTAN THAT ITALY WOULD REMAIN "AT LEAST UNTIL JUNE" TO ALLOW THE LOYA JIRGA TO TAKE PLACE IF OTHER EU ISAF COUNTRIES AGREE TO EXTEND. GRECO TOLD POL-MIL COUNSELOR THAT MARTINO HAS SENT PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI A MEMO RECOMMENDING THAT ITALY "REMAIN OPEN" TO EXTENDING PARTICIPATION FOR AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS IN KABUL AND BAGRAM ONLY. NO FORMAL REQUEST IS EXPECTED OR NEEDED, GRECO SAID; ITALY WILL ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE ISAF MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 11 IN LONDON. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) DESPITE HIS STRONG RESERVATIONS ABOUT CONTINUED ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE ISAF MISSION, DEFENSE MINISTER MARTINO HAS RECOMMENDED TO PM BERLUSCONI THAT ITALIAN TROOPS REMAIN IN KABUL AND BAGRAM AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS IN THE EVENT OTHER EU PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES DECIDE AN EXTENSION IS NECESSARY, DIP ADVISOR GRECO SAID. A TURKISH COMMAND, SUPPORTED BY GERMAN AND BRITISH SUBCOMMANDS, IS ACCEPTABLE, HE ADDED. THE EXTENSION WILL BE DISCUSSED AND, APPARENTLY, DECIDED AT AN ISAF MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 11 IN LONDON. MARTINO MET WITH ISAF COMMANDER JOHN MCCOLL AND AFGHAN DEPUTY PM/MOD FAHIM KHAN DURING HIS STOP IN KABUL, HOWEVER HE TOLD THE PRESS THAT HE HAD NOT DISCUSSED AN ISAF EXTENSION WITH EITHER OFFICIAL. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01251 111215Z ¶3. (C) MARTINO'S TRIP TO THE GULF AND KABUL WAS PRIMARILY A TROOP VISIT AND COINCIDED WITH A ROTATION OF ITALIAN ASSETS. THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER "GARIBALDI" AND THREE OTHER SHIPS ARE DUE BACK IN ITALY BY MARCH 20, AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED. THEIR REPLACEMENTS, THE DESTROYER "DURAND DE LA PENNE" AND THE FRIGATE "MAESTRALE," ARRIVED IN THE GULF ON MARCH 4. MARTINO EMPHASIZED TO THE PRESS THAT ITALY'S COMMITMENT TO OEF REMAINS STRONG BUT THE SITUATION HAS EVOLVED SO THAT IT MAY SOON BE POSSIBLE TO END OEF ALTOGETHER. (NOTE: AS GRECO NOTED, THESE AND OTHER COMMENTS HE MADE ON MARCH 4 LOOKED PREMATURE AFTER THE FIERCE FIGHTING THAT RECURRED ON MARCH 5-6. END NOTE) ¶4. (U) MARTINO, ALWAYS SENSITIVE TO PUBLIC CONCERNS ABOUT ITALIAN INVOLVEMENT IN MISSIONS FAR FROM HOME, TOLD THE PRESS THAT THE THREAT FROM INDIVIDUAL ACTS OF TERROR IN AFGHANISTAN STILL EXISTS EVEN IF AL-QAIDA IS DEFEATED. FOR THIS REASON, ITALY MAY HAVE TO EXTEND ITS ISAF COMMITMENT BEYOND THE INITIAL THREE MONTHS, HE SAID. IF ITALY IS ASKED TO STAY ON AND IF ITALY'S EU PARTNERS IN ISAF REMAIN UNTIL JUNE, THE GOI WILL CONSIDER AN EXTENSION, HE SAID. THE GOI'S HEAVY COMMITMENT IN THE BALKANS -- A PRIORITY REGION FOR ITALY -- WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTRIBUTE MORE TROOPS OR SUSTAIN A LONGER PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN, MARTINO EXPLAINED. (ITALY ASSUMES THE COMMAND OF KFOR7 THIS FALL.) ¶5. (C) COMMENT. ONCE AGAIN, MINISTER MARTINO MADE THE NEWS -- AND SEEMINGLY NEW POLICY -- WITH HIS SPONTANEOUS PUBLIC COMMENTS. OUR CONTACTS HAVE ASSURED US THAT MUCH OF THE MESSAGE WAS TAILORED FOR THE TROOPS HE WAS ADDRESSING. THEY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 01251 111215Z ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN BUSY RECONCILING SOME OF HIS REMARKS WITH THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND. DESPITE MARTINO'S TENDENCY TO VOICE HIS GENUINE RESERVATIONS IN PUBLIC, HE HAS ONCE AGAIN UPHELD ITALY'S COMMITMENT TO THE COALITION BY RECOMMENDING AN EXTENSION. UNLESS HIS EU COUNTERPARTS COME TO A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION AT THE MARCH 11 MEETING, ITALIAN TROOPS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN IN KABUL UNTIL LATE JUNE. END COMMENT. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. POPE CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME01251 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL