Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ROME1524
2003-04-09 16:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD

Tags:  PREL MOPS PGOV IZ IT IRAQI FREEDOM 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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).

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