ITALY WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO HAITI PKO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001833 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR PM/PMAT, PM/RSAT AND WHA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2014 TAGS: KPKO MARR MOPS PREL HA IT UN SUBJECT: ITALY WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO HAITI PKO REF: A. STATE 103164 ¶B. STATE 88207 ¶C. USUN NEW YORK 983 CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) MARIO BALDI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE MFA UN OFFICE, STATED THAT THE DPKO FOR HAITI REQUEST WAS REVIEWED BY GIAMPIERO MASSOLO, MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS AND GIAMPAOLO DIPAOLA, MOD CHIEF OF DEFENSE. BALDI SAID THAT ITALY WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PKO IN HAITI. HE EXPLAINED THAT ITALIAN FORCES ARE OVER-EXTENDED AND THAT ITALY IS NEITHER TECHNICALLY NOR FINANCIALLY PREPARED TO TAKE ON A NEW MILITARY COMMITMENT IN A LOW PRIORITY AREA. (NOTE: THIS TRACKS WITH WHAT THE DEFENSE MINISTER'S DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR TOLD US ON MAY 4.) REGARDING THE MESSAGES CONVEYED BY ITALIAN DELEGATES IN NEW YORK (REF A),BALDI STATED THAT THEIR REMARKS MAY HAVE BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD. ¶2. (U) PORT AU PRINCE MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME01833 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL