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 PAGE 02 ROME 05117 211158Z (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 PAGE 03 ROME 05117 211158Z 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 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 05117 211158Z PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE OVER THE WAY THE PROPOSAL IS VIEWED, AND FUNDED, IN ROME. END COMMENT. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME05117 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL