ITALIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES ITALY'S TROOP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 004807

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2007
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS MARR AF PGOV MOPS MARR AF IT ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: ITALIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES ITALY'S TROOP
CONTRIBUTION TO OEF

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINCOUNS THOMAS COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT GAVE SUBSTANTIAL --
IF REDUCED FROM LAST NOVEMBER'S VOTE FOR THE ORIGINAL
DEPLOYMENT -- SUPPORT TO THE GOI PROPOSAL TO SEND UP TO 1,000
ALPINI GROUND TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN FOR OPERATION ENDURING
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FREEDOM. THE OPPOSITION SPLINTERED BADLY AND ATTEMPTED TO
LINK REINFORCEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN TO A PRESUMED U.S. ATTACK
ON IRAQ. BERLUSCONI'S CENTER-RIGHT COALITION HELD FAST. IN
ITS DISARRAY, THE CENTER-LEFT WAS THE LOSER, WITH ITS
INABILITY TO REACH CONSENSUS A BIGGER HEADLINE THAN THE
IMPENDING DEBATE. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) GOI DEFENSE MINISTER MARTINO PRESENTED THE
GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO REINFORCE OEF BY SENDING 800-1,000
ALPINI TROOPS TO BOTH PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBERS OCTOBER 2,
SPEAKING BEFORE THE SENATE AND LEAVING THE TEXT WITH THE
CHAMBER. HE OUTLINED THE MISSION THE ALPINI WOULD PERFORM,
LISTED THE DECISIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AUTHORIZING USE OF FORCE AGAINST TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN,
AND HIGHLIGHTED THE GOI POSITION THAT THE NOVEMBER 7, 2001,
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORIZATION FOR ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN OEF
AUTHORIZED THIS "RECONFIGURATION" OF THE ITALIAN
PARTICIPATION, AS WELL, BUT THAT THE GOI WANTED TO MEET "NEW
EXPECTATIONS" BY CONSULTING PARLIAMENT. MARTINO CALLED ON
THE OPPOSITION TO AGAIN "PUT INSTITUTIONAL DUTY BEFORE
POLITICAL PARTY INTERESTS" AND REPEAT THE ALMOST UNANIMOUS
SUPPORT IT GAVE THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR. HE REPEATEDLY
UNDERSCORED THAT ITALIAN SUPPORT TO OEF WAS NOT LINKED IN ANY
WAY TO AN ATTACK ON IRAQ BY EITHER THE U.S. OR AN
INTERNATIONAL COALITION; DEPLOYMENT OF ITALIAN GROUND TROOPS
WOULD NOT "COMPRISE SUBSTITUTION OF U.S. PERSONNEL AND
VEHICLES TO ALLOW THEIR HYPOTHETICAL REDEPLOYMENT IN OTHER
THEATERS." THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM AND THE STRUGGLE FOR
STABILITY AND SECURITY IN AFGHANISTAN ARE NOT OVER. TO
WITHDRAW ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORT NOW WOULD BE TO VOTE
AGAINST THE INTERNATIONAL TRUSTWORTHINESS OF ITALY.
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3. (U) SENATE DEBATE ON MARTINO'S PRESENTATION BEGAN THE
MORNING OF OCTOBER 3. THE OPPOSITION DID NOT RESPOND WITH
THE SAME NEAR-UNANIMOUS SUPPORT AS LAST NOVEMBER; IN FACT,
THE CENTER-LEFT SPLINTERED. IN COMPLICATED VOTING ON A
SERIES OF SIX RESOLUTIONS, COMMUNIST RENEWAL (RC),THE
GREENS, AND THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF ITALY (PDCI) VOTED
CONSISTENTLY AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. MOST OF THE DEMOCRATS
OF THE LEFT (DS) ALSO VOTED CONSISTENTLY AGAINST THE GOI, BUT
DS SAW SEVERAL PROMINENT DEFECTIONS. THE SMALL
REPRESENTATION OF THE CENTER-LEFT UNION OF DEMOCRATS FOR
EUROPE (UDEUR) AND ITALIAN SOCIALISTS (SDI) SUPPORTED THE
GOI. THE MORE CENTRIST DAISY AND SEVERAL DS SENATORS (THE
"DISSIDENTS") LEFT THE FLOOR WHEN THE VOTE WAS CALLED ON THE
GOVERNMENT'S RESOLUTION TO SHOW THEY WERE NOT OPPOSED,
ALTHOUGH THEY COULD NOT "POLITICALLY" VOTE IN FAVOR. DAISY
GROUP LEADER WILLER BORDON SAID BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY THAT THE
DAISY DID NOT INTEND TO EXPRESS OPPOSITION TO THE
CENTER-RIGHT MOTION.


4. (U) DAISY AND THE SDI OFFERED A SEPARATE RESOLUTION,
LARGELY APPROVED WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNING COALITION,
IN FAVOR OF SENDING TROOPS TO OEF WITH SOME CONDITIONS.
MARTINO URGED SUPPORT FOR THE PARTS OF THE RESOLUTION
CONFIRMING ITALY'S COMMITMENT AGAINST TERRORISM AND TO THE
CONSTRUCTION OF DEMOCRACY IN AFGHANISTAN. HE URGED THAT THE
PART OF THE RESOLUTION COMMITTING THE GOI TO SUPPORT
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS ON IRAQ IN ORDER TO AVOID A UNILATERAL,
PREVENTIVE ARMED INTERVENTION BE DEFEATED SINCE IT
ARBITRARILY LINKED UNRELATED OPERATIONS. THIS PART OF THE
RESOLUTION WAS DEFEATED. ANOTHER RESOLUTION OFFERED BY UDEUR
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(NOT YET MADE PUBLIC, BUT EVIDENTLY SUPPORTIVE, AS MARTINO
ALSO URGED THAT IT BE APPROVED) WAS ALSO PASSED. RESOLUTIONS
OFFERED BY DS, GREENS AND PDCI, AND RC WERE ALL DEFEATED.


5. (SBU) DEBATE IN THE CHAMBER BEGAN AT 15:00 LOCAL TIME.
THE RESULTS MIRRORED THOSE IN THE SENATE: THE
MAJORITY-BACKED RESOLUTION PASSED 266 TO 151, WITH 65
ABSTENTIONS, FOLLOWING THE SAME PARTY LINES DESCRIBED ABOVE.
THE DAISY-SDI AND UDEUR RESOLUTIONS ALSO PASSED, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE UNRELATED PART OF THE DAISY MOTION.
REVEALINGLY, DAISY LEADER FRANCESCO RUTELLI SAID HIS PARTY
(N.B. NOT HIS COALITION; RUTELLI REMAINS THE TITULAR HEAD OF
THE OLIVE TREE CENTER-LEFT COALITION) WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF
THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL OUT OF A SPIRIT OF SERVICE FOR ITALY.
HE REGRETTED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE WAS NOT TRYING TO
REPRESENT THE OLIVE TREE COALITION, BUT ONLY HIS OWN DAISY
PARTY. "ONE YEAR AGO, WE SAID THAT WITHOUT THE DEFEAT OF
TERRORISM, THERE WOULD NOT BE PEACE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
IS FAR FROM BEING ACHIEVED," RUTELLI NOTED.


6. (U) BOTH CHAMBERS APPLAUDED THE DEPARTING ITALIAN TROOPS
UNANIMOUSLY AT THE CLOSE OF DEBATE. FOLLOWING THE SENATE
VOTE, SENATE PRESIDENT MARCELLO PERA SAID THE ITALIAN TROOPS

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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ3827

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ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00
AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00
ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00
USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /005W
-------------- F10B8B 031605Z /75
O 031522Z OCT 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6149
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE
AMCONSUL MILAN
AMCONSUL NAPLES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 004807

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2007
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS MARR AF PGOV MOPS MARR AF IT ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: ITALIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES ITALY'S TROOP
CONTRIBUTION TO OEF

"WILL BE GOING TO A DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING THEATER, BUT THEY
WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY OUR APPLAUSE AND BY OUR SALUTE. THEY
MERIT THIS."


7. (C) COMMENT: WHILE THE OUTCOME OF THIS VOTE IS BOTH
HISTORIC (FIRST ITALIAN COMMITMENT OF OFFENSIVE GROUND FORCES
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PAGE 02 ROME 04807 02 OF 02 031605Z
SINCE WORLD WAR II) AND IMPORTANT TO THE U.S. (ITALY WILL
BECOME IN MARCH OUR BIGGEST PARTNER IN OEF),THE DEBATE HAD
ALMOST NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MERITS OF THE DEPLOYMENT.
RATHER, IT WAS THE PRODUCT OF THREE FACTORS:

-- THE OPPOSITION'S FIXATION ON SCORING POINTS AGAINST PRIME
MINISTER BERLUSCONI WHENEVER THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY;
-- EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS ARE THE LEADERSHIP
STRUGGLES WITHIN THE OPPOSITION, AND PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE
DS;
-- AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, BOTH THE GOI AND THE
OPPOSITION ARE WARMING UP FOR THE EVENTUAL DEBATE ABOUT IRAQ
THEY BOTH EXPECT.


8. (C) COMMENT, CONTINUED. DESPITE THE GOI'S BEST EFFORTS
TO CLARIFY THAT THE ISSUE OF OEF REINFORCEMENT IS SEPARATE
FROM A POTENTIAL ATTACK ON IRAQ AND THE EMBASSY'S OWN DIRECT
BRIEFINGS TO THEM, THE OPPOSITION PERSISTED IN LINKING THE
TWO IN AN EFFORT TO LEGITIMIZE THEIR ABOUT-FACE FROM LAST
NOVEMBER'S VOTE. ITALY'S CENTER-LEFT (WITH THE POSSIBLE
EXCEPTION OF THE DAISY PARTY) IS SEEKING TO CAPITALIZE ON
STRONG ANTI-WAR PUBLIC SENTIMENT. THEIR EFFORTS LARGELY
FAILED, HOWEVER -- MOST OF TODAY'S MEDIA HEADLINED THE
"COLLAPSE" OF THE LEFT EVEN MORE THAN THE UPCOMING DEBATE.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME04807 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL