EVALUATION OF U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL NOVAK IN

UNCLAS ROME 001455 SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR IIP/G/EUR (CSIEMONH); IIP/T (JSIEGEL); IIP/T/PS (JROSEPLATT, MSCANLIN); EUR/PPD (TPICKREL, DWHITMAN); EUR/WE (MTECKACH-BALL, DMENNUTI) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP PRC SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL NOVAK IN ROME, TRACKER NUMBER 17919 THIS CABLE FULFILLS THE SIMPLIFIED IIP REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR IIP-FUNDED U.S. SPEAKERS AS OUTLINED IN SECSTATE 59878 ¶1. U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL NOVAK (AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE) ADDRESSED KEY ITALIAN AND VATICAN AUDIENCES ON THE ISSUE OF "IRAQ AND THE JUST WAR THEORY" FEBRUARY 7- ¶10. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVE WAS TO CLARIFY THE JUST NATURE OF U.S. IRAQ POLICY TO INFLUENTIAL ITALIAN AND VATICAN AUDIENCES, INCLUDING ITALIAN CATHOLIC POLITICAL LEADERS STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC JUST WAR THEORIES. AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAM THESE KEY AUDIENCES GAINED GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND DEEPER INSIGHT INTO THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ AND THE MORAL JUSTIFICATIONS FOR MILITARY ACTION. THE PROGRAM RECEIVED EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE IN INTERNATIONAL, ITALIAN, AND VATICAN MEDIA. THE PROGRAM WAS FUNDED BY IIP AND EMBASSY ROME WITH NO NON-USG OR IN-COUNTRY FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THE CENTRO STUDI AMERICANI PROVIDED THE VENUE FOR A MAJOR PRESS CONFERENCE AND LECTURE. ¶2. THE PROGRAM, ORGANIZED BY PA ROME AND EMBASSY VATICAN, FOCUSED ON AUGUSTINIAN/THOMISTIC JUST WAR THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH IRAQ. NOVAK LECTURED TO AND HELD SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH ITALIAN AND VATICAN OPINION LEADERS AND POLICY MAKERS. DEFENDING THE JUST NATURE OF SUCH A WAR, HE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE HOLY SEE'S FOREIGN MINISTER, THE, PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN SENATE, THE STAFF OF THE VATICAN'S COUNCIL ON JUSTICE AND PEACE, AND OFFICIALS FROM THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE. IN ADDITION, HE LECTURED TO AN AUDIENCE OF 150 OPINION LEADERS, ACADEMICS, CHURCH LEADERS, AND JOURNALISTS; GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 50 JOURNALISTS; APPEARED ON A POPULAR ITALIAN TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM; AND WAS INTERVIEWED BY VATICAN RADIO, SEVERAL ITALIAN NEWSPAPERS, AND THE BBC. HIS PROGRAM IN ROME RECEIVED EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE. ¶3. NOVAK WAS AN EXCELLENT SPEAKER AND INTERLOCUTOR. HIS EXTENSIVE FAMILIARITY WITH CURRENT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, HIS FLUENCY IN ITALIAN, HIS EXPERT KNOWLEDGE OF ITALY AND THE VATICAN, AND HIS WIDE CONTACTS AMONG ITALIAN AND VATICAN POLICY MAKERS, OPINION LEADERS, AND INTELLIGENTSIA MADE HIM AN ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE COMMENTATOR ON U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ. FROM THE BEGINNING OF HIS PROGRAM HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS A SPOKESPERSON FOR NEITHER THE U.S. GOVERNMENT NOR THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, BUT RATHER AN INDEPENDENT SCHOLAR AND WRITER WHO HAD COME TO SHARE HIS VIEWS ABOUT U.S. IRAQ POLICY WITH ITALIAN AND VATICAN POLICY MAKERS AND OPINION LEADERS AND TO ENTER INTO DIALOGUE WITH THEM. HE FOCUSED HIS REMARKS ON THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF U.S. IRAQ POLICY AND CAME DOWN STRONGLY ON THE SIDE OF THE JUST AND EVEN MORALLY OBLIGATORY CHARACTER OF THAT POLICY. FOR THIS HE WAS FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED AND CRITICIZED BY SOME OF HIS INTERLOCUTORS, BUT HE DEFENDED HIS VIEWS EFFECTIVELY, COMPELLINGLY, AND GRACIOUSLY. HIS OPINIONS WERE WIDELY REPORTED BY THE ITALIAN MEDIA, AND AS OF MARCH 28 HE HAS BEGUN TO WRITE A WEEKLY COLUMN ON THE IRAQ WAR IN THE PRESTIGIOUS ITALIAN DAILY "IL SOLE 24- ORE." ¶4. THE QUALITY OF IIP SUPPORT FOR THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM WAS OUTSTANDING. IIP'S JODY ROSE PLATT WORKED CLOSELY WITH PA ROME AND DR. NOVAK'S OFFICE TO RESOLVE VARIOUS TRAVEL AND LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS. SHE DESERVES KUDOS FOR ENSURING THAT THE VISIT CAME OFF FLAWLESSLY. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME01455 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED