ITALY ON UNIFIL: REDUCE IT BUT DON'T DISMANTLE IT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003379 SIPDIS IO/PHO, IO/UNP, NEA/ARN, NEA/IPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2012 TAGS: LE IS KPKO MARR PREL SY IT UNIFIL SUBJECT: ITALY ON UNIFIL: REDUCE IT BUT DON'T DISMANTLE IT REF: SECSTATE 129287 CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 03379 100735Z ¶1. (C) POL OFF DISCUSSED THE GOI'S ASSESSMENT OF UNIFIL WITH GIUSEPPE PERRONE, THE MFA'S DESK OFFICER FOR LEBANON AND ISRAEL AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST OFFICE. PERRONE SAID THAT THE GOI IS PLEASED WITH UNIFIL AND ITS MISSION SO FAR. GIVEN THE WITHDRAWAL OF ISRAEL FROM LEBANON IN 2000, ITALY AGREES WITH THE UNSC PLAN OF PROGRESSIVE REDUCTION IN UNIFIL UNITS REACHING A FORCE OF 2,000 UNITS OF ALL RANKS BY JULY 2002. WHEREAS THE GOI APPROVES OF A REASONABLE REDUCTION IN UNIFIL FORCES TO REFLECT THE PRESENT NEEDS, IT IS AGAINST THE DISMANTLING OF UNIFIL. UNIFIL SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A SUFFICIENT FORCE NOT TO JEOPARDIZE STABILITY IN THE REGION, STRESSED PERRONE. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME03379 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL