C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 002631

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2014
TAGS: MARR PREL IT GLOBAL DEFENSE FORCES IN ITALY
SUBJECT: ITALIAN OFFICIALS DISCUSS GLOBAL POSTURE REVIEW
WITH US DELEGATION

CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR
REASONS 1.5(B)(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. A DELEGATION LED BY LINCOLN BLOOMFIELD JR.,
A/S FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS, DISCUSSED ITALY-SPECIFIC
GLOBAL POSTURE REVIEW (GPR) PROPOSALS WITH ITALIAN OFFICIALS
FROM THE DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF AND THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS ON JUNE 16. CHIEF OF DEFENSE (CHOD) ADMIRAL
GIAMPAOLO DIPAOLA WAS POSITIVE ABOUT THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF
THE CHANGES PROPOSED FOR SETAF (VICENZA), NAVEUR (NAPLES),
6TH FLEET (GAETA) AND SIGONELLA NAVAL AIR STATION
(SIGONELLA/AGUSTA BAY) BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT POLITICAL
CONSIDERATIONS WILL NEED TO BE WORKED. (NOTE: THE DEFENSE
MINISTER AND HIS DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR WERE IN LONDON AND HENCE
UNAVAILABLE TO MEET WITH THE DELEGATION. END NOTE.)
CONSOLIDATION OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (SOF) IN EUROPE AT
SIGONELLA/AGUSTA BAY WILL LIKELY INVOLVE AN INCREASED US
FOOTPRINT AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL NEED TO BE
CAREFULLY EVALUATED, HE SAID. FREEDOM TO DEPLOY QUICKLY FROM
SIGONELLA AND VICENZA ALSO WILL BE POLITICALLY SENSITIVE, BUT
HE NOTED THAT A PARTICULARLY FAVORABLE POLITICAL CLIMATE
EXISTS NOW FOR FINDING A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENT FOR
RAPID RESPONSE-TYPE DEPLOYMENTS.


2. (C) IN A SEPARATE MEETING, MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR
GIAMPIERO MASSOLO ASSURED THE DELEGATION THAT THE MFA, IN
COORDINATION WITH THE MOD, WILL CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE US GPR
PROPOSALS AND WILL THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT WAYS TO ACCOMMODATE
THE US'S NEED TO BE ABLE TO RAPIDLY DEPLOY FROM ITALIAN
INSTALLATIONS. END SUMMARY.

POSITIVE MILITARY RESPONSE
--------------

3. (C) A/S BLOOMFIELD AND DEFENSE DASD ANDY HOEHN REVIEWED
THE PROPOSALS BEING CONSIDERED FOR CHANGES TO US FORCE
POSTURE IN ITALY DURING A JUNE 16 MEETING WITH THE CHOD, HIS
CHIEF OF STAFF ADMIRAL BENELLI MANTELLI AND THE HEAD OF
DEFENSE POLICY AND PLANNING GENERAL MARANI. BLOOMFIELD
EXPLAINED THAT IN EUROPE THE GPR IS INTENDED TO POSITION US
FORCES TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO TODAY'S THREATS, AND TO
SUPPORT NATO TRANSFORMATION EFFORTS. WHILE TERRORISM, THE
GREATER MIDDLE EAST AND PARTS OF ASIA POSE NEW CHALLENGES,

BLOOMFIELD STRESSED THAT THE US REMAINS COMMITTED TO ITS
TREATY OBLIGATIONS WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING IN EUROPE. HOEHN
NOTED THE NEED FOR US FORCES TO CHANGE IN COORDINATION WITH
NATO EFFORTS TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE, MOBILE AND RESPONSIVE,
INCLUDING TO OUT OF AREA THREATS. HE STRESSED THAT TODAY'S
THREATS MEAN THAT US AND NATO FORCES MUST BE ABLE TO DEPLOY
QUICKLY, WHEN AND WHERE NEEDED. THIS MAKES IT IMPERATIVE
THAT APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS BE IN PLACE IN ADVANCE TO ALLOW
QUICK RESPONSE FORCES SUCH AS SOF OR THE 173RD BRIGADE TO
SURGE WITHOUT DELAY, HE SAID.


4. (C) DIPAOLA SAID THE PROPOSALS TO ADD A THIRD BATTALION TO
SETAF AT VICENZA, CONSOLIDATE NAVEUR/6TH FLEET HEADQUARTERS
AT NAPLES, LEAVE THE 6TH FLEET FLAGSHIP AT GAETA AND
CONSOLIDATE SOF AT SIGONELLA MAKE OPERATIONAL SENSE, FROM A
MILITARY PERSPECTIVE. HE NOTED THAT THE CHANGES MAY PROVIDE
USEFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE BILATERAL TRAINING AND
COORDINATION, WHICH ITALY WOULD WELCOME. HOEHN AGREED THAT
THE PROPOSALS OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOINTNESS, BETTER
BILATERAL COORDINATION AND CLOSER MIL RELATIONS FROM THE TOP
ON DOWN. HOEHN, ALONG WITH EUCOM REAR ADMIRAL GOODWIN,
CLARIFIED THAT THE CURRENT SOF PROPOSAL ENVISIONS EXPANDED
OPERATIONS AT NAS SIGONELLA AND NEIGHBORING AGUSTA BAY;
COMISO IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED FOR USE. DIPAOLA ADVISED THAT
INCREASING THE US FOOTPRINT AT SIGONELLA AND FINDING
ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RAPID, FLEXIBLE DEPLOYMENTS OF
SOF AND SETAF FORCES WILL BE SENSITIVE POLITICAL ISSUES. ANY
ADDITIONAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AT SIGONELLA WOULD ALSO NEED
TO BE EVALUATED. IT WOULD BE IN THE US'S INTEREST TO WORK
OUT THESE ISSUES NOW, UNDER THE PRO-AMERICAN BERLUSCONI
GOVERNMENT, DIPAOLA STRESSED.


5. (C) DIPAOLA FLAGGED THE SLOW PROGRESS ON COMPLETING THE
TECHNICAL ARRANGEMENTS (TAS) CALLED FOR UNDER THE 1995 MOU
BETWEEN DOD AND THE MOD (THE "SHELL AGREEMENT") AS ANOTHER
BILATERAL POLITICAL ISSUE THAT MUST BE SOLVED SOON. HE
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT RECENT NEGOTIATING DELAYS AND
STRESSED THAT, AFTER NEARLY TEN YEARS, THE TAS NOW NEED TO BE
CONCLUDED. BLOOMFIELD RESPONDED THAT A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE ITALIAN MILITARY AND A SHARED PERCEPTION OF NEW

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REQUIRE A NEW SECURITY
STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES BEING ABLE TO QUICKLY DEPLOY MOBILE
FORCES LIKE SOF AND SETAF. DIPAOLA ASSURED THE DELEGATION
THAT HE AND OTHER SENIOR ITALIAN OFFICIALS FULLY UNDERSTAND
THE TERMS UNDER WHICH THE US NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO USE SOF AND
UNITS OF THE 173RD, INCLUDING FOR US PURPOSES THAT MAY NOT
ALWAYS BE CONSISTENT WITH ITALIAN POLICIES. HE NOTED ITALY'S
LONG HISTORY OF PERMISSIVE MILITARY COOPERATION WITH US
FORCES AT ITALIAN INSTALLATIONS, WHICH TIGHTENED UP SOMEWHAT
AFTER THE 1998 CAVALESE CABLE CAR ACCIDENT. ITALY WILL ALWAYS
TAKE A REALISTIC APPROACH WITH THE US, DIPAOLA SAID, BUT THAT
DOES NOT MEAN ITALY CAN OR WILL TURN A BLIND EYE.


6. (C) THE FIRST STEP IN FINDING AN ACCEPTABLE ARRANGEMENT TO
ACCOMMODATE US REQUIREMENTS IS FOR THE US TO CLARIFY HOW MUCH
FREEDOM OF ACTION IT NEEDS, HE SAID. IF THE US DEFENSE AND
STATE DEPARTMENTS PRESENT A STATEMENT OF INTENT, DIPAOLA
SAID, THE ITALIAN MILITARY WILL REVIEW IT AND MAKE A
RECOMMENDATION TO ITALIAN POLITICAL LEADERS. HE DISCOURAGED
PURSUING AN APPROACH THAT INVOLVES PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW OR
APPROVAL, WHICH HE SAID WOULD BE VERY SENSITIVE. HE
SUGGESTED THE US MAY WANT TO CONSIDER LINKING US MILITARY
ACTIVITIES TO COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS, WHICH MIGHT PROVIDE
A POLITICALLY ACCEPTABLE UMBRELLA TO COVER A WIDE RANGE OF
OPERATIONS. HOEHN AGREED THAT A POLITICAL DIALOGUE WOULD BE
NEEDED TO AUGMENT EXISTING BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN WAYS
THAT WOULD, IDEALLY, WORK AS WELL AS CURRENT ONES HAVE OVER
THE YEARS.

MFA OFFICIALS ALSO RECEPTIVE
--------------

7. (C) THE DELEGATION ALSO MET WITH THE MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL
GIAMPIERO MASSOLO AND OTHER MFA REPRESENTATIVES ON JUNE 16.
MASSOLO SAID US EFFORTS TO RATIONALIZE ITS MILITARY PRESENCE
IN A STRATEGIC LOCATION SUCH AS ITALY WERE SENSIBLE. MFA
NATO AFFAIRS OFFICE DIRECTOR GIOVANNI BRAUZZI EXPRESSED GREAT
SATISFACTION THAT US TRANSFORMATION IS OCCURING IN THE
CONTEXT OF NATO TRANSFORMATION SINCE NATO CONTINUES TO BE THE
PRIMARY BASIS FOR THE US MILITARY PRESENCE IN ITALY. WHILE
EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BUILT-IN FLEXIBILITY THAT ALLOW
ITALY TO EXTEND ACCESS FOR BILATERALLY AGREED PURPOSES,
INITIATIVES OUTSIDE THE NATO CONTEXT OFTEN REQUIRE
PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT AND MORE POLITICAL DISCUSSION THAN
THOSE UNDER A NATO UMBRELLA, HE EXPLAINED. NOT ALL
OPERATIONS WILL BE NATO MISSIONS, BLOOMFIELD RESPONDED, AND
THE US WILL NEED AN AGILITY TO USE RAPID RESPONSE FORCES LIKE
SOF AND THE 173RD. THE US WOULD LIKE TO ESTABLISH A
HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL UNDERSTANDING THAT REFLECTS A SHARED
PERCEPTION OF NEW THREATS AND THE NEED TO POSITION MILITARIES
TO RESPOND QUICKLY, HE SAID. IT WILL BE USEFUL TO CLARIFY
WHAT INFORMATION ITALIAN LEADERS WOULD NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER
FOR US FORCES TO DEPLOY FROM ITALIAN INSTALLATIONS WITHOUT
PROTRACTED PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION, HE ADDED. MASSOLO NOTED
THAT US-ITALIAN MILITARY RELATIONS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY
FLEXIBLE AND SAID ITALIAN OFFICIALS WILL CAREFULLY CONSIDER
THE US PROPOSALS AND LOOK FOR CREATIVE APPROACHES.


8. (C) IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION, HOEHN CLARIFIED THAT INPUT
FROM ALLIES WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO A REPORT FOR PRESIDENT
BUSH THIS SUMMER THAT WILL INDICATE REMAINING ISSUES TO BE
RESOLVED AND UPDATE CURRENT GPR PROPOSALS. DETAILS OF THE
PROPOSALS WILL THEN BE NEGOTIATED WITH HOST NATIONS.
IMPLEMENTATION WILL TAKE SEVERAL YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE
NATURE OF THE CHANGES INVOLVED FOR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. THE
US WILL WORK WITH ITALY ON THE TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTING
PROPOSED CHANGES ONCE THE DETAILS HAVE BEEN AGREED, HE SAID.



9. (C) COMMENT. THE DELEGATION'S DISCUSSIONS WERE PRODUCTIVE
AND CLARIFIED THAT THE ITALIAN MILITARY SEES NO SIGNIFICANT
MILITARY OR TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO THE ITALY-SPECIFIC GPR
PROPOSALS. A POTENTIAL POLITICAL HURDLE MAY BE THE US NEED
FOR ASSURANCES THAT SOF AND THE 173RD FORCES CAN BE DEPLOYED
RAPIDLY AND UNILATERALLY FROM ITALIAN INSTALLATIONS BASED ON
OPERATIONAL NEED. THE CONSQ