MISSILE DEFENSE FOLLOW-UP WITH ITALIANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005117

SIPDIS

SECDEF FOR BRZEZINSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2012
TAGS: PARM PREL MARR MCAP IT NATO
SUBJECT: MISSILE DEFENSE FOLLOW-UP WITH ITALIANS

REF: STATE 195489

CLASSIFIED BY: POL-MIN COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5(B),
CONFIDENTIAL

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(D)


1. (C) THE GOI IS INTERESTED IN CONTINUING BILATERAL
DISCUSSIONS ON MISSILE DEFENSE BUT WANTS FURTHER DISCUSSIONS
WITHIN NATO TO DEVELOP FURTHER A COMMON CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
TO THE PROGRAM, ACCORDING TO MINISTER CARLO TREZZA, MFA
COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS. NATO
MEMBERS, AND THE GOI INTERNALLY, NEED TO CONSIDER THE
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF SWITCHING FROM THEATER MISSILE
DEFENSE (TMD),WITH ITS FOCUS ON PROTECTING DEPLOYED TROOPS,
TO A BROADER MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM AIMED AT PROTECTING
POPULATIONS AND TERRITORIES, TREZZA TOLD POL-MIL COUNSELOR
DURING AN OCTOBER 17 MEETING.


2. (C) ITALIAN EMBASSY OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON HAVE RECENTLY
HAD GENERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH PENTAGON REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT
POSSIBLE CONCRETE ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE MD PROGRAM,
TREZZA SAID. BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ARE A REAL PROBLEM BUT THE
GOI VIEWS MD AS A DEFENSE CAPABILITY ISSUE, ACCORDING TO
TREZZA. BOTH THE MFA AND THE MOD ARE PRESSURING THE FINANCE
MINISTRY TO PRESERVE FUNDING FOR CAPABILITY PRIORITIES, HE
NOTED. MORE DETAILS FROM THE USG ABOUT THE PROGRAM WOULD
MAKE IT EASIER FOR ITALY TO IDENTIFY SPECIFICALLY HOW IT CAN
CONTRIBUTE, TREZZA ADDED. THE GOI WOULD WELCOME FURTHER
BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS, HE SAID, BUT HE EMPHASIZED THE
IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITHIN NATO AS WELL.


3. (C) THE GOI SUPPORTS INCLUDING A REFERENCE TO MD IN THE
PRAGUE SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE AS A POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT OF THE
PROGRAM, AND AGREES IN PRINCIPLE TO EXTENDING THE NATO TMD
FEASIBILTY STUDY TO COVER POPULATIONS AND TERRITORIES,
CONFIDENTIAL

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ACCORDING TO GIOVANNI BRAUZZI, MFA NATO AFFAIRS OFFICE
DIRECTOR. BUT ITALY NEEDS TO CLOSELY EVALUATE THE
CONSEQUENCES OF SHIFTING FROM TMD TO MD BEFORE THE GOI CAN
FULLY SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL, HE SAID. TO DO THIS, BRAUZZI
SAID, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THE SPECIFIC TERMS OF
REFERENCE OF THE EXPANDED FEASIBILITY STUDY.


4. (C) BOTH TREZZA AND BRAUZZI EXPRESSED ITALY'S STRONG
INTEREST IN THE INDUSTRIAL COMPONENT OF THE MD PROGRAM.
BRAUZZI SAID ITALY WOULD LIKE TO BE A HIGHER LEVEL PARTNER
BUT ADDED THAT THAT WOULD DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL
INTERACTION AVAILABLE. TREZZA POINTED OUT THAT ITALIAN AND
US COMPANIES ARE ALREADY COORDINATING (A REFERENCE TO THE
ALENIA-BOEING MOU SIGNED IN JULY) BUT SAID THERE IS NO FORMAL
POLICY AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR FURTHER
DISCUSSIONS WITHIN NATO ON THE IMPACT OF THE SHIFT FROM TMD
TO MD. AS AN EXAMPLE, HE NOTED SOME NATO MEMBERS HAD
EXPRESSED DOUBTS ABOUT THE THREAT ASSESSMENT PRESENTED AT THE
OCT. 15 EWG/SPC MEETING.


5. (C) COMMENT. THE MD BRIEFINGS ITALIAN OFFICIALS HAVE
RECEIVED HAVE GENERATED SOME ENTHUSIASM FOR ITALIAN
PARTICIPATION IN THE PROPOSED MD FRAMEWORK. ITALY IS
PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION AS THE
PROGRAM DEVELOPS. BILATERALLY, THE GOI WOULD LIKE MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO
IDENTIFY WHERE AND HOW ITALY CAN CONTRIBUTE. A USG TEAM
TAILORED TO ADDRESS INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION AND THE IMPACT OF
EXPANDING FROM TMD TO A BROADER PROGRAM IN PARTICULAR WOULD
HELP THE GOI DEVELOP TARGET HOW THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE. NATO
DISCUSSIONS ELABORATING THE ALLIANCE'S VISION FOR THE MD
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PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE OVER THE
WAY THE PROPOSAL IS VIEWED, AND FUNDED, IN ROME. END
COMMENT.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME05117 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL