SOUTHERN IRAQ: KEEPING ITALY COMMITTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001424 SIPDIS FROM AMBASSADOR SEMBLER FOR NSA RICE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2014 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR OPDC IT IZ IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: SOUTHERN IRAQ: KEEPING ITALY COMMITTED REF: SECSTATE 79427 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR MEL SEMBLER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) BERLUSCONI IS STANDING FIRM ON IRAQ AND THE NEED TO CONFRONT MUQTADA AL-SADR IN SOUTHERN IRAQ WHERE ITALIAN TROOPS ARE OPERATING. THE PRESIDENT'S LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS TO THE PRIME MINISTER, YOUR CONTACT WITH GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA, AND SECRETARY POWELL'S LETTER (REFTEL) TO FOREIGN MINISTER FRATTINI HAVE ALL HELPED STRENGTHEN ITALIAN RESOLVE. THE ONE KEY ACTOR TO WHOM WE HAVE NOT REACHED OUT DURING THE CURRENT PHASE OF HOSTILITIES IS PRESIDENT CIAMPI, AND I RECOMMEND WE DO SO NOW WITH A LETTER TO HIM FROM THE PRESIDENT. ¶2. (C) DESPITE BERSLUCONI'S STEADFASTNESS, WE ARE AWARE OF SOME CONCERN WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT THAT IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO SUSTAIN THE ITALIAN COMMITMENT IF THE PUBLIC COMES TO VIEW THE CURRENT PHASE OF OPERATIONS AS "OFFENSIVE" IN NATURE, SINCE THE PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE FOR ITALY'S IRAQ MISSION JUSTIFIES IT ON "HUMANITARIAN" AND "PEACEKEEPING" GROUNDS. A DISCUSSION OF THIS PERCEIVED DIVISION BETWEEN AN OFFENSIVE AND A HUMANITARIAN OPERATION IS LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN PRESIDENT CIAMPI, AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, CONVENES THE SUPREME DEFENSE COUNCIL ON APRIL 14. (NOTE: THE COUNCIL LAST MET ON MARCH 19, 2003 TO CONSIDER ITALY'S POSITION ON COALITION MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ.) BEFORE THAT MEETING, IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO REASSURE CIAMPI ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO CONFRONTING AL-SADR, THE STRENGTH OF OUR RESOLVE TO STABILIZE IRAQ, AND OUR DETERMINATION TO TRANSFER SOVEREIGNTY TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE ON JUNE 30, AND--MOST IMPORTANTLY, GIVEN HIS CONSISTENT CALLS FOR A UN ROLE--OUR WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER AN ADDITIONAL UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION AT THE PROPER TIME. ¶3. (C) I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT PRESIDENT BUSH SEND PRESIDENT CIAMPI A NOTE FOR DELIVERY NO LATER THAN APRIL 13 ALONG THE LINES OF REFTEL LETTER FROM SECRETARY POWELL TO FOREIGN MINISTER FRATTINI. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01424 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL