USTICA CRASH BACK IN THE HEADLINES: REQUEST FOR

S E C R E T ROME 003199

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR A/RPS/IPS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2013
TAGS: PREL PINR IT FAA AVIATION
SUBJECT: USTICA CRASH BACK IN THE HEADLINES: REQUEST FOR
INFO

REF: ROME 2887

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASO
NS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. PLEASE SEE PARA 5.


2. (C) THIRTY ITALIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS HAVE SIGNED A
RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE GOI TO OFFICIALLY PROTEST TO THE
STATE DEPARTMENT FOR "SPYING" ON THE ITALIAN PM AND MOD IN
1992, ACCORDING TO CARLO GIOVANARDI, MINISTER FOR RELATIONS
WITH PARLIAMENT. GIOVANARDI TOLD POL MC AT A JULY 10
MEETING THAT THE RESOLUTION LAMENTS THE USG'S "LACK OF
CLARITY AND COOPERATION" WITH THE GOI ON THE 1980 USTICA
CRASH CASE. GIOVANARDI SHOWED POL MC THE JUNE 21 TG3 TV
REPORTAGE ALLEGING THAT THE USG INTERCEPTED IN 1992 A PHONE
CALL BETWEEN PM GIULIANO AMATO AND MOD SALVO ANDRO WHILE THE
GOI WAS DECIDING WHETHER TO BECOME A PLAINTIFF IN THE USTICA
CASE (REFTEL). THE TV REPORT CLAIMED THAT THE INTERCEPTED
PHONE CALL WAS MENTIONED IN DOCUMENTS THE STATE DEPARTMENT
RELEASED TO USTICA VICTIMS' RELATIVES PURSUANT TO A FREEDOM
OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST.


3. (C) GIOVANARDI EXPLAINED THAT, A YEAR AGO, HE SPOKE IN
PARLIAMENT TRYING TO PUT THE 20- YEAR OLD USTICA CRASH CASE
TO REST. HE FAVORED THE EXPLANATION THAT THE CRASH WAS
CAUSED BY AN INTERNAL EXPLOSION AND NOT BY A US MISSILE.
THESE NEW ALLEGATIONS UNDERMINE HIS CREDIBILITY, HE SAID. HE
MUST SPEAK AGAIN ON THE CASE IN A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE
HEARING ON THE OPPOSITION MOTION BEFORE THE END OF JULY. HE
ASKED POL MC FOR THE DOCUMENTS ALLEGEDLY RELEASED BY THE
DEPARTMENT TO THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED
TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AGAIN IN PARLIAMENT, AND ASKED THAT WE
COORDINATE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MATTER.


4. (C) COMMENT : GIOVANARDI AND POL MC AGREED THAT THE TG3
REPORTAGE PRESENTED NO NEW EVIDENCE ON THE USTICA CRASH
ITSELF, AND INCLUDES NOTHING THAT WOULD DISPROVE WHAT
GIOVANARDI BRIEFED TO THE PARLIAMENT OR WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS
SAID: THAT THERE WAS NO USG INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRASH. THE
PROGRAM DID RAISE NEW ALLEGATIONS OF "ESPIONAGE" BY THE USG,
HOWEVER, AND IMPLIED THAT THE USG MUST HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN
THE USTICA CRASH AND "COVER-UP" OR IT WOULD NOT HAVE "SPIED"
ON SENIOR GOI CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE CASE. POST NEEDS
TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THE PARLIAMENTARY
INQUIRY AND THE TV PROGRAM IN ORDER TO BE FULLY INFORMED (OR
AT LEAST AS INFORMED AS THOSE MAKING THE ACCUSATIONS).
EMBASSY DOES NOT INTEND TO COMMENT PUBLICLY ON THE NEW
ALLEGATION, BUT IF THE ALLEGATION IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE
DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP
GIOVANARDI FEND OFF THE OPPOSITION'S MOTION. GIVEN THE
VOLATILE CONSPIRACY THEORY TENDANCIES THAT STUBBORNLY
SURROUND THE USTICA INCIDENT, WE WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE TO
ASK THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES FOR COPIES OF INTERNAL STATE
DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTS.


5. (C) ACTION REQUEST: WE REALIZE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE TASK
OF LOCATING PARTICULAR DOCUMENTS FROM THOUSANDS RELEASED
UNDER FOIA, AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT A/RPS/IPS
HAS ALREADY PUT IN TO REFTEL REQUEST. THE ONLY ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION WE CAN PROVIDE, HAVING NOW VIEWED THE VIDEOTAPE,
IS THAT THE DOCUMENT CITED HAS THE APPEARANCE OF A STATE
CABLE (POSSIBLY EXDIS OR NODIS),RATHER THAN AN INTELLIGENCE
PRODUCT. THE ONLY IDENTIFYING DATA WE COULD SEE ON THE ONE
PAGE SHOWN WAS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A CABLE NUMBER "0467" AND
A DTG "161624Z" (MONTH INDISTINCT). WE AGAIN REQUEST THE
DEPARTMENT'S MOST RAPID ASSISTANCE WITH IDENTIFYING THE
DOCUMENTS RELEASED PURSUANT TO THE FOIA REQUEST. END COMMENT
AND ACTION REQUEST.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME03199 - Classification: SECRET