ITALY NOT PRESSING FOR ALBANIAN TROOPS TO JOIN

S E C R E T ROME 001636 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2014 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL AL IT IRAQI FREEDOM SUBJECT: ITALY NOT PRESSING FOR ALBANIAN TROOPS TO JOIN ITALIAN IRAQ CONTINGENT REF: A) TIRANA 532 (NOTAL) B) STATE 51767 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) ¶1. (C) CONTACTS AT THE MFA, MOD AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE CONFIRMED THAT PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI AND PRIME MINISTER NANO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF ALBANIAN TROOPS JOINING WITH ITALIAN FORCES IN SOME THEATRE TO GIVE THE ALBANIANS MORE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. NONE OF OUR CONTACTS REFERRED TO THIS AS A "REQUEST" MADE BY BERLUSCONI. THE CONCEPT EVOLVED FROM GENERAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW TO BOLSTER ALBANIA'S CANDIDACY FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP. IN MEETINGS WITH CONTACTS, INCLUDING THE ALBANIAN EMBASSY DCM, FOR A READ-OUT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PM NANO'S VISIT, NO ONE EVEN MENTIONED THAT THIS HAD BEEN RAISED. WHEN BROACHED IN RESPONSE TO REFTEL A, NONE OF OUR CONTACTS REQUESTED USG SUPPORT FOR SUCH A PROPOSAL. ¶2. (C) COMMENT. THERE IS NO INDICATION FROM OUR MEETINGS WITH ITALIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OR FROM PRESS REPORTING THAT BERLUSCONI IS LOOKING TO THE ALBANIANS FOR POLITICAL COVER FOR ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ. WE SUSPECT THIS IS THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR IN TIRANA'S SPIN. THE ITALIANS HAVE TRADITIONALLY PLAYED A "BIG BROTHER" ROLE TO ALBANIA AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ALBANIANS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR NATO CANDIDACY. THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE A MORE LIKELY EXPLANATION FOR ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR A JOINT CONTINGENT. SINCE INTEGRATING ALBANIANS INTO AN ITALIAN FORCE IN THE BALKANS IS NOT ADVISABLE, IRAQ WOULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE OPTION. WE LEAVE TO OTHERS TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO ASSOCIATE AN ALBANIAN CONTINGENT WITH THE ITALIANS IN THE BRITISH SECTOR IN IRAQ. END COMMENT. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01636 - Classification: SECRET