ITALY: COALITION CONTRIBUTIONS INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001826 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS PARA 6) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2012 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR EAID MOPS MARR EAID IT ITPREL SUBJECT: ITALY: COALITION CONTRIBUTIONS INITIATIVE REF: A. SECSTATE 60085 ¶B. ROME 32 ¶C. ROME 254 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01826 01 OF 02 151228Z ¶D. ROME 1589 ¶E. TIRANA 576 CLASSIFIED BY: DCM WILLIAM P. POPE FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) EMBASSY ROME CONCLUDES THAT IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO DELIVER REF A DEMARCHE TO ITALY. THE GOI IS ALREADY MAKING SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL, MILITARY, AND TROOP CONTRIBUTIONS TO OEF, THE STABILIZATION OF THE BALKANS, ISAF, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANISTAN, AND THE PROTECTION OF THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN, IN ADDITION TO CONTRIBUTIONS TO OTHER MULTILATERAL AND PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS (REF B). --- OEF --- ¶2. (U) ITALY HAS COMMITTED SIGNIFICANT ASSETS FOR OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF),INCLUDING: ITALY'S ONE AIRCRAFT CARRIER "GARIBALDI", EIGHT HARRIER JETS AND SIX TORNADO RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT. THE ITALIAN MILITARY HAS DEPLOYED ONE OF THE FOUR LARGEST FORCES IN THE COALITION SUPPORTING OEF, INCLUDING OVER 2,500 MILITARY PERSONNEL, AND IS ONE OF THE FEW COALITION ALLIES TO MOVE ITS ASSETS TO THE THEATER UNASSISTED. ADDITIONALLY, WITHIN DAYS OF THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, ITALIAN AUTHORITIES FACILITATED, SIMPLIFIED, OR OTHERWISE EXPEDITED EXISTING PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE TRANSIT OVER ITALIAN TERRITORY AND OVERFLIGHT OVER ITALIAN AIRSPACE OF US FORCES ENGAGED IN OEF. THESE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN WITHOUT PROMPTING BY US OFFICIALS AND WERE CLEARLY THE RESULT OF DIRECTION FROM THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE GOI. THE GOI HAS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01826 01 OF 02 151228Z MADE ITS MILITARY FACILITIES READILY AVAILABLE FOR OEF DEPLOYMENTS TO THE THEATER, A CONTRIBUTION THE US HAS MADE CONSIDERABLE USE OF GIVEN ITALY'S STRATEGIC LOCATION. OVER FIFTY PERCENT OF OEF FLIGHTS FROM THE US TO THE THEATER HAVE TRANSITED SIGONELLA AIR BASE IN SICILY, EITHER FOR BED-DOWN, TRAINING OR REFUELING. -------------- ISAF -------------- ¶3. (C) ITALY HAS DEPLOYED ABOUT 400 PERSONNEL TO THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF) TO HELP STABILIZE THE SITUATION IN KABUL. THE GOI RECENTLY AGREED TO EXTEND ITS COMMITMENT TO ISAF WHEN ISAF'S ORIGINAL MANDATE WAS EXTENDED DESPITE ITALY'S EXTENSIVE TROOP COMMITMENTS ELSEWHERE. ISAF HAS ESTABLISHED TWO QUICK-REACTION UNITS OF PLATOON SIZE. ONE OF THESE UNITS WILL BE MADE UP ENTIRELY OF ITALIAN CARABINIERI. THESE UNITS WILL BE DEDICATED TO ASSISTING THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN IN THE EVENT OF TROUBLE. -------------- RECONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶4. (U) AT THE TOKYO AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE, ITALY MADE AN INITIAL PLEDGE OF 40-45 MILLION EUROS (ABOUT 36-40 MILLION DOLLARS). ITALY HAS ALSO COMMITTED SOME 35 MILLION EUROS (ABOUT 31 MILLION DOLLARS) TO BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 01826 01 OF 02 151228Z AFGHANISTAN. SOME OF THE BILATERAL EFFORTS ITALY EXPECTS TO UNDERTAKE IN AFGHANISTAN INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AFGHAN MINISTRIES, COOPERATION IN POLICE TRAINING, AND SUPPORT FOR AFGHAN PARTICIPATION IN THE 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES (REF C). WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE SERIOUS EARTHQUAKE THAT STRUCK THE PROVINCE OF BAGHLAN ON MARCH 25, THE GOI SENT MEDICINE AND EMERGENCY GOODS AND ALLOCATED 2 MILLION EUROS (ABOUT 1.8 MILLION DOLLARS) TO THE PRIMARY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN THE AREA. THE GOI PLANS TO ASSIST IN CULTURAL REHABILITATION AND REVITALIZATION OF AFGHANISTAN'S JUDICIAL PROGRAMS. -------------- --- THE PROTECTION OF THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN -------------- --- ¶5. (C) ITALY HAS EXPENDED CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES IN PROVIDING PROTECTION FOR THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN DURING HIS 30-YEAR EXILE IN ROME. MUCH OF THIS ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING FINANCIAL AID TO MAINTAIN AN OFFICE FOR THE "ROME GROUP" OF AFGHAN MODERATE EXILES LEADING UP TO THE BONN NEGOTIATIONS LAST DECEMBER, WAS PROVIDED AT THE BEHEST OF OR IN COORDINATION WITH THE USG. ¶6. (C) MOST RECENTLY, PM BERLUSCONI RESPONDED TO A PERSONAL TELEPHONE CALL FROM PRESIDENT BUSH AND AGREED TO TRAIN A CLOSE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE DETAIL FOR THE FORMER KING TO GUARD CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ6913 PAGE 01 ROME 01826 02 OF 02 151229Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 COR-01 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 OIGO-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 MED-07 AC-01 DCP-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /015W -------------- 864BC6 151230Z /38 O 120631Z APR 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3230 INFO AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001826 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS PARA 6) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2012 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR EAID MOPS MARR EAID IT ITPREL SUBJECT: ITALY: COALITION CONTRIBUTIONS INITIATIVE HIM FOLLOWING HIS RETURN TO KABUL. THE GOI ALSO AGREED TO PROVIDE PROTECTION DIRECTLY TO THE KING UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE AFGHAN PROTECTIVE DETAIL WAS FULLY TRAINED AND CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE PROTECTION. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01826 02 OF 02 151229Z -------------- BALKANS -------------- ¶7. (U) ITALY IS THE SECOND LARGEST TROOP CONTRIBUTOR IN THE BALKANS, WITH ABOUT 7,500 SERVING IN BOSNIA (SFOR) AND KOSOVO (KFOR),AND ANOTHER 1,200 AS PART OF COMZWEST IN ALBANIA (REF D). ITALIAN CARABINIERI CONSTITUTE MORE THAN HALF OF THE MULTINATIONAL SPECIALIZED UNITS (MSUS) NEEDED FOR LAW-ENFORCEMENT TASKS IN BOSNIA. THE GOI IS ONE OF THE LEADING BILATERAL PROVIDERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AID TO ALBANIA WHERE THE DROP IN CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION IS LARGELY DUE TO ITALIAN POLICE ASSISTANCE (REF E). ¶8. (U) ITALY COMMANDS COMZWEST, ONE OF FIVE SECTORS IN KOSOVO CONTROLLED BY KFOR. AN ITALIAN GENERAL (GENERAL CABIGIOSU) ABLY COMMANDED KFOR FROM OCTOBER 2000-APRIL 2001, AND ANOTHER ITALIAN IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE COMMAND OF KFOR IN OCTOBER 2002. ¶9. (U) THE GOI WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO OFFER TROOPS (750) FOR TASK FORCE ESSENTIAL HARVEST TO RECOVER WEAPONS FROM ARMED GROUPS IN MACEDONIA IN 2001. ITALIAN SOLDIERS ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN TASK FORCE FOX (TFF),WHOSE MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SECURITY FOR OSCE OBSERVERS IN MACEDONIA. ITALY HAD OFFERED TO TAKE COMMAND OF TFF THIS SPRING, HOWEVER GERMANY AGREED TO RETAIN COMMAND UNTIL JUNE. -------------- ITALY IS DOING ITS BEST -------------- CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01826 02 OF 02 151229Z ¶10. (U) ITALY CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE ITS FIRM COMMITMENT TO THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM, TO THE NATO ALLIANCE AND TO OTHER AVENUES FOR FOSTERING SECURITY IN EUROPE AND BEYOND, INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN BOTH UN AND NON-UN PEACEKEEPING FORCES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. SINCE THE SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS, THE GOI HAS BEEN A FULL PARTNER WITH THE US IN ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES IN THE DIPLOMATIC, INTELLIGENCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FINANCIAL CONTROL AND OTHER AREAS. THE MOST VISIBLE DISPLAY OF THIS COMMITMENT WAS THE DISPATCH OF TROOPS IN SUPPORT OF OEF, A DEPLOYMENT ENDORSED BY NEARLY 90% OF THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT DESPITE THE CONSIDERABLE STRAIN THAT ITALY'S ACTIVE MILITARY ROLE PLACES ON THE ITALIAN BUDGET (REF B). ¶11. (C) GIVEN ITALY'S SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASSISTING THE COALITION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AS WELL AS TO STABILIZE SE EUROPE, A FURTHER APPROACH AS OUTLINED IN REF A WOULD NOT ONLY BE UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED BUT WOULD CONVEY AN INAPPROPRIATE IMPRESSION: THAT THE USG LACKS APPRECIATION FOR ITALY'S CONTRIBUTIONS. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME01826 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL