ITALY: LIBYAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A MORE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004580

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR NEA AND NP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2013
TAGS: PARM MNUC KNNP LY IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: LIBYAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A MORE
IMMEDIATE CONCERN THAN WMD

REF: A. SECSTATE 282619


B. ROME 3207

C. ROME 2917

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. THE MFA'S MIDDLE EAST OFFICE APPEARS MORE
CONCERNED WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION STEMMING FROM LIBYA THAN
WMD. POST ALSO PLANS TO RAISE OUR CONCERNS WITH MFA DIRECTOR
GENERAL FOR ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION GIANDOMENICO
MAGLIANO, WHO OVERSEAS THE OFFICE DEALING WITH EXPORT
CONTROLS, WHICH HAS NORMALLY BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO WMD
ISSUES. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL TO ANTONIO BELLAVIA, HEAD OF
THE MFA'S OFFICE FOR NORTHERN AFRICA. ACCORDING TO BELLAVIA,
ITALY SHARES U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE LIBYAN TERRORISM
AND WMD, BUT HAS NOT SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF PRODUCTION OF
BIOLOGICAL OR CHEMICAL WMD. ON THE OTHER HAND, ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION POSES A REAL AND IMMEDIATE THREAT TO ITALIAN
SECURITY. FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF THIS PAST SUMMER,
WHEN SCORES OF WOULD-BE IMMIGRANTS DROWNED WHILE TRYING TO
REACH THE ITALIAN COAST ILLEGALLY FROM LIBYA, ITALY IS INTENT
ON INCREASING ITS COLLABORATION WITH LIBYA IN COMBATING
CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION.


3. (C) BELLAVIA SAID ONE EU TECHNICAL TEAM HAS ALREADY
TRAVELED TO LIBYA TO DISCUSS LIBYA'S MATERIAL REQUESTS TO
HELP COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, AND A SECOND ONE IS
SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE SOON. AS OF YET THE LIBYANS HAVE NOT
PROVIDED A LIST OF MATERIALS. ONCE IT DOES, THAT LIST WILL
BE NEGOTIATED DEPENDING ON WHAT THE EU CAN OFFER AND WHETHER
THE EU DEEMS THE REQUESTS TO BE VALID IN TERMS OF FIGHTING
CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION. IN RESPONSE TO POLOFF'S CONCERN
THAT SOME ITEMS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE REQUESTED, SUCH AS
NIGHT GOGGLES, COULD SERVE OTHER PURPOSES, BELLAVIA
ACKNOWLEDGED THE POINT. HOWEVER, HE ARGUED THAT THIS WOULD
BE TRUE FOR MANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE LIST, SUCH AS
ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES, BUT THAT WITHOUT THESE ITEMS LIBYA DOES
NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SECURE ITS BORDERS.


4. (C) BELLAVIA DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE LIFTING OF UN
SANCTIONS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN EXPORTS TO LIBYA OF
ITEMS THAT COULD BE USED TO CONDUCT TERRORISM, SINCE SUCH
ITEMS WOULD STILL BE COVERED UNDER CURRENT EXPORT
REGULATIONS. LIKEWISE, AN END TO THE EU EMBARGO AGAINST
LIBYA WOULD RESULT IN A RETURN TO OPERATIONAL NORMALITY. THE
POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SUCH A POLICY, ON THE OTHER HAND,
COULD HAVE VERY BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN TERMS OF EASING
TENSIONS BETWEEN LIBYA AND THE EU. IF THE EU DOES NOT LIFT
THE EMBARGO, ITALY WILL PRESS FOR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE EU
WEAPONS BAN FOR THE MATERIALS LIBYA IS SEEKING TO FIGHT
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.


5. (SBU) COMMENT. THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND
TRAFFICKING IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE ITALIAN EU
PRESIDENCY. THE FLOOD OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THIS SUMMER
CAUSED BITTER STRIFE WITHIN PM BERLUSCONI'S GOVERNING
COALITION WHEN RIGHT-WING ELEMENTS CRITICIZED THE INTERIOR
MINISTER'S INADEQUATE ACTIONS. IN RESPONSE, ITALY SIGNED AN
AGREEMENT WITH LIBYA ON 3 JULY INVOLVING INFORMATION EXCHANGE
AND INCREASED ASSISTANCE FROM ITALIAN NAVAL VESSELS AND
POLICE UNITS, TO COOPERATE IN THESE EFFORTS (REF B). ITALY
ALSO IS PRESSING LIBYA TO JOIN NATO'S MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUE.
FURTHERMORE, ITALY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIFTING OF THE EU
EMBARGO AGAINST LIBYA, THOUGH BELLAVIA'S SUPERIOR, VICE
DIRECTOR GENERAL CERULLI, SEPARATELY TOLD POL MC THAT HE DOES
NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN SOON. IMMEDIATE CONCERNS ABOUT
BORDER PROTECTION ARE LIKELY TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER LESS
EVIDENT THREATS OF LIBYA WMD. END COMMENT.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME04580 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL