TFIZO1: MINDEF MARTINO ON ITALIAN PLANS FOR FIELD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001731 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2013 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL EAID IT MOPS PREL EAID IT IZ IZMARR IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TFIZO1: MINDEF MARTINO ON ITALIAN PLANS FOR FIELD HOSPITAL, PHASE IV REF: A. ROME 1701 ¶B. ROME 1679 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01731 01 OF 02 231651Z ¶C. ROME 1618 CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. MINDEF MARTINO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR ON APRIL 22 THAT ITALY WAS STILL LOOKING TO DEPLOY A FIELD HOSPITAL IN BAGHDAD. IT WOULD PROVIDE INTERNAL SECURITY, BUT HOPED THE U.S. COULD ASSIST WITH PROTECTING THE PERIMETER. THE GOI IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE UK TO STAND UP AN ITALIAN ARMY BRIGADE-SIZE FORCE IN THE BRITISH PHASE IV SECTOR. SOME 400-500 CARABINIERI WILL ALSO BE DISPATCHED TO WORK ON STABILIZATION TASKS NEAR BASRA. THE AMBASSADOR URGED MARTINO TO COORDINATE ALL OPERATIONAL DETAILS--HUMANITARIAN AND MILITARY--WITH CENTCOM VIA THE ITALIAN LNO. MARTINO ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE LNO WOULD BE EMPOWERED TO ENGAGE CENTCOM PLANNERS. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) MINDEF MARTINO REVIEWED ITALIAN PLANNING FOR LOCATING A FIELD HOSPITAL AND PHASE IV DEPLOYMENTS DURING AN APRIL 22 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR. MARTINO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR FRANCESCO TRUPIANO, WHO ELABORATED ON GOI THINKING IN A FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION WITH POLOFF. ¶3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR THANKED THE MINISTER FOR ITALY'S WELCOME EFFORTS TO ASSIST WITH RECONSTRUCTION IN IRAQ, AND SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE GOI'S INTEREST IN DEPLOYING A FIELD HOSPITAL TO BAGHDAD (REF A). MARTINO NOTED THAT FM FRATTINI WANTED THE HOSPITAL SITUATED IN THE IRAQI CAPITAL, ADDING THAT HE HAD RECENTLY SPOKEN WITH THE ITALIAN CHOD, ROLANDO MOSCA MOSCHINI, WHO RECOMMENDED DEPLOYMENT WITH EXTERNAL PERIMETER SECURITY PROVIDED BY THE U.S. MILITARY. THE MOD IS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01731 01 OF 02 231651Z PREPARED TO BUNDLE SOME 30 CARABINIERI INTO THE PACKAGE TO HANDLE "INTERNAL" SECURITY. (NOTE: EMBASSY ECMIN COUNSELOR RAISED THE SECURITY ISSUE DURING AN APRIL 23 MEETING WITH THE GOI'S IRAQ TASK FORCE DEPUTY DIRECTOR LUIGI MACCOTTA, PRESSING THE POINT THAT ITALY NEEDED TO MAKE SURE ITS HOSPITAL WAS SELF-PROTECTING. MACCOTTA SAID HE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD ITALY NEEDED TO PROVIDE BOTH INTERNAL AND PERIMETER SECURITY FOR THE FACILITY. NEVERTHELESS, THE MFA HOPED THE HOSPITAL COULD HAVE SOME CONNECTION TO U.S. MILITARY FORCES OPERATING IN THE VICINITY, I.E. THAT U.S. FORCES WOULD BE AWARE OF ITS PRESENCE AND GENERALLY KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THREATS TO ITALIAN PERSONNEL/EQUIPMENT. END NOTE) ¶4. (C) AMBASSADOR SEMBLER URGED MARTINO TO COORDINATE ALL ITALIAN HUMANITARIAN AND MILITARY ASSISTANCE THROUGH CENTCOM, INCLUDING ANY SECURITY-RELATED REQUESTS. THE EMBASSY'S UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT ITALY'S LNO, GENERAL SANTINI, HAD BEEN EMPOWERED TO ENGAGE IN "TWO-WAY CONVERSATIONS" IN TAMPA. MARTINO RESPONDED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE SANTINI HAD BEEN SO EMPOWERED, BUT, RETURNING TO THE POINT LATER IN THE DISCUSSION, ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THE LNO WOULD HAVE THE NECESSARY AUTHORITY TO WORK WITH CENTCOM PLANNERS. ¶5. (C) MARTINO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ITALY IS COOPERATING CLOSELY WITH THE UK ON DEPLOYING AN ITALIAN ARMY (ITA) BRIGADE-SIZE FORCE IN THE BRITISH PHASE IV SECTOR AROUND BASRA (REF B). OPERATING UNDER UK COMMAND AUTHORITY WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ITA HAS A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ITS UK COUNTERPART. TRUPIANO CONFIRMED THAT A BRITISH MILITARY PLANNING TEAM WOULD MEET WITH ITALIAN DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF (IDGS) OFFICERS ON APRIL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 01731 01 OF 02 231651Z 23 TO IRON OUT DETAILS. ¶6. (C) ITALY IS ALSO INTERESTED IN DEPLOYING A 400-500 MAN CARABINIERI CONTINGENT TO ASSIST WITH STABILIZATION EFFORTS. THE IDGS IS INSISTING THAT ITALY'S MILITARY FORCE PACKAGE BE SELF-CONTAINED; THEREFORE, THE CARABINIERI UNITS WILL MOST LIKELY DEPLOY TOGETHER WITH THE ARMY IN THE UK SECTOR. ¶7. (C) ASKED WHETHER THE GOI HAD RECEIVED SUFFICIENT AUTHORITY FROM PARLIAMENT TO DEPLOY MILITARY FORCES (REF C), MARTINO SAID APPROVAL TO DEPLOY UP TO 3000 TROOPS IN SUPPORT OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE EFFORTS HAD BEEN GRANTED. (NOTE: THE GOI IS ACTUALLY PLANNING TO PLACE SOME 1700-2000 BOOTS ON THE GROUND. END NOTE) HOWEVER, HE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE TO DEFINE THE GOVERNMENT'S SPECIFIC PHASE IV PLANS. TRUPIANO LATER CLARIFIED THAT THE GOI WILL DEFINITELY NEED PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL FOR THE BRIGADE AND THE MAIN CARABINIERI DEPLOYMENT, IF NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE SECURITY FORCE ACCOMPANYING THE FIELD HOSPITAL. HE UNDERSCORED THAT BOTH LEGAL AND FINANCIAL AUTHORIZATION WOULD BE REQUIRED, BUT THOUGHT THIS WOULD NOT BE PROBLEMATIC. MARTINO WOULD PROBABLY GO BEFORE PARLIAMENT TO PRESENT THE GOI'S PLANS IN EARLY MAY. CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ4556 PAGE 01 ROME 01731 02 OF 02 231652Z ACTION NEA-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 MFLO-03 AC-01 NSAE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 R-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /007W -------------- 5A0985 231653Z /38 O 231648Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9386 INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY WARSAW IMMEDIATE USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9387 NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001731 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2013 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL EAID IT MOPS PREL EAID IT IZ IZMARR IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TFIZO1: MINDEF MARTINO ON ITALIAN PLANS FOR FIELD HOSPITAL, PHASE IV SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01731 02 OF 02 231652Z CONFIDENTIAL > 2003ROME01731 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL