ITALY: REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003217

SIPDIS

(CORRECTED COPY - PARA NUMBERS)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2012
TAGS: PREL KPAL IS US XF ITALY'>IT UN
SUBJECT: ITALY: REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH
ON THE MIDDLE EAST

REF: SECSTATE 122320

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CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (U) SUMMARY: THE GOI INITIALLY EXPRESSED GENERAL SUPPORT
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH ON THE MIDDLE EAST
TEMPERED WITH CONCERN OVER ARAFAT'S ROLE. AFTER THE G8
SUMMIT, WHERE PM AND ACTING FM BERLUSCONI HAD A CHANCE TO
SPEAK WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AND WAS REPORTEDLY "OVERWHELMED" BY
THE EVIDENCE LINKING ARAFAT AND THE PA TO TERRORISM,
BERLUSCONI CHANGED HIS STAND ON ARAFAT. HE HAS NOW SUGGESTED
THAT ARAFAT STEP DOWN AS LEADER OF THE PA. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) MFA SOURCES EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH ON THE MIDDLE EAST, SAYING IT
REFLECTED US WILLINGNESS TO COMMIT TO REACTIVATING THE PEACE
PROCESS IN THE REGION. MFA SOURCES ALSO NOTED THE POINTS OF
CONVERGENCE WITH THE EU'S POSITION AT THE EU COUNCIL IN
SEVILLE JUNE 21-22: TWO STATES, STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM,
AND END OF OCCUPATION.


3. (U) MFA SOURCES AGREED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND URGENT TO
HOLD ELECTIONS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. THEY STRESSED
HOWEVER THAT ONLY THE PALESTINIANS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO
CHOOSE THEIR LEADERSHIP. SPEAKING PUBLICLY ON JUNE 25,
ALFREDO MANTICA, THE MFA'S UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA AND THE
MIDDLE EAST, SAID "UNDOUBTEDLY, FOR THE AMERICANS TO CHOOSE
ARAFAT AS A CONDITION FOR NON-PEACE IS A RISK. THIS WILL
CREATE DIFFICULTIES FOR BUSH WITH MANY EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS
WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION. EVEN WE ITALIANS HAVE
REITERATED THAT ARAFAT IS THE LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE PALESTINIAN POPULATION AND THAT ONLY THE PALESTINIANS CAN
CHOSE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE".
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4. (U) BERLUSCONI ECHOED MANTICA'S VIEWS RIGHT BEFORE THE
BEGINNING OF THE G8 SUMMIT IN KANANASKIS. SPEAKING TO
JOURNALISTS JUNE 26, HE SAID: "ARAFAT CERTAINLY IS AND WILL
CONTINUE TO BE THE ELECTED LEADER OF THE PALESTINIANS." IN
RESPONSE TO A SPECIFIC QUESTION HOWEVER, BERLUSCONI SAID HE
WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY WHETHER ARAFAT IS AN OBSTACLE THAT MUST
BE REMOVED ONLY AFTER SPEAKING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH. ONE DAY
LATER, AFTER THE DINNER WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AND BEING
REPORTEDLY OVERWHELMED BY THE INFORMATION LINKING ARAFAT AND
THE PA TO TERRORISM, BERLUSCONI INVITED ARAFAT TO STEP ASIDE:
"IF I WERE ARAFAT, I WOULD MAKE THE GREAT GESTURE THAT WOULD
CONSECRATE HIM TO HISTORY AS A MAN WHO DID EVERYTHING FOR HIS
COUNTRY." BERLUSCONI WAS REPORTEDLY THE ONLY EUROPEAN LEADER
TO STATE THAT ARAFAT SHOULD STEP DOWN FOR THE GOOD OF THE
PALESTINIANS.


5. (C) COMMENT: WHY SUCH A METAMORPHOSIS IN BERLUSCONI'S
POSITION? IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS INDEED PERSUADED BY
EVIDENCE LINKING ARAFAT TO TERRORISM. IT IS MORE LIKELY,
HOWEVER, THAT BERLUSCONI SAW IN THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE
SUPPORTIVE OF THE US WHEN SOME OTHER EU LEADERS, AND SOME KEY
OFFICIALS WITHIN HIS OWN MFA, HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE US
POSITION ON ARAFAT. BERLUSCONI, WHO IS STILL ACTING FM,
CONTINUES TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HE IS ONE
OF OUR GREATEST SUPPORTERS IN THE EU. END COMMENT.
SEMBLER

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