TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME - FINAL REPORT

UNCLAS ROME 000657 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL IT IZ IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME - FINAL REPORT REF: A. MILAN 105 ¶B. ROME 619 ¶C. ROME 559 ¶D. MILAN 89 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00657 181609Z ¶E. SECSTATE 36445 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME DID LITTLE TO CHANGE THE GOI'S FIRM STAND ON IRAQ. AS REQUESTED IN REF E, PM BERLUSCONI DID NOT MEET AZIZ. FM FRATTINI SENT A TOUGH MESSAGE TO AZIZ IN PERSON AND IN PUBLIC ON IRAQ'S NEED TO COOPERATE IMMEDIATELY, FULLY, AND ACTIVELY WITH THE UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS AND TO SHOW "DEFINITIVE PROOF OF THE DISARMAMENT REQUESTED BY THE UN." END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) FM FRATTINI MET IRAQ'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TAREQ AZIZ IN ROME FEB. 14. THE MFA, WHICH UNDERSCORED THE FACT THAT AZIZ WAS NOT INVITED TO ROME BY THE GOI BUT BY THE BEATO ANGELICO FOUNDATION (A FRANCISCAN ORDER),ISSUED THE FOLLOWING TOUGH-WORDED STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE MEETING. BEGIN TEXT: "DEPUTY PM AZIZ, WHO REQUESTED THE MEETING, WAS REMINDED BY FM FRATTINI THAT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ARE A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE PEACE AND SECURITY OF THE WORLD. ITALY SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO MAINTAIN PEACE AND SECURITY. FM FRATTINI UNDERLINED THE FACT THAT THE TOTAL AND EFFECTIVE DISARMAMENT OF THE IRAQI ARSENAL OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN ITALY'S STANCE WITH REGARD TO IRAQ, WHICH FOR MANY YEARS HAS DEFAULTED ON THE OBLIGATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED NATIONS FOLLOWING THE INVASION OF KUWAIT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH UN RESOLUTION 1441 AND IN HARMONY WITH THE OTHER MEMBER STATES OF THE EU, ITALY URGES THE IRAQI AUTHORITIES TO ACTIVELY PROVIDE THE UN INSPECTORS WITH THE DEFINITIVE PROOF OF THE DISARMAMENT REQUESTED BY THE UN. TIME IS RUNNING OUT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00657 181609Z FOR IRAQ TO MAKE UP FOR ITS SHORTCOMINGS AND FAILURE TO PURSUE THE PEACEFUL SOLUTION WHICH ITALY DESIRES. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT NOW HAS THE CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY OF OFFERING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ALL DUE COOPERATION." END TEXT. ¶3. (SBU) NOT ONLY BERLUSCONI'S COALITION GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO ROME'S MAYOR VELTRONI, A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITION, HAD TOUGH WORDS FOR AZIZ. VELTRONI CANCELED HIS FEB. 16 MEETING WITH AZIZ AFTER AZIZ REFUSED TO ANSWER A QUESTION BY AN ISRAELI CORRESPONDENT IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FEB. 14. VELTRONI SAID THAT ROME IS A CITY WHERE THERE IS "ABSOLUTE RESPECT FOR DIALOGUE AND CIVIL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS." HE ADDED: "YOUR COUNTRY, MR. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, MUST COMPLY WITH ALL THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND MUST COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE INSPECTORS. IN ADDITION, IT MUST FIND THE PATH OF RESPECT OF THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE AND OF DEMOCRACY." INFORMAL READ-OUTS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER OPPOSITION MEETINGS WITH AZIZ SUGGESTED THAT OTHERS OF HIS CENTER-LEFT INTERLOCUTORS ALSO UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR IRAQ TO COMPLY FULLY WITH UNSCR 1441. ¶4. (SBU) EMBASSY PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO CHARLES FORREST IN ARRANGING FOR MEETINGS WITH ITALIAN JOURNALISTS AND POLITICIANS DURING AZIZ'S TRIP TO ROME. (NOTE: FORREST, AN AMCIT AND A FORMER FSO, IS THE CEO OF INDICT, A LONDON-BASED NGO THAT WORKS ON BRINGING SADDAM HUSSEIN AND TOP REGIME OFFICIALS TO JUSTICE. END NOTE.) FORREST MET WITH SENATE PRESIDENT PERA FEB. 14 AND PROVIDED EVIDENCE TO HIM SHOWING THAT HUSSEIN AND HIS REGIME, INCLUDING AZIZ, HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH FORREST, PERA TOLD JOURNALISTS: "FORREST GAVE ME UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 00657 181609Z DOCUMENTS CONTAINING SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE IRAQI REGIME: CRIMES COMMITTED WITH CHEMICAL WEAPONS, HOMICIDES, AND TORTURE. AND IN ALL OF THIS DEPUTY PM TAREQ AZIZ SEEMS TO BE INVOLVED AS WELL." ON FEB. 14, FORREST AND HIS ITALIAN ATTORNEY, FABIO GALIANI, FILED A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST AZIZ FOR GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, BASED ON ARTICLE 10 OF THE ITALIAN PENAL CODE, TO THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR OF ROME, AND ASKED FOR AZIZ TO BE ARRESTED WHILE IN ROME. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. AZIZ LEFT ROME FEB. 17 TO RETURN TO BAGHDAD. SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME00657 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED