ITALIAN REQUEST FOR EU EXCEPTION TO LIBYA ARMS

S E C R E T ROME 001625

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013
TAGS: ETTC EU IT LY PREL EUN
SUBJECT: ITALIAN REQUEST FOR EU EXCEPTION TO LIBYA ARMS
EMBARGO

REF: TEKACH-KILNER EMAIL 4/11/03

CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC MINISTER-COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) (D)


1. (SBU) ON THE BASIS OF REF EMAIL, ECMIN RAISED RECENT
REPORTS THAT THE GOI HAD ASKED THE EU TO RELAX THE ARMS
EMBARGO AGAINST LIBYA DURING AN APRIL 11 MEETING WITH MFA
DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE EAST ANTONIO BADINI.


2. (C) BADINI CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS CORRECT, EXPLAINING
THAT A FEW WEEKS AGO THE GOI HAD INITIATED AN EFFORT TO GAIN
EU AGREEMENT TO REVIEW THE ARMS EMBARGO LIST. IF THIS
AGREEMENT WERE OBTAINED, BADINI SAID THE GOI'S OBJECTIVE
WOULD BE TO ELIMINATE CERTAIN ITEMS FROM THE "OUTDATED"
EMBARGO LIST, SUCH AS PATROL BOATS, WHICH "ARE CLEARLY NOT
EVEN DUAL USE." HE FURTHER CONFIRMED THAT WHAT IS DRIVING
ITALIAN ACTIONS IS A STRONG DESIRE TO HELP LIBYA PATROL ITS
COASTLINE MORE EFFECTIVELY TO STEM THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS FROM AFRICA. THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM, HE
STRESSED, IS AN "IMMEDIATE THREAT" WHICH THE GOI NEEDS TO
ADDRESS URGENTLY. BADINI ESTIMATED THAT A FINAL EU DECISION
ON THE ITALIAN REQUEST WOULD TAKE 3-4 MONTHS.

3.(S) ECMIN REPLIED THAT, WHILE THE U.S. UNDERSTOOD THE
SEVERITY OF ITALY'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM, WE STRONGLY
OPPOSED ANY RELAXATION OF THE ARMS EMBARGO UNTIL LIBYA HAD
DEMONSTRATED COMPLETE ABANDONMENT OF TERRORISM. ECMIN
FURTHER TOOK STRONG EXCEPTION TO BADINI'S CHARACTERIZATION OF
PATROL BOATS AS "NOT DUAL USE," REMINDING THE DG THAT
SECRETARY POWELL FELT SO STRONGLY ABOUT THE RECENT CASE OF
ITALIAN FAST BOATS FOR IRAN THAT HE HAD RAISED THE ISSUE
DIRECTLY WITH FM FRATTINI. THE SECRETARY HAS BEEN
APPRECIATIVE OF ITALIAN ACTIONS TO STOP THAT DELIVERY, EVEN
WRITING FRATTINI TO THANK HIM. IT WOULD BE A SERIOUS MISTAKE
TO HAVE TO RETRACE THE SAME PATH AGAIN WITH RESPECT TO LIBYA.
FINALLY, ECMIN NOTED PRESS REPORTS THAT VERY DAY OF IRANIAN
PATROL BOATS HARASSING U.S. WARSHIPS IN THE PERSIAN GULF.

4.(S) BADINI ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE IRAN
FAST-BOATS CASE, BUT TRIED TO ARGUE THAT "LIBYA IS NOT IRAN."
HE MAINTAINED THAT LIBYA HAD TAKEN "VERY LARGE, IMPORTANT
STEPS TO FIGHT TERRORISM." BADINI ADDED THAT HE AND OTHERS
WOULD BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS "ANY EVIDENCE YOU HAVE
TO THE CONTRARY." IF THE EU APPROVED THE REVIEW OF THE
EMBARGO LIST, THE GOI WOULD ALSO BE WILLING TO CONSULT WITH
THE U.S. ON TECHNICAL CONCERNS ABOUT PROPOSED DELETIONS FROM
THE LIST. ECMIN REITERATED THAT THE U.S. DID NOT SHARE
ITALY'S ANALYSIS, AND THAT WE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY WISH TO
DISCUSS FURTHER THE GOI'S EFFORT TO REVIEW THE LIBYA ARMS
EMBARGO.


5. (C) ON APRIL 15 ECONOFFS RAISED THE PROPOSED EXPORT TO
LIBYA WITH GIANPAOLO SCARANTE, DEPUTY DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR TO
PM BERLUSCONI. SCARANTE TOLD US THAT BADINI ALREADY HAD
RELAYED TO HIM U.S. CONCERNS, AND HAD ALSO TOLD HIM THAT THE
GOI DID NOT EXPECT TO RECEIVE EU SUPPORT FOR THE GOI
PROPOSAL. (NOTE - IN THE PROVISIONAL READOUT OF THE APRIL 14
GAERC MEETING, FORWARDED TO US BY USEU, THE COUNCIL CALLED
FOR THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
"TO EXAMINE THE SITUATION SO AS TO ENABLE THE COUNCIL TO
EVALUATE HOW THE EU MIGHT COOPERATE SO AS TO ENHANCE LIBYA'S
CAPACITY TO FIGHT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION." THERE IS NO MENTION
OF THE EU LOOSENING ITS ARMS EMBARGO, WHICH IT EXPLICITLY
STATES "REMAINS IN PLACE.")


6. (C) ACTING ECMIN AND ECONOFF FURTHER RAISED OUR CONCERNS
APRIL 15 WITH NEWLY ARRIVED MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR ECONOMIC
COOPERATION GIANDOMENICO MAGLIANO. WHILE WE ACKNOWLEDGED
ITALY'S NEED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION,
WE WISHED TO MAKE THE GOI AWARE OF OUR OPPOSITION TO THE
EXPORT OF ANY ITEMS WHICH COULD SUPPORT LIBYAN TERRORIST
ACTIVITY. THOUGH APPARENTLY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE, HE DID
NOTE PM BERLUSCONI'S PLEDGE TO THE LIBYANS DURING A VISIT IN
OCTOBER 2002 TO EXAMINE COOPERATION TO FIGHT ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION. (AFTER A MEETING BETWEEN FM FRANCO FRATTINI AND
LIBYAN FM ABD AL-RAHMAN MOHAMMAD SHALGAM IN FEBRUARY 2003,
THE MFA ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT SAYS, IN PART, "ITALY IS
SEEKING ALSO TO INVOLVE THE EUROPEAN UNION IN SUPPORT OF
LIBYA'S PROGRAM DESIGNED TO COMBAT" ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.) WE
TOLD MAGLIANO THAT THE U.S. WOULD CONTINUE TO OPPOSE ANY
FURTHER EFFORTS TO LOOSEN THE EU ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST LIBYA.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME01625 - Classification: SECRET