ITALY: STILL CONSIDERING GHAZNI PRT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005217

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR EU, EUR/WE, SA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2013
TAGS: MOPS MASS PREL AF IT AFGHANISTAN
SUBJECT: ITALY: STILL CONSIDERING GHAZNI PRT

REF: A. ROME 5121

B. ROME 5003

C. ROME 4933

D. STATE 317086

CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINCOUNS JOHN BASS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: DESPITE THE TERRORIST BOMBING OF ITALIAN
CARABINIERI HEADQUARTERS IN IRAQ, WE BELIEVE ITALY CONTINUES
TO GIVE FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION TO PROVIDING A PROVINCIAL
RECONSTRUCTION TEAM (PRT) IN GHAZNI, AFGHANISTAN, ALTHOUGH A
FINAL DECISION HAS NOT BEEN REACHED. AN MOD-LED TEAM IS IN
AFGHANISTAN STUDYING THE POSSIBILITY. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) THE NOVEMBER 12 TERRORIST BOMBING IN NASIRIYA, IRAQ,
WHICH KILLED 19 ITALIANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, WORKING ON
RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION IN THAT AREA (REF A),MAY
HAVE SLOWED, BUT APPEARS NOT TO HAVE STOPPED, ITALIAN
CONSIDERATION OF PROVIDING A PRT IN GHAZNI, AFGHANISTAN. A
UK PRT BRIEFING TEAM FOUND A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE AT ITS
NOVEMBER 7 MEETINGS WITH ITALIAN OFFICIALS, ACCORDING TO OUR
UK EMBASSY COLLEAGUES. AT THAT TIME, PRIOR TO THE NASIRIYA
ATTACK, THE MFA WAS MORE INTRIGUED BY THE SMALLER UK PRT
MODEL, FOR WHICH IT BELIEVED IT COULD MORE EASILY SECURE
PARLIAMENTARY BACKING. THE MOD, HOWEVER, SEEMED EVEN THEN TO
BE LEANING TOWARD THE GERMAN APPROACH. AFTER NASIRIYA, UK
POLOFF TOLD POL MINCOUNS THAT HE SUSPECTED THE ATTACK MIGHT
PUSH THE ITALIANS TOWARD THE MORE ROBUST PRT MODEL. THE
GERMAN POLITICAL COUNSELOR OPINED TO POL MINCOUNS THAT AN
ITALIAN PRT WOULD STILL BE DISPATCHED, BUT WOULD REQUIRE MORE
EXTENSIVE EXPLANATION AND DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT.


3. (C) MFA SPECIAL ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN DE MAIO TOLD
POLOFF NOVEMBER 13 THAT THE ATTACK "COMPLICATED"
CONSIDERATION OF A PRT AND MADE ACCEPTANCE OF GHAZNI AS A
SITE THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. (DE MAIO HAS PREVIOUSLY
EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT INSECURITY IN GHAZNI.) HE
UNDERSCORED THE URGENCY OF CONFIRMING OEF PROTECTION AND
ASSISTANCE IN THE EVENT IT WOULD BE NEEDED BY A PRT, IN THE
WAKE OF ITALY'S TRAGIC LOSSES IN NASIRIYA. WHILE DE MAIO WAS
MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS THAN IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, HE DID NOT
SUGGEST ITALY WOULD NO LONGER STAND UP A PRT, ONLY THAT THE
SCENARIO HAD BEEN COMPLICATED AND THAT GHAZNI AS A SITE WAS
MORE OFF-PUTTING TO THE ITALIANS. HIS OFFICE CONFIRMED ON
NOVEMBER 18 THAT AN EXPECTED MOD-LED RECONNAISSANCE TEAM WAS
ALREADY IN AFGHANISTAN TO STUDY THE IDEA FURTHER. ITALIAN
CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST THAT IT LEAD A PRT WILL PROCEED
WHEN THE TEAM RETURNS. WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE BOMB ATTACK,
DE MAIO ALSO NOTED THAT MONEY TO SUPPORT SENDING A PRT WOULD
BE NEEDED; THE MORE ITALY GAVE IN ONE AREA, SUCH AS FOR
AFGHAN ELECTIONS, THE LESS IT WOULD HAVE IN ANOTHER -- FOR
INSTANCE, TO SUPPORT A PRT.


4. (C) IN THE CONTEXT OF DISCUSSING REF D REQUEST FOR
ADDITIONAL ISAF SUPPORT (FULL REPORT OF OUR CONTACTS ON THAT
DEMARCHE SEPTEL),MFA NATO OFFICE DIRECTOR GIOVANNI BRAUZZI
ASKED POLMILOFF HOW THE NEW REQUEST FOR HELICOPTERS FOR ISAF
FIT INTO THE USG'S OTHER REQUESTS FOR ITALIAN SUPPORT IN
AFGHANISTAN. HE SPECULATED THAT PROVIDING THE HELOS COULD
POSSIBLY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO STAND-UP A PRT, AND ASKED
IF ONE WERE A GREATER PRIORITY THAN THE OTHER.


5. (C) COMMENT: WHILE THE DEATHS FROM THE ATTACK IN
NASIRIYA WERE A BODY BLOW TO ITALY AND CANNOT BUT AFFECT ITS
CONSIDERATION OF FURTHER DANGEROUS MILITARY DEPLOYMENTS, WE
HAVE SO FAR RECEIVED NO INDICATION THAT IT HAS STYMIED
ITALIAN CONSIDERATION TO SUPPORT A PRT IN AFGHANISTAN. THE
PROCESS MAY HAVE BEEN SLOWED, AND THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
MAY BE TOUGH, BUT WE DO NOT THINK IT IS DEAD. WE CONTINUE
OUR EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE A POSITIVE DECISION. END COMMENT.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME05217 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL