U/S BOLTON BRIEFS ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001565 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2013 TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL IT IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: U/S BOLTON BRIEFS ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE JOHN BOLTON MET WITH ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ANTONIO MARTINO IN ROME ON APRIL 9 TO DISCUSS IRAQ AND THE TRANSATLANTIC ALLIANCE. THE MOD IS PREPARING A PACKAGE OF POST-CONFLICT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S APPROVAL TO INCLUDE MILITARY POLICE, MINESWEEPERS AND NBC UNITS, ACCORDING TO MARTINO. U/S BOLTON URGED MARTINO TO USE ITALY'S EU PRESIDENCY TO MAKE PROGRESS ON POL-MIL ISSUES SUCH AS NATO-EU INTEGRATION. MARTINO HOPES TO MEET WITH SECRETARY POWELL, SECRETARY RUMSFELD AND DR. RICE ON MAY 6, FOLLOWING THE NATO-UKRAINE MEETING IN WASHINGTON. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) U/S BOLTON THANKED MARTINO FOR HIS SUPPORT ON THE 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE'S DEPLOYMENT FROM ITALY, AND FOR THE GOI'S SUPPORT IN GENERAL ON IRAQ. MARTINO NOTED THAT DISPUTES OVER THE IRAQ CONFLICT HAVE RESULTED IN MANY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES RE-ASSESSING AND RECONFIRMING THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR BONDS WITH THE US. AS AN EXAMPLE, MARTINO SAID GERMAN DEFMIN STRUCK HAD RECENTLY EMPHASIZED TO HIM THE IMPORTANCE OF GERMANY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US. IN CONTRAST, FRANCE WAS LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO BE UNHELPFUL; THE FRENCH DEFMIN HAD ADMITTED TO HIM THAT THE GOF'S GOAL IS TO RESTORE FRANCE TO WORLD POWER STATUS. MARTINO MENTIONED TO U/S BOLTON THAT THE FRENCH HAVE FORMALLY APPROACHED THE GOI TO SUGGEST THAT THREE ITALIAN SHIPS (TWO MINESWEEPERS AND A SUPPORT SHIP) IN DJIBOUTI FOR A CANCELLED EXERCISE (ARABIAN GAUNTLET) JOIN SEVERAL FRENCH SHIPS TO DO A BILATERAL COUNTERMINING OPERATION BEFORE INTEGRATING INTO A EUROMARFOR UNIT OPERATING IN THE GULF IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. MARTINO SUSPECTED THIS MIGHT BE A FRENCH ATTEMPT TO FIND A WAY INTO OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND ASKED FOR USG THOUGHTS ON THE FRENCH PROPOSAL. ¶3. (C) MARTINO TOLD U/S BOLTON THAT THE POST-CONFLICT PROPOSAL THE MOD IS PREPARING FOR THE PM'S APPROVAL WILL INCLUDE MILITARY POLICE, MINESWEEPERS AND NBC UNITS. DESPITE ITALY'S LIMITED MILITARY RESOURCES, MARTINO SAID HE WANTS TO PRESENT A SELF-SUSTAINING PACKAGE. THE MILITARY POLICE CONTRIBUTION WILL LIKELY BE A JOINT CARABINIERI-GUARDIA CIVILE OPERATION, BASED ON HIS DISCUSSION WITH THE SPANISH DEFMIN AT THE EU DEFMIN MEETING IN ATHENS, MARTINO EXPLAINED. HE OBSERVED THAT SOLIDERS SERVING OUTSIDE OF THEIR COUNTRIES NOW ACT AS AMBASSADORS OF PEACE, BRINGING STABILITY AND ASSISTANCE, RATHER THAN AS COLONISTS AS IN THE PAST. THE CARABINIERI ARE VERY EXPERIENCED IN THIS AREA, HE SAID. U/S BOLTON NOTED THAT CIVILIAN POLICE WILL BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT DURING THE GAP BETWEEN THE FALL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME AND THE INSTALLATION OF AN INTERIM AUTHORITY, A PERIOD THAT WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING. THE SOONER ITALY'S CARABINIERI CAN GET THERE THE BETTER, HE SAID. THEIR EXPERIENCE TRAINING LOCAL POLICE WOULD BE IN GREAT DEMAND, HE ADDED; MOST OF THE EXISTING POLICE FORCE MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF TIES TO THE BA'ATH PARTY. ¶4. (C) IN CLOSING, MARTINO MENTIONED TO U/S BOLTON THAT HE PLANS TO ATTEND THE MAY 4-5 NATO-UKRAINE MEETING IN WASHINGTON. HE SAID HE HOPES TO MEET WITH SECRETARY POWELL, SECRETARY RUMSFELD AND DR. RICE ON MAY 6. COMMENT: WE SIPDIS UNDERSTAND REQUESTS FOR THESE MEETINGS ARE ALREADY BEING WORKED IN WASHINGTON. GIVEN MARTINO'S STATUS AS A SERIOUS CANDIDATE TO REPLACE LORD ROBERTSON AT NATO, WE ENDORSE SUCH MEETINGS AS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR SENIOR USG POLICYMAKERS TO ASSESS MARTINO'S VIEWS ON ISSUES IMPORTANT FOR NATO. END COMMENT. ¶5. (U) U/S BOLTON CLEARED THIS CABLE. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME01565 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL