ITALY TO OPPOSE SPECIAL UNGA/IRAQ SESSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001144 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2013 TAGS: IZ PARM PREL UNSC SUBJECT: ITALY TO OPPOSE SPECIAL UNGA/IRAQ SESSION REF: A) STATE 70678 CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) POLMIN DELIVERED REF A POINTS TO CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MFA'S BUREAU FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS. POLMIN ALSO NOTED WITH APPRECIATION RECENT POSITIVE STATEMENTS BY PM BERLUSCONI AND FM FRATTINI REAFFIRMING ITALY'S FRIENDSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES AND OPENING ITALIAN BASES AND AIRSPACE TO THE USG. ¶2. (C) BISOGNIERO CALLED POLMIL BACK LATE 18 MARCH. AFTER CONSULTATIONS WITHIN THE GOI BISOGNIERO STATED HE HAD ISSUED CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ITALIAN UN DELEGATION TO OPPOSE ANY MOVES TO USE UNGA OR OTHER UN FORA FOR MISCHIEF MAKING ON IRAQ. HE NOTED THERE HAD BEEN NO INDICATIONS FROM THE ITALIAN DELEGATION IN NEW YORK ABOUT EFFORTS TO RAISE THE IRAQ ISSUE OUTSIDE THE UNSC. ¶3. (C) SEPARATELY, HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE DIRECTOR GIUSEPPE CALVETTA (WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN GENEVA) NOTED THE COMPOSITION OF CHR-59 WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO PREVENT A SPECIAL SEATING/DISCUSSION IF ARAB STATES AND THE AFRICA GROUP ALL SUPPORTED ONE. CALVETTA SUGGESTED WE ISSUE A "DECLARATION," IN GENEVA OR WASHINGTON, REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO RESPECT NONCOMBATANTS' HUMAN RIGHTS AND DETAILING THE STEPS WE WOULD TAKE TO DO SO. WE NOTED THAT SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS, INCLUDING CJCS MYERS, REPEATEDLY HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE PUBLICLY. NONETHELESS, CALVETTA OBSERVED, THE DYNAMICS WITHIN THE CHR SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT A PROACTIVE U.S. STATEMENT WOULD SAP MUCH OF THE MOMENTUM FROM EFFORTS TO ORGANIZE A SPECIAL SEATING. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME01144 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL