WASSENAAR HOS: ITALY STILL MUMBLING BUT COMING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000402

SIPDIS

STATE FOR T, PM/DCT, NP/ECNP. PM/RSAT
DOD FOR OSD:PDASD/S&TR, DUSD/TSP, DIR DTSA/ST & DTRSA/STP
DOD ALSO FOR USD(A&T)/ODUSD(I&CP) & USD(A&T)/IDA
USDOC FOR BXA/EA/OAS & BXA/EA/OSTFPC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2007

TAGS: AMGT ETTC IT KSTC PARM EUN
SUBJECT: WASSENAAR HOS: ITALY STILL MUMBLING BUT COMING
AROUND

REF: (A) MCBRIDE-VANSON 1/24 E-MAIL E (B) VIENNA 92

CLASSIFIED BY: ECMIN MARGARET DEAN; REASON 1.5 B/D.


1. (SBU) UGO DE MOHR, MFA'S NONPROLIFERATION COORDINATOR,
GAVE HIS VIEW OF THE STATE OF PLAY OF THE WASSENAAR HEAD OF
SECRETARIAT ISSUE DURING A JANUARY 24 MEETING WITH ECONOFF.

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HE SEES, OR AT LEAST COUCHES, THE SITUATION IN PROCEDURAL
TERMS: THE DECEMBER PLENARY HAVING ENDED WITHOUT SELECTION OF
A HOS, THE PROCESS HAS TO START OVER; THE UKRAINE CHAIR
SHOULD CALL FOR NOMINATIONS; THERE SHOULD BE AN EXTRAORDINARY
SESSION TO ELECT A SUCCESSOR, PERHAPS IN MAY.


2. (SBU) DE MOHR SAID ITALY WOULD NOT FIELD A CANDIDATE FOR
THE JOB. ON THE SWEDISH CANDIDACY, HE DOESN'T SEE ANY
QUESTION OF BLOCKAGE. IF THE SWEDE IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE, HE
EXPLAINED, ITALY WOULD NOT OPPOSE HIM. ON THE OTHER HAND,
HE HAS ALREADY HEARD RUMORS THAT ANOTHER CANDIDATE (HE
THOUGHT MAYBE A SLOVAK) WOULD JUMP INTO THE RACE WHEN
NOMINATIONS ARE OPENED. IF THERE IS ANOTHER CANDIDACY, HE
SAID WOULD LIKELY VIEW IT IN THE CONTEXT OF "THE POLICY OF
GEOGRAPHIC ROTATION. AFTER ALL WE CAN'T HAVE SUCH A POLICY
ON MONDAY AND THEN SAY ON WEDNESDAY IT NO LONGER APPLIES."
(NOTE. DURING THE CONTROVERSY OVER LAURIOLA'S CANDIDACY FOR
A NEW HOS TERM, DE MOHR INSISTED THAT SELECTION OF A SWEDE
WOULD VIOLATE THE PRINCIPLE BECAUSE A SWEDE WAS ACTING HOS
BEFORE LAURIOLA. END NOTE.)


3. (C) COMMENT. ALTHOUGH DE MOHR WAS HIS USUAL COOPERATIVE
SELF ON THE SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS ON YESTERDAY'S MEETING
AGENDA, HE MADE CLEAR THAT THE LAURIOLA EPISODE STILL
RANKLES. WHEN THE GLOVES CAME OFF DURING THAT DECEMBER
CONFRONTATION, DE MOHR UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY THAT OUR OPPOSITION
TO LAURIOLA DID NOT STEM SOLELY FROM A USG PREFERENCE FOR THE
ROTATION OF MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP. HIS
ELEVATION OF THAT PREFERENCE TO AN OSTENSIBLE WASSENNAR
PRINCIPLE AND INDICATION THAT ITALY MAY TROT IT OUT IN
COUNTERATTACK TO THE SWEDISH CANDIDACY CLEARLY SHOWS HIS
BITTERNESS. SINCE DE MOHR RUNS A ONE-OFFICER SHOP, WE DON'T
YET KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE GOI SHARES HIS PIQUE.
ALTHOUGH DE MOHR FAVORS A DELIBERATE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS AND
A VOTE NEXT SPRING, A CLEAR INDICATION THAT NO OTHER
CANDIDATES, SLOVAK OR OTHERWISE, ARE IN THE OFFING MAY HELP
US CONVINCE THE GOI, AT A PAYGRADE ABOVE DE MOHR'S, TO ALLOW
ACCELERATION OF THE ELECTION PROCESS.
SEMBLER