Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ROME1577
2003-04-14 10:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

TFIZ01: ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE OUTLINES PROPOSED

Tags:  MARR EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT IZ IRAQI FREEDOM 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001577 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PMAT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC:KVOLKER, JOINT
STAFF:SYIKE, OSD/POLICY, USEUCOM, USSTRATCOM, USPACOM,
USTRANSCOM, USCENTCOM, USCOCOM, USSOUTHCOM, USAID

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PAGE 02 ROME 01577 01 OF 02 141056Z
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2013
TAGS: MARR EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT IZ IZMARR IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE OUTLINES PROPOSED
CONTRIBUTIONS

REF: A. ROME 1569

B. STATE 93769

CLASSIFIED BY: SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001577

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PMAT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC:KVOLKER, JOINT
STAFF:SYIKE, OSD/POLICY, USEUCOM, USSTRATCOM, USPACOM,
USTRANSCOM, USCENTCOM, USCOCOM, USSOUTHCOM, USAID

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01577 01 OF 02 141056Z
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2013
TAGS: MARR EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT IZ IZMARR IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE OUTLINES PROPOSED
CONTRIBUTIONS

REF: A. ROME 1569

B. STATE 93769

CLASSIFIED BY: SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D)


1. (U) THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS ACTION REQUESTS. SEE PARA 8.


2. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: ECMIN AND ECONOFF MET ON APRIL
11 WITH ANTONIO BADINI, MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE
EAST AND COORDINATOR OF ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE. BADINI WAS
JOINED BY IRAQ OFFICE DIRECTOR LUIGI MACCOTTA. AT THE TIME
OF THE MEETING, A TASK FORCE PROPOSAL, ENDORSED BY FM
FRATTINI, WAS PENDING APPROVAL BY PM BERLUSCONI AND THE
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS. SHORTLY AFTER OUR DISCUSSION, MACCOTTA
INFORMED US THAT THE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED THE PROPOSAL
AFFIRMING THE COORDINATING ROLE OF THE MFA ON IRAQ ASSISTANCE
AS WELL AS ITS THREE-PART PLAN. THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN, AS
DESCRIBED BY BADINI ARE: 1) TO FIELD A 1,000 PERSON
SELF-PROTECTED HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TEAM COMPOSED OF ROUGHLY
500 MILITARY PERSONNEL (CARABINIERI AND ARMY) AND 500
CIVILIAN MEDICAL, WATER, SANITATION, CIVIL ENGINEERING, AND
WMD SPECIALISTS; 2) TO IDENTIFY A NUMBER OF ITALIAN EXPERTS
THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE THEIR EXPERTISE IN THE REBUILDING OF
IRAQI ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROVISION
OF HEALTH, WATER, SANITATION, ELECTRICITY, AND PERHAPS OTHER
AREAS (THE MFA ENVISIONS EMBEDDING THESE EXPERTS WITHIN
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PAGE 03 ROME 01577 01 OF 02 141056Z
NASCENT IRAQI MINISTRIES); 3) TO PROPOSE SECONDING A
HIGH-RANKING DIPLOMAT, WITH A GENERAL SERVING AS HIS MILITARY

AND SECURITY ADVISOR, TO WORK WITH ORHA AND COORDINATE
OVERALL GOI INVOLVEMENT ON THE GROUND.


3. (C) SUMMARY, COMMENT CONT'D. THE INTER-MINISTERIAL TASK
FORCE HAS BEEN WORKING ON ITS PROPOSAL FOR SOME TIME, AND HAD
NOT RECEIVED REFTEL B'S SPECIFIC REQUEST FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL
FOR CIVILIANS BEFORE THE PROPOSAL WAS SUBMITTED TO THE
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS. WE HAVE EXPLAINED THE COALITION'S
URGENT NEED FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL (REFTEL A) AND ARE WORKING
WITH THE GOI TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FIRST PART OF ITALY'S
OFFER CAN BE TAILORED TO SERVE AS A RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE,
SELF-PROTECTING FIELD HOSPITAL. END SUMMARY.


4. (C) DURING AN APRIL 11 MEETING WITH ECMIN, MINISTER BADINI
DESCRIBED THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE'S THREE-PART PACKAGE,
WHICH HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE PM AND THE COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS FOR APPROVAL. BADINI WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO
EXPLAIN THAT THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE TASK FORCE'S PACKAGE
-- A 1,000 PERSON TEAM OF CIVILIAN SPECIALISTS WITH MILITARY
SUPPORT -- INCLUDES MILITARY PERSONNEL TO SECURE AND
STABILIZE THE SITUATION SO THAT THE CIVILIAN TEAM CAN CONDUCT
ITS WORK EFFECTIVELY. FOR DOMESTIC POLITICAL REASONS, IT
WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE MILITARY'S ROLE BE CHARACTERIZED
NEITHER AS "PEACEMAKING NOR PEACEKEEPING." BADINI SAID
THAT FORMIN FRATTINI HAD ACCEPTED THIS DISTINCTION, AND WAS
MAKING THE CASE TO PM BERLUSCONI. BADINI ADDED THAT, IN HIS
VIEW, IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO WAIT FOR EITHER AN EU, UN, OR
NATO MANDATE TO ACT GIVEN THE FOOT-DRAGGING OF OTHER MEMBERS.

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PAGE 04 ROME 01577 01 OF 02 141056Z

5. (C) IN THIS CONTEXT, BADINI WARMLY WELCOMED THE USG
REQUEST FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL (REF A). HE NOTED THAT HEALTH
AND SANITATION WERE AMONG THE CORE COMPETENCIES THAT THE TASK
FORCE HAD IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO IRAQ.
MOREOVER, THE APPROPRIATE ELEMENTS NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THE
REQUEST COULD, HE SAID, BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED FROM WITHIN THE
1,000 PERSON TEAM PROPOSED IN THE TASK FORCE PACKAGE. BADINI
NOTED THAT ITALY'S EXPERIENCE REHABILITATING A GENERAL
HOSPITAL AND A PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN BAGHDAD AFTER THE 1991
GULF WAR PROVIDED A GOOD BASE TO PLAN FROM. BADINI ASSURED
US THAT THE TASK FORCE WOULD FOCUS IMMEDIATELY UPON THE
REQUEST.


6. (C) REGARDING THE PROPOSAL TO SECOND A SENIOR ITALIAN
DIPLOMAT TO ORHA, BADINI NOTED THAT ITALY'S AMBASSADOR PARTI
IN KUWAIT, WHO HAS SERVED AS LIAISON WITH ORHA, WOULD NO
LONGER BE ABLE TO DO SO ONCE ORHA RELOCATES TO BAGHDAD.
WHILE THE DIPLOMAT AND THE GENERAL WOULD BOTH BE VERY SENIOR,
BADINI SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE GENERAL REPORT TO AND
ADVISE THE CIVILIAN DIPLOMATIC OFFICIAL. BADINI ASKED
WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE ITALIANS ON AN
INTERNATIONAL TEAM INVOLVED IN THE PROVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION
OF POST-WAR IRAQ, BOTH TO INTERFACE WITH GENERAL GARNER AND,

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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4197

PAGE 01 ROME 01577 02 OF 02 141056Z
ACTION SS-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00
DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00
FBIE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 NEA-00
DCP-01 NSAE-00 PA-00 PM-00 IRM-00 SSO-00 PMB-00
DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /002W
-------------- 555368 141057Z /38
O 141056Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9242
INFO AMEMBASSY KUWAIT IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY PRAGUE IMMEDIATE
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3-CI/ECJ23-H// IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
USTRANSCOM SCOTT AFB IL IMMEDIATE
USSTRATCOM OFFUTT AFB NE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001577

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PMAT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC:KVOLKER, JOINT
STAFF:SYIKE, OSD/POLICY, USEUCOM, USSTRATCOM, USPACOM,
USTRANSCOM, USCENTCOM, USCOCOM, USSOUTHCOM, USAID

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2013
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01577 02 OF 02 141056Z
TAGS: MARR EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT EAID MOPS PREL PHUM IT IZ IZMARR IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE OUTLINES PROPOSED
CONTRIBUTIONS

AT THE LEVEL OF SPECIALISTS, TO HELP REFORM AN OPERATIONAL
CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION IN IRAQ.


7. (C) BADINI ALSO EXPLAINED THAT PARLIAMENT WILL NEED TO
APPROVE A BILL THE TASK FORCE IS DRAFTING WHICH LAYS OUT BOTH
THE RATIONALE FOR ITALY'S SENDING AN INTEGRATED MILITARY AND
CIVILIAN EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TEAM TO IRAQ AND
THE FUNDING REQUEST TO DO SO. WHILE HE BELIEVES THAT FOR
POLITICAL REASONS PM BERLUSCONI WILL WANT TO GO THE
PARLIAMENT FOR APPROVAL OF SUCH A BILL, BADINI CLARIFIED THAT
IT IS ALSO CONCEIVABLE THE PM WOULD CHOOSE TO SIMPLY
INFORM/CONSULT THE PARLIAMENT AND INSTEAD FIND THE FUNDING
THROUGH A REALLOCATION OF THE BUDGET.


8. (C) ACTION REQUESTS: POST REQUESTS GUIDANCE ON WHETHER
THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE GOI TASK FORCE'S PACKAGE MEETS
COALITION NEEDS FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL. IN THE EVENT THE GOI
DOES NOT HAVE A MORE CONVENTIONAL "MILITARY FIELD HOSPITAL"
AVAILABLE TO DEPLOY IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE ADVISE AS TO WHETHER
THE GOI SHOULD CONTINUE WITH PLANS TO DEPLOY THE 1,000-PERSON
INTEGRATED TEAM DESCRIBED IN THE PROPOSAL AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE. WE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE ITALIAN
PACKAGE AS WE GET FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO
ENCOURAGE THE GOI TO USE ITS LNO IN TAMPA AS A CHANNEL. IN
THE MEANTIME, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE GOI TO
ENSURE THAT WHAT ITALY OFFERS WILL BE OF USE TO THE
COALITION. IN THAT RESPECT, PLEASE PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW
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PAGE 03 ROME 01577 02 OF 02 141056Z
WE SHOULD RESPOND TO THE OTHER TWO COMPONENTS OF THE TASK
FORCE'S PROPOSAL: ATTACHING A SENIOR DIPLOMAT AND MILITARY
OFFICER TO ORHA AND DISPATCHING TECHNICAL EXPERTS TO WORK
WITH NASCENT IRAQI MINISTRIES. END ACTION REQUESTS.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2003ROME01577 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL