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