TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME - PART I

UNCLAS ROME 000619 SIPDIS SENSITIVE C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL IT IT IZ IZPREL IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME - PART I REF: A. 2/13 A/DCM KILNER - ITALY DESK TEKACH-BALL TELCON ¶B. MILAN 89 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00619 150254Z ¶C. ROME 559 ¶1. (SBU) FM FRATTINI WILL CALL THE SECRETARY EARLY AFTERNOON EDT FEB. 14 TO DEBRIEF THE SECRETARY ON FRATTINI'S MEETING WITH TAREQ AZIZ IN ROME FEB. 14 (REF A). THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF AZIZ'S TRIP/STATEMENTS IN ROME SO FAR. -------------- AZIZ STATEMENTS -------------- ¶2. (U) EMBASSY SEES NOTHING NEW OR INNOVATIVE IN AZIZ'S STATEMENTS SO FAR. HIS RECURRENT THEMES: -- "WE (IRAQIS) ARE COOPERATING WITH THE UNMOVIC AND IAEA INSPECTORS, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST." -- IRAQ'S MISSILES ARE "WITHIN THE RANGE LIMITS THAT WERE DECIDED BY THE UN. OUR (IRAQ'S) MISSILES ARE NOT DANGEROUS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IRAQ'S MISSILES HAVE A VERY SHORT RANGE AND DO NOT HAVE A GUIDING SYSTEM. THIS IS WHY THEY LAND 5 OR 10 KILOMETERS FROM THE TARGET AND THEY ARE THEREFORE NOT VERY DANGEROUS." -- "ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN PEACE AND IN JUSTICE, ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD, CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS, ARE AGAINST THIS AGGRESSION AND CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PREVENT IT." -------------- GOI OFFICIALS -------------- ¶3. (U) PM BERLUSCONI'S COALITION GOVERNMENT HAS GRANTED AZIZ ONLY TWO MEETINGS SO FAR: ONE WITH THE LOMBARDY REGIONAL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00619 150254Z PRESIDENT FORMIGONI (REF B) FEB. 13 AND THE OTHER WITH FM FRATTINI (REFS A AND C) FEB. 14. IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH FORMIGONI, AZIZ SAID:"IF WE GIVE THE INSPECTORS MORE TIME, THE TRUTH WILL BE EVIDENT, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, SINCE THEY DON'T EXIST. THEIR (THE AMERICANS) REAL INTENT HAS A NAME: IT IS OIL AND DOMINATION." IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER HIS MEETING WITH AZIZ, FORMIGONI SAID: -- "THE INSPECTORS MUST BE ASKED TO GIVE CLEAR ANSWERS, BUT THEY MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TIME TO GET CLEAR ANSWERS." -- TAREQ AZIZ "DID NOT COME EMPTY-HANDED. HE CAME WITH PROPOSALS AND HYPOTHESES, WHICH I CANNOT TALK ABOUT, FOR FAIRNESS' SAKE. BUT I GOT THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT THE SITUATION IS IN MOTION." -- FORMIGONI NOTED AN "AVAILABILITY ON THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S PART TO COOPERATE WITH THE UN INSPECTORS. "I THINK GIVING THE INSPECTORS TIME TO WORK IS RIGHT AND PROPER. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S AVAILABILITY IS IMPORTANT, IN ORDER TO GET FROM THE INSPECTORS ALL THE NECESSARY CLARITY THAT WE ASK OF THEM," SAID FORMIGONI. ¶4. (SBU) EMBASSY FINDS IT SIGNIFICANT THAT ROCCO BUTTIGLIONE, MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO FOR EU POLICIES, CONSIDERED VERY CLOSE TO POPE JOHN PAUL II, REFUSED TO MEET WITH TAREQ AZIZ THIS TIME. BUTTIGLIONE HAD MET WITH AZIZ SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. HE WAS INVITED BY AZIZ TO BAGHDAD IN AUGUST, BUT DECLINED THE INVITATION. BUTTIGLIONE SAID HE WANTED THE GOI TO SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE ON IRAQ. -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 00619 150254Z THE OPPOSITION -------------- ¶5. (U) IN PRESS STATEMENTS AFTER HIS MEETING FEB. 13 WITH THE OLIVE TREE (OPPOSITION) LEADERS, AZIZ SAID THAT "THE FACT THAT THE US DOES NOT CONSIDER THE WORK OF THE UN INSPECTORS TO BE IMPORTANT SHOWS THAT IT ONLY WANTS TO DOMINATE THAT AREA OF THE WORLD AND IT WANTS TO CONTROL IRAQ'S OIL." THE FOLLOWING IS AN INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF A STATEMENT BY THE OLIVE TREE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES GROUP LEADERS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR MEETING WITH AZIZ: "DURING THE MEETING, WE REITERATED THE OLIVE TREE'S POSITION AGAINST WAR AND IN FAVOR OF MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS. WE ALSO REITERATED THE NEED THAT HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS BE GUARANTEED IN IRAQ, AS WELL AS THE BASIC RIGHTS FOR A MODERN DEMOCRACY, COMPLIANCE WITH THE UN RESOLUTIONS, AND THE RECOGNITION OF ALL THE NECESSARY WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE UN INSPECTORS. THESE ARE FUNDAMENTAL CONDITIONS TO ALLOW FOR THE IRAQI POLITICAL SYSTEM TO ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY CREDIBILITY AND TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID WAR." SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > @@@OASYS@@@ UNCLASSIFIED PTO0991 PAGE 01 ROME 00619 141622Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 SVC-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DRL-01 G-00 SAS-00 /005W -------------- 3664A2 141622Z /03 O 141422Z FEB 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8272 INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY UNCLAS ROME 000619 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL IT IT IZ IZPREL IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME - PART I REF: A. 2/13 A/DCM KILNER - ITALY DESK TEKACH-BALL TELCON ¶B. MILAN 89 ¶C. ROME 559 ¶1. (SBU) FM FRATTINI WILL CALL THE SECRETARY EARLY AFTERNOON EDT FEB. 14 TO DEBRIEF THE SECRETARY ON FRATTINI'S MEETING UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00619 141622Z WITH TAREQ AZIZ IN ROME FEB. 14 (REF A). THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF AZIZ'S TRIP/STATEMENTS IN ROME SO FAR. -------------- AZIZ STATEMENTS -------------- ¶2. (U) EMBASSY SEES NOTHING NEW OR INNOVATIVE IN AZIZ'S STATEMENTS SO FAR. HIS RECURRENT THEMES: -- "WE (IRAQIS) ARE COOPERATING WITH THE UNMOVIC AND IAEA INSPECTORS, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST." -- IRAQ'S MISSILES ARE "WITHIN THE RANGE LIMITS THAT WERE DECIDED BY THE UN. OUR (IRAQ'S) MISSILES ARE NOT DANGEROUS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IRAQ'S MISSILES HAVE A VERY SHORT RANGE AND DO NOT HAVE A GUIDING SYSTEM. THIS IS WHY THEY LAND 5 OR 10 KILOMETERS FROM THE TARGET AND THEY ARE THEREFORE NOT VERY DANGEROUS." -- "ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN PEACE AND IN JUSTICE, ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD, CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS, ARE AGAINST THIS AGGRESSION AND CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO PREVENT IT." -------------- GOI OFFICIALS -------------- ¶3. (U) PM BERLUSCONI'S COALITION GOVERNMENT HAS GRANTED AZIZ ONLY TWO MEETINGS SO FAR: ONE WITH THE LOMBARDY REGIONAL PRESIDENT FORMIGONI (REF B) FEB. 13 AND THE OTHER WITH FM FRATTINI (REFS A AND C) FEB. 14. IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH FORMIGONI, AZIZ SAID:"IF WE GIVE THE INSPECTORS MORE TIME, THE TRUTH WILL BE EVIDENT, BECAUSE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00619 141622Z THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, SINCE THEY DON'T EXIST. THEIR (THE AMERICANS) REAL INTENT HAS A NAME: IT IS OIL AND DOMINATION." IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER HIS MEETING WITH AZIZ, FORMIGONI SAID: -- "THE INSPECTORS MUST BE ASKED TO GIVE CLEAR ANSWERS, BUT THEY MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TIME TO GET CLEAR ANSWERS." -- TAREQ AZIZ "DID NOT COME EMPTY-HANDED. HE CAME WITH PROPOSALS AND HYPOTHESES, WHICH I CANNOT TALK ABOUT, FOR FAIRNESS' SAKE. BUT I GOT THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT THE SITUATION IS IN MOTION." -- FORMIGONI NOTED AN "AVAILABILITY ON THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S PART TO COOPERATE WITH THE UN INSPECTORS. "I THINK GIVING THE INSPECTORS TIME TO WORK IS RIGHT AND PROPER. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S AVAILABILITY IS IMPORTANT, IN ORDER TO GET FROM THE INSPECTORS ALL THE NECESSARY CLARITY THAT WE ASK OF THEM," SAID FORMIGONI. ¶4. (SBU) EMBASSY FINDS IT SIGNIFICANT THAT ROCCO BUTTIGLIONE, MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO FOR EU POLICIES, CONSIDERED VERY CLOSE TO POPE JOHN PAUL II, REFUSED TO MEET WITH TAREQ AZIZ THIS TIME. BUTTIGLIONE HAD MET WITH AZIZ SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. HE WAS INVITED BY AZIZ TO BAGHDAD IN AUGUST, BUT DECLINED THE INVITATION. BUTTIGLIONE SAID HE WANTED THE GOI TO SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE ON IRAQ. -------------- THE OPPOSITION -------------- ¶5. (U) IN PRESS STATEMENTS AFTER HIS MEETING FEB. 13 WITH THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 00619 141622Z OLIVE TREE (OPPOSITION) LEADERS, AZIZ SAID THAT "THE FACT THAT THE US DOES NOT CONSIDER THE WORK OF THE UN INSPECTORS TO BE IMPORTANT SHOWS THAT IT ONLY WANTS TO DOMINATE THAT AREA OF THE WORLD AND IT WANTS TO CONTROL IRAQ'S OIL." THE FOLLOWING IS AN INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF A STATEMENT BY THE OLIVE TREE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES GROUP LEADERS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR MEETING WITH AZIZ: "DURING THE MEETING, WE REITERATED THE OLIVE TREE'S POSITION AGAINST WAR AND IN FAVOR OF MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS. WE ALSO REITERATED THE NEED THAT HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS BE GUARANTEED IN IRAQ, AS WELL AS THE BASIC RIGHTS FOR A MODERN DEMOCRACY, COMPLIANCE WITH THE UN RESOLUTIONS, AND THE RECOGNITION OF ALL THE NECESSARY WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE UN INSPECTORS. THESE ARE FUNDAMENTAL CONDITIONS TO ALLOW FOR THE IRAQI POLITICAL SYSTEM TO ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY CREDIBILITY AND TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID WAR." SEMBLER SVC FOR SENSITIVE CAPTION UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME00619 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED