ITALY'S NEW IRAQ ENVOY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002148

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID IZ PGOV EAID IZ IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: ITALY'S NEW IRAQ ENVOY

REF: A. ROME 01646

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B. ROME 01664

CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY ECONOMIC MINISTER-COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER,
REASONS 1.5 B, D.


1. (C) SUMMARY: EMBASSY OFFICERS MET ON MAY 13 WITH
AMBASSADOR ANTONIO ARMELLINI, WHO WILL BE IN CHARGE OF
ITALY'S CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL AS SPECIAL ENVOY IN
IRAQ AND REPRESENTATIVE TO THE INTERIM AUTHORITY (REFS A, B).
ARMELLINI RETURNED FROM BAGHDAD LAST WEEK HAVING RECEIVED,
HE SAID, A CLEAR APPEAL FROM ORHA FOR SWIFT ITALIAN
MOBILIZATION OF A TEAM OF TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL EXPERTS TO
INTEGRATE WITH ORHA AND IRAQ'S EMERGING MINISTRIES.
ARMELLINI PLANS TO TRAVEL ALONE TO WASHINGTON ON MAY 18 TO
SECURE CLEAR ASSURANCES THAT THE TEAM THAT THE GOI IS
MOBILIZING MEETS USG NEEDS. ARMELLINI SAID THAT HIS TEAM OF
ABOUT 40 PEOPLE COULD BE DISPATCHED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO
WEEKS. HE SHARES OUR CONCERN THAT ITALIAN COORDINATION WITH
CENTCOM IMPROVE. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) ECMIN BEGAN THE MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR ARMELLINI BY
STRESSING THE FACT THAT IRAQ REMAINS A MILITARY ZONE, AND, AS
SUCH, COORDINATION WITH CENTCOM THROUGH THE GOI'S LNO,
GENERAL SANTINI, REMAINS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. ECMIN
DESCRIBED HOW THE EMBASSY'S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SECTIONS
ARE ARRAYED ON IRAQ ISSUES, AND REVIEWED FOR ARMELLINI
VARIOUS CONDUITS FOR INFORMATION, INCLUDING WASHINGTON
BRIEFINGS, THE IMMINENT FORMATION OF THE HIGH LEVEL IRAQ
RECONSTRUCTION VIRTUAL WORKING GROUP, AND THE PUBLIC
INFORMATION PACKETS THAT THE EMBASSY HAS PLACED ON ITS WEB
SITE FOR PROSPECTIVE ITALIAN SUBCONTRACTORS AND DONORS OF
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HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE. ON THE POLICY SIDE, ECMIN NOTED
THAT WE COUNTED ON ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR THE LIFTING OF
SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ AS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE MEDIUM AND
LONGER-TERM DEVELOPMENT OF THE IRAQI ECONOMY.


3. (C) ARMELLINI RESPONDED WITH THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION,
ADDING THAT THE FLOW OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE MFA AND THE
ITALIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON WAS EXCELLENT. HE WENT ON TO
DESCRIBE HIS ROLE AS BEING THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MFA IRAQ
TASK FORCE ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ, COMMUTING BACK AND FORTH TO
THE REGION AS NEEDED. ARMELLINI DESCRIBED AS "UNPRECEDENTED"
THE IMPORTANCE THAT PM BERLUSCONI HAS GIVEN TO ITALY'S "FULL
PARTICIPATION" ACROSS THE RANGE OF TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL
REQUIREMENTS THAT ORHA HAS IDENTIFIED. HE REPORTED THAT THE
GOI WAS FINALIZING THE IDENTIFICATION OF A 30-40 PERSON TEAM
TO SEND TO THE REGION IN THE COMING WEEKS. HE NOTED THAT THE
GOI WAS EAGER TO BE PART OF A DEMONSTRABLY SUCCESSFUL,
COLLECTIVE EFFORT IN IRAQ AND WANTS TO LEVERAGE ITALY'S
STRONG HISTORY OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE REGION. THE GOI,
ARMELLINI ASSURED, WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE LOGISTICAL NEEDS OF
ITS TEAM.


4. (C) HAVING WITNESSED OUR SHORT-LIVED NEED FOR ITALY'S
FIELD HOSPITAL AND OUR RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW COALITION
LEADERSHIP IN IRAQ, ARMELLINI WAS CONCERNED THAT, JUST AS THE
GOI BEGINS AN UNPRECEDENTED MOBILIZATION, USG PRIORITIES MAY
SHIFT. HE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENT OF
AMBASSADOR BREMER AS THE SENIOR COALITION OFFICIAL IN IRAQ
AND SPECIFICALLY WHETHER HE WOULD BE ARMELLINI'S NEW
INTERLOCUTOR. ECMIN UNDERSCORED THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD
CLEARLY PRONOUNCED AMBASSADOR BREMER'S AUTHORITY IN IRAQ. HE
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ALSO AFFIRMED THAT ARMELLINI COULD EXPECT TO ENGAGE WITH
BREMER AT A POLITICAL LEVEL.


5. (C) ECMIN ASKED HOW ARMELLINI PLANNED TO ORGANIZE ON THE
GROUND. ARMELLINI REPLIED THAT HE WOULD HAVE OVERALL
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WHOLE ITALIAN MISSION IN IRAQ,
INCLUDING CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL. GENERAL CABIGIOSU
(PENDING CONFIRMATION) IS EXPECTED TO ACT AS HIS MILITARY
ADVISOR. UNDER ARMELLINI'S LEADERSHIP, A COMMANDER WOULD
HAVE OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITALIAN TROOPS IN IRAQ AS
WELL AS MILITARY-TO-MILITARY LIAISON WITH THE BRITISH IN
BASRA.


6. (C) ECMIN RETURNED TO THE NEED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
WITH CENTCOM, AND ARMELLINI NOTED THAT HE SHARED THE SAME
CONCERN. HE POINTED OUT THAT, DESPITE GETTING CLEARANCE FOR
HIS LAST TRIP TO BAGHDAD, WORD HAD NOT YET REACHED BAGHDAD BY
THE TIME HE ARRIVED. ARMELLINI ASKED WHETHER THE PROBLEM WAS
THE COMPLEX ROUTING OF INFORMATION OR WHETHER ADEQUATE
COMMUNICATIONS HAD YET TO BE SET UP. HE NOTED THAT GETTING
COORDINATION RIGHT WITH CENTCOM WAS A PRIORITY FOR GENERAL
CABIGIOSU.

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ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00
DRL-01 G-00 SAS-00 /005W
-------------- 65B33A 151708Z /45
O 151601Z MAY 03
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9917
INFO AMEMBASSY KUWAIT IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY
AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY
AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 002148

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID IZ PGOV EAID IZ IT ITPREL
SUBJECT: ITALY'S NEW IRAQ ENVOY

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PAGE 02 ROME 02148 02 OF 02 151708Z

7. (C) COMMENT: ARMELLINI IS FOCUSED ON HOW TO PUT A TEAM
TOGETHER THAT MEETS USG NEEDS IN IRAQ, WHILE MAKING THE MOST
OF ITALY'S COMPARATIVE STRENGTHS. WE BELIEVE THAT HIS VISIT
TO WASHINGTON IS WELL-TIMED TO GET THE KIND OF CLEAR GUIDANCE
THAT HE IS SEEKING. END COMMENT.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME02148 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL