ITALY READY TO SEND LNO AS COORDINATOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000572

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2013
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL IT IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: ITALY READY TO SEND LNO AS COORDINATOR

REF: SECDEF MSG 100823Z FEB 03

CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D)


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE PARAGRAPH 4.


2. (C) IN A FEBRUARY 12 MEETING, THE AMBASSADOR URGED
ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER MARTINO TO SEND A LIAISON OFFICER
FOR IRAQ TO TAMPA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PER OUR REPEATED
REQUESTS. MARTINO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE IS EAGER TO
SEND AN OFFICER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CENTCOM PLANNING
ACTIVITIES BUT SAID HE NEEDS AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION HE
RAISED WITH SECRETARY RUMSFELD ON FEBRUARY 7 (REFTEL). SINCE
HE WILL HAVE TO INFORM PARLIAMENT THAT AN LNO FOR IRAQ HAS
BEEN DISPATCHED, HE NEEDS TO KNOW IF HE CAN DESCRIBE THE
LNO'S FUNCTION AS THAT OF COORDINATING DECISIONS ALREADY
APPROVED BY THE GOI, MARTINO EXPLAINED.


3. (C) THE AMBASSADOR AND POL MINISTER COUNSELOR AGREED THAT
THIS SEEMED A GOOD APPROACH, ALTHOUGH IT LEFT OPEN THE
POSSIBILITY THAT GERMANY, WHICH IS ALSO FACILITATING
OVERFLIGHT AND TRANSIT REQUESTS, WOULD ASK FOR A SIMILAR
ARRANGEMENT AT CENTCOM. MARTINO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT IF
THE USG ACCEPTED THIS APPROACH, THE ITALIAN LNO COULD BE ON
HIS WAY TO TAMPA BY FRIDAY.


4. (C) ACTION REQUEST. THE AMBASSADOR TOLD MARTINO HE WOULD
HAVE A RESPONSE BY THE NEXT MORNING. EMBASSY REQUESTS
WASHINGTON CONFIRMATION THAT WE CAN NOTIFY MARTINO AT OOB
(ROME TIME) ON FEBRUARY 13 THAT THE USG HAS NO OBJECTION IF
MARTINO INFORMS PARLIAMENT THAT AN LNO HAS BEEN DISPATCHED TO
CENTCOM TO COORDINATE DECISIONS THE GOI HAS ALREADY APPROVED
RELATING TO IRAQ CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS. END ACTION REQUEST.
SEMBLER

2003ROME00572 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL