TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001524 SIPDIS FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013 TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01524 01 OF 03 091639Z REF: ROME 1506 CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (SBU) EARLY ON APRIL 9 MFA SECRETARY GENERAL'S CHIEF OF STAFF, ANTONIO ZANARDI LANDI, SPOKE TO DCM TO FOLLOW UP PREVIOUS EVENING'S APPROACH RE SAFETY OF ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD (REFTEL). DCM ADVISED THAT WE HAD PASSED ON GOI CONCERNS TO DEPARTMENT AND TO CENTCOM, AND REAFFIRMED THAT U.S. FORCES WERE DOING ALL THEY COULD TO AVOID CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. DRAWING ON BACKGROUND RECEIVED FROM TASK FORCE, DCM ALSO TOLD ZANARDI LANDI THAT THE SITUATION IN BAGHDAD WAS VERY FLUID AS OF DAYBREAK IN IRAQ, AND IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS FOR ALL CONCERNED FOR U.S. FORCES TO TRY AND EVACUATE JOURNALISTS FROM THE PALESTINE OR SHERATON HOTELS. THAT SAID, THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND WAS CHANGING RAPIDLY TODAY AND CENTCOM WOULD ADJUST AS THE ENVIRONMENT EVOLVED. ¶2. (C) ZANARDI LANDI SAID THAT GOI HAD MANAGED TO REACH THE ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD AND HAD ASKED THEIR INTENTIONS, AS REQUESTED BY DCM. THE SEVEN WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED BY IRAQI OFFICIALS AND DETAINED IN THE PALESTINE HOTEL ADVISED THAT IRAQI AUTHORITIES HAD PROMISED TO RETURN THEIR PASSPORTS AND RELEASE THEM ON APRIL 9, AND ONCE THAT HAPPENED THEY WISHED TO DEPART BAGHDAD. THE OTHER THIRTEEN ITALIAN MEDIA REPS AT THE PALESTINE AND SHERATON HOTELS PLANNED TO STAY TO COVER THE BATTLE. DCM ASKED ZANARDI LANDI FOR NAMES AND MEDIA AFFILIATIONS OF THE SEVEN WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND ALSO FOR THE OTHER ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01524 01 OF 03 091639Z BAGHDAD, WHICH HE AGREED TO PROVIDE. ¶3. (C) LATER IN THE DAY, WHILE ACCOMPANYING U/S BOLTON TO A CALL ON MFA SECGEN BALDOCCI, DCM ASKED BALDOCCI FOR AN UPDATE ON THE JOURNALISTS. BALDOCCI SAID THE IRAQIS HAD RETURNED PASSPORTS TO THE SEVEN ARRESTEES, AS PROMISED, AND INDICATED THEY WERE FREE TO LEAVE. GIVEN THE DAY'S FAST-MOVING EVENTS, HOWEVER, THEY HAD DECIDED TO FOLLOW THEIR JOURNALISTIC INSTINCTS AND REMAIN IN BAGHDAD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, EMBASSY ODC CHIEF RECEIVED A CALL FROM GOI MILITARY CONTACTS TO SAY THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO PURSUE THE PREVIOUS DAY'S REQUEST FOR DATA ON THE FEASIBILITY OF AN IAF C-130J LANDING AT BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL TO EVACUATE THE JOURNALISTS. ¶4. (C) WHILE THE ABOVE CONVERSATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE, ZANARDI LANDI FAXED US THE DETAILS OF ALL ITALIAN JOURNALISTS CURRENTLY IN IRAQ. ALTHOUGH THE ITALIANS DESIRE TO ESCAPE THE FIGHTING IN BAGHDAD HAS APPARENTLY BEEN OVERTAKEN BY THE DAY'S EVENTS, WE REPEAT BELOW THEIR IDENTIFYING DETAILS AS GIVEN US BY ZANARDI LANDI IN CASE THEY MAY BE OF ANY USE TO CENTCOM: JOURNALISTS DETAINED BY THE IRAQI AUTHORITIES: FRANCESCO BATTISTINI CORRIERE DELLA SERA HOTEL PALESTINE EZIO PASERO MESSAGGERO HOTEL PALESTINE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 01524 01 OF 03 091639Z LORENZO BIANCHI LA NAZIONE -- IL RESTO DEL CARLINO -- IL GIORNO HOTEL PALESTINE IL GIORNALE LUCIANO GULLI HOTEL PALESTINE IL MATTINO VITTORIO DELL'UVA HOTEL PALESTINE L'UNITA' ANTONIO FONTANA HOTEL PALESTINE IL SOLE 24 ORE LEONARDO MAISANO HOTEL PALESTINE OTHER JOURNALISTS AT THE PALESTINE HOTEL: FERDINANDO PELLEGRINI CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ1303 PAGE 01 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-02 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /005W -------------- 5315C2 091640Z /38 O 091641Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9184 INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 001524 SIPDIS FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013 TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z RAI GIOVANNA BOTTERI GUIDO CRAVERO RAI LILLI GRUBER ENRICO BELLANO RAI LORENZO CREMONESI CORRIERE DELLA SERA GIOVANNI PORZIO PANORAMA ANNA MIGOTTO ANTONIO SANTILLO RETE 4 GABRIELLA SIMONI ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO) STEFANO BETTOZZI (OPERATOR) ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO) ROBERTO DE AMICIS LA 7 CLAUDIO MONICI AVVENIRE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z FRANCO ERNESTO PAGETTI ESPRESSO PIETRO GIGLI FREELANCE OTHER JOURNALISTS AT THE SHERATON HOTEL: MASSIMO NAVA CORRIERE DELLA SERA GIUSEPPE ZACCARIA LA STAMPA (TEMPORARILY C/O ITALIAN INTERESTS SECTION) ALBERTO NEGRI IL SOLE 24 ORE VALERIO PELLIZZARI MESSAGGERO RENATO CAPRILE BERNARDO VALLI LA REPUBBLICA GIULIANA SGRENA IL MANIFESTO FABIO M. ANGELICCHIO EUROPA -- LIBERO-- TEMPO CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z JOURNALISTS IN ERBIL: DUILIO GIAMMARIA STEFANO DI BLASI FRANCESO VITALE GIUSEPPE MENNELLA ROBERTO TAGLIALEGNA LUIGI GIUDICI RAI ANDREA NICASTRO CORRIERE DELLA SERA FRANCESCO RUGGERI LIBERO JOURNALISTS "EMBEDDED" IN COALITION FORCES: MONICA MAGGIONI SILVIO GIULIETTI FRANCO DI MARE GIUSEPPE DI MATTEO GIANFRANCO BOTTA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ1305 PAGE 01 ROME 01524 03 OF 03 091640Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-02 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /005W -------------- 5315CB 091640Z /38 O 091641Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9185 INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 001524 SIPDIS FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013 TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01524 03 OF 03 091640Z GIUSEPPE BONAVOLONTA' RAI FAUSTO BILOSLAVO IL FOGLIO ELISABETTA PIQUE' LA NACION LUCA TIENGO GRANATA PRESS ELIO COLAVOLPE FREELANCE ALESSIO VINCI CNN ANGELO MACCHIAVELLO SALVATORE LA BARBERA ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO) RENZO CIANFANELLIL CORRIERE DELLA SERA PAOLO PELLEGRIN NEWSWEEK SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2003ROME01524 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL