GOI VIEWS ON IRAQ AND THE TRANSATLANTIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001054

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2013
TAGS: PREL IZ UNSC
SUBJECT: GOI VIEWS ON IRAQ AND THE TRANSATLANTIC
RELATIONSHIP

REF: STATE 63629

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM E. SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR MULTILATERAL
AFFAIRS GIANCARLO ARAGONA TOLD DCM ON MARCH 11 THAT THE GOI
HAD NOT CONSIDERED AN INTERVENTION AND WOULD NOT DEPART FROM
THE COMMON EU POSITION ON IRAQ AT THE UNSC. HE THEN RAISED
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THE NECESSITY OF REPAIRING DAMAGE TO THE TRANS-ATLANTIC
RELATIONSHIP STEMMING FROM DISAGREEMENTS OVER IRAQ. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) DURING MARCH 11 CALL RUNNING A RANGE OF ISSUES (SEE
SEPTEL),THE DCM ASKED ARAGONA IF ITALY WOULD MAKE AN
INDIVIDUAL STATEMENT ON THE US/UK/SPANISH IRAQ RESOLUTION AT
THE UNSC. ARAGONA INDICATED THE GOI HAD NOT CONSIDERED AN
INTERVENTION SINCE THE EU, DESPITE ITS DIVISIONS, COULD AT
LEAST ENUNCIATE THE COMMON PLATFORM ON IRAQ IT HAD AGREED
FEBRUARY 17. (NOTE: ARAGONA WAS ONE OF THE KEY DRAFTERS OF
THAT COMPROMISE DOCUMENT). HE ASSURED US THAT THE EU
PRESIDENCY STATEMENT WOULD NOT STRAY FROM THAT DOCUMENT.


3. (C) ARAGONA SAID THAT THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE AMONG EU
GOVERNMENTS ON HOW BEST TO DEAL WITH THE THREAT OF SADDAM
HUSSEIN'S WMD WAS THE LENGTH OF TIME INSPECTORS SHOULD HAVE
TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK. THE GOI REALIZES INSPECTIONS CANNOT
BE ALLOWED TO DRAG ON INDEFINITELY WITHOUT PUTTING THE
CREDIBILITY OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AT RISK. RESPONDING TO
AN INQUIRY FROM THE DCM QUESTIONING FRANCE'S OVERALL
MOTIVATION, ARAGONA REPLIED THE GOF APPEARS TO HAVE AN ISSUE
WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH INTERNATIONAL CRISES ARE MANAGED,
AND ACKNOWLEDGED HE WAS UNSURE OF THEIR OVERALL THINKING.
THERE IS A CLEAR DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EUROPE OVER
THE IMMEDIACY OF THE THREAT FROM IRAQ, STEMMING PRIMARILY, IN
HIS MIND, FROM THE REALITY OF SEPTEMBER 11TH TO AMERICANS,
THAT POSES A THREAT TO THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP.


4. (C) REFERRING BACK TO HIS RECENT MEETING WITH U/S
GROSSMAN IN PARIS, ARAGONA SUGGESTED SOME KIND OF JOINT
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INITIATIVE GOING FORWARD, A POST IRAQ-CONFLICT UNDERTAKING
DEMONSTRATING THE WESTERN ALLIANCE HAS TURNED THE PAGE ON ITS
RECENT DISAGREEMENTS. WHATEVER THE INITIATIVE, IT SHOULD BE
GRAND--NOT MERELY SEMINARS OR WORKSHOPS--AND CLEARLY
DEMONSTRATE A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.
ACCORDING TO ARAGONA, THE GOI CONSIDERS CONCRETE MEASURES TO
STRENGTHEN THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP A HIGH PRIORITY
FOR THE UPCOMING ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY. ITALY AND THE US
NEED TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC SUBJECT AREA IN WHICH TO MAKE
SUCH A BREAKTHROUGH, PRIOR TO ITALY'S ASSUMPTION OF THE
PRESIDENCY.

SEMBLER

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2003ROME01054 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL