THE DEPARTURE OF THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO RIYADH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001499

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2013
TAGS: PREL PINR SA IT ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: THE DEPARTURE OF THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO RIYADH
-- THE INSIDE SCOOP

REF: RIYADH 1843

CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) POL OFF INQUIRED OF LUIGI MACCOTTA, THE MFA'S OFFICE
DIRECTOR FOR THE GULF STATES, ABOUT THE "PREMATURE" DEPARTURE
(REF A) OF THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA, TORQUATO
CARDILLI, AND HIS REPLACEMENT BY ARMANDO SANGUINI (BIO TO
FOLLOW SEPTEL.) MACCOTTA, VERY CANDID IN HIS RESPONSE, SAID
THAT CARDILLI WAS IN AN "EMBARRASSING POSITION." A YEAR AND
HALF AGO HE WANTED TO VISIT MECCA, SO HE "FORGED DOCUMENTS,
AND DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A MUSLIM." HE WAS CAUGHT BY THE
SAUDI AUTHORITIES, AND SO "CONVERTED TO ISLAM TO AVOID
FURTHER TROUBLE." THAT WAS A CAUSE OF INEFFECTIVENESS FOR
THE ITALIAN MISSION IN THE KINGDOM AS CARDILLI "BECAME AN
ADVOCATE OF SAUDI POSITIONS INSTEAD OF PURSUING ITALIAN
INTERESTS," SAID MACCOTTA. THE ITALIAN MFA, "IN ORDER NOT TO
BE PERCEIVED AS ANTI-MUSLIM," THEN HAD TO WAIT BEFORE
REMOVING CARDILLI FROM THE KINGDOM, TWO AND A HALF YEARS
AFTER THE BEGINNING OF HIS TERM, EXPLAINED MACCOTTA.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME01499 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL