Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ROME3792
2004-09-30 15:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

GDPR/ITALY: SCENESETTER FOR A/S BLOOMFIELD AND

Tags:  PREL MOPS MARR IT NATO FORCES IN ITALY 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003792 

SIPDIS


DEPT. FOR A/S BLOOMFIELD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/WE;
OSD FOR DASD HOEHN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR IT NATO FORCES IN ITALY
SUBJECT: GDPR/ITALY: SCENESETTER FOR A/S BLOOMFIELD AND
DELEGATION

REF: A. STATE 207467

B. ROME 2631

Classified By: DCM EMIL SKODON, REASONS 1.5 B AND D.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003792

SIPDIS


DEPT. FOR A/S BLOOMFIELD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/WE;
OSD FOR DASD HOEHN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR IT NATO FORCES IN ITALY
SUBJECT: GDPR/ITALY: SCENESETTER FOR A/S BLOOMFIELD AND
DELEGATION

REF: A. STATE 207467

B. ROME 2631

Classified By: DCM EMIL SKODON, REASONS 1.5 B AND D.


1. (C) Summary. Embassy welcomes the visit of A/S Bloomfield
and DASD Hoehn for consultations with Italy on the Global
Defense Posture Review. While the Italians have no major
concerns regarding the changes underway at Naples/Gaeta and
Vicenza, they will be eager to hear the latest U.S. thinking
on placing Special Operations Forces (SOF) at Sigonella.
Freedom of deployment will be the key issue here. The
Italians will listen carefully to any U.S. concerns about
freedom of deployment but we expect they will be firm about
sticking to the legal framework that allows U.S. forces to
operate freely out of Italian bases for NATO purposes but
requires Italian government approval for other missions.
Embassy notes that historically Italy has almost always found
ways to accommodate U.S. needs, and our most productive path
in these talks may be to focus on a political understanding
that allows for streamlined deicsion-making on non-NATO
missions. End summary.


2. (U) Meetings for A/S Bloomfield and delegation have been
scheduled with Defense Minister Martino and MFA DG for
Multilateral and Political Affairs Massolo (a working lunch).
Post is also working on scheduling a meeting with CHOD Di
Paola.

--------------
Favorable climate for Transformation
--------------


3. (C) With the Berlusconi government, the U.S. enjoys the
most favorable political environment possible in terms of
securing a positive reception to our basing needs. Senior
Italian military officials have told us that proposed changes
to the U.S. military footprint in Italy make sense from an
operational point of view and could increase opportunities
for bilateral training. However, they note that some issues,
especially regarding operating conditions, are politically
extremely sensitive

--------------
Naples and Vicenza -- Smooth Sailing Ahead
--------------


4. (C) The U.S. and Italy are in broad agreement on changes

already underway with the U.S. Navy in Naples and with the
U.S Army in Vicenza. In an August 31 meeting with outgoing
NAVEUR Commander Admiral Johnson, CHOD Di Paola said he was
well aware of (and appeared at ease with) the proposed
changes in Naples (moving NAVEUR and Commander Navy Region
Europe (CNRE) from London and consolidating Sixth Fleet
headquarters). Likewise, the relocation of the Sixth Fleet
Command Staff to Naples -- leaving only the flag ship in
Gaeta -- did not appear to be of major concern. Di Paola
noted that there was plenty of tourism and other activities
to support economic growth in Gaeta.


5. (C) Similarly, the Italians are well aware of the proposed
changes to SETAF headquarters in Vicenza, including the
planned increase in the numbers from the current 2,900
ceiling to approximately 4,000 personnel and the related
discussions regarding use of Dal Molin airport space to
accommodate this increase. Di Paola has told us that if the
U.S. Army's intent is merely to increase personnel under
existing operating conditions, this is a simple matter. If,
on the other hand, the U.S. was looking to change the
operating conditions from those in the 1954 Bilateral
Infrastructure Agreement, including the right to deploy, as
A/S Bloomfield had discussed during his June visit (Ref B),
then we needed to reach a "political understanding" before
any such changes take place.

--------------
Sigonella -- Careful Navigation Needed
--------------


6. (C) The Italians will be eager to hear the latest U.S.
thinking regarding the future of Special Operations Forces
(SOF) at Sigonella. Di Paola has told us that consolidating


SOF at Sigonella will certainly require some sort of
political agreement, especially regarding freedom to deploy,
since the existing Base Infrastructure Agreement (BIA)
governing the presence of U.S. forces in Italy foresees their
use only for NATO-related purposes. He repeated the Italian
government's view that trying to renegotiate the BIA would
spark a political controversy. Even under the current
pro-Bush Italian government, a renegotiated BIA would
probably leave the U.S. worse off. Di Paola reiterated his
hope that Italy could find a way under existing agreements to
accommodate U.S. rapid-response type movements when necessary.

--------------
"Flexibility" v.s. Sovereignty
--------------


7. (C) Di Paola's views have been echoed by others. In a
Sept. 28 meeting with DATT and POLMILCOUNS, Italian Defense
General Staff (IDGS) J-3 General Giuseppe Marani underscored
the sovereignty/deployment issue, stating that "no one could
accept agreement in advance for direct intervention without
host government approval." Imagine, he said, trying to manage
the public and press reactions the next day. However, he
confirmed that Italy would support the U.S. if given the
opportunity to do so; if the U.S. were ever to make a request
that was impossible for Italy to agree to, the Italians would
let us know right away and work with us to find another
solution. Marani added that, with understanding derived from
long experience, Italy and the U.S. could accomplish anything
together.


8. (C) Giovanni Brauzzi, Director of NATO Affairs at the MFA,
shares Marani's views. He told us Sept. 27 that Italy will
firmly adhere to the NATO provisions of the BIA and was
willing to explore processes to guarantee rapid
decision-making for non-NATO deployment requests. Rome,
however, would have difficulty with a U.S. request for
unlimited flexibility, which to Italy sounded like a
surrender of sovereignty that would be politically
unacceptable to any government. Brauzzi said Italy is
considering recommending that the question of stationing U.S.
SOF at Sigonella be referred to military-to-military talks as
a next step.


9. (C) A/S Bloomfield and DASD Hoehn also need to be aware
that in recent months the Italians have been pushing the U.S.
to finalize the Sigonella Technical Arrangement (TA),which
is designed to regularize day-to-day modalities but not to
address policy issues. That ball now is in Italy's court.
Italy has not yet responded to written proposals on the TA
that we provided in April 2004. The negotiating teams are
set to meet Oct. 22 in Rome, one week prior to the next Joint
Military Commission meetings.


10. (C) Begin comment. Under the 1954 BIA, Italy permits
U.S. forces to use its installations on Italian soil for NATO
purposes -- and other purposes that the government agrees to.
For non-NATO-related purposes, the Italians will insist on
retaining the right to decide whether U.S. forces may deploy
from sovereign Italian territory. They will not be willing to
grant us carte blanche, but are willing to consider
establishing a process that streamlines decision-making on
non-NATO deployments on a case-by-case basis. In the past,
Italy has almost always found a way to get to "yes"
regardless of the political leanings of the Italian
government of the day, though the process has not always been
easy.


11. (C) This visit is timely and much anticipated by the
Italian side. They are anxious for more clarity about U.S.
plans for Sigonella and see great value in further
consultation on flexibility/usability of force issues. We
recommend, however, that the U.S. delegation avoid using the
term "flexibility," which the Italians may interpret as
seeking to wrest away from Italy the prerogative of approval
for non-NATO missions. A focus on processes for rapid
decision-making and a recognition of General Marani's theme
that Italy will support U.S. requests if given an opportunity
to do so strike us as valuable areas of focus. End comment.


SEMBLER


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2004ROME03792 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL