Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ROME668
2004-02-24 05:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

MFA U/S BONIVER ON AFGHANISTAN: PRT, RESPONSE TO

Tags:  PREL EAID MOPS AF IT EUN AFGHANISTAN 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000668 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2014
TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS AF IT EUN AFGHANISTAN
SUBJECT: MFA U/S BONIVER ON AFGHANISTAN: PRT, RESPONSE TO
GAERC, BERLIN CONFERENCE, ELECTIONS

REF: A. STATE 34712

B. USNATO 144

C. ROME 640

D. 03 ROME 4155

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000668

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2014
TAGS: PREL EAID MOPS AF IT EUN AFGHANISTAN
SUBJECT: MFA U/S BONIVER ON AFGHANISTAN: PRT, RESPONSE TO
GAERC, BERLIN CONFERENCE, ELECTIONS

REF: A. STATE 34712

B. USNATO 144

C. ROME 640

D. 03 ROME 4155

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a February 20 meeting with Charge, MFA
U/S Boniver conveyed the GOI's irritation at the USG's
last-minute request that Italy lead a PRT in Afghanistan
somewhere other than Ghazni, despite months of planning
prompted by a specific U.S. request. She said Italy hoped to
maintain economic contributions to Afghanistan at the same
level -- around 45-50 million Euro -- annually for the next
three years. She expressed "theoretical" satisfaction with
progress on judicial reform in Afghanistan, given the fact
that no semblance of a judicial system exists in Afghanistan
as a base. Finally, she suggested that parliamentary
elections might need to be postponed, but the international
community must strengthen and support the Karzai
administration. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Charge, accompanied by Poloffs, called on MFA U/S
for Asia and Human Rights Margherita Boniver February 20 to
deliver Ref A GAERC demarche and discuss Afghanistan prior to
the spring Berlin conference. Somewhat more mildly than we
had expected, Boniver conveyed the GOI's "embarrassment" and
irritation at the last-minute request by the USG that Italy
switch gears to lead a PRT in Afghanistan in a place other
than Ghazni. Months of careful planning had gone into making
the Ghazni PRT possible, she pointed out, at the USG's
specific request. Charge explained the new security analysis
that made the change advisable, assured Boniver that the
change had nothing to do with Italy or our confidence in
Italy's capabilities, and acknowledged the inconvenience the
abrupt change had caused GOI officials. Boniver let the
matter drop, saying Italy was now beginning to consider which
new location it would assume, and by March 31 in Berlin, she
hoped to be able to announce where.


3. (C) Charge shared points in Ref A GAERC demarche
(previously shared with the MFA, Ref C),expressed
appreciation for Italy's contributions to Afghanistan, and
asked for GOI assistance in doing not only what it could, but
also in urging other nations to do as much as possible to
help the Afghans meet budgetary needs. He noted the expected
U.S. one billion dollar pledge. Boniver said Italy hoped to
be able to make its own three-year pledge, with contributions
remaining on the current scale of 45-50 million Euro/year.
(Her Chief of Staff emphasized that Italy's annual
contributions were closer to 45-47 million Euro/year than to

50. Italy pledged 47.3 million Euro at Tokyo, and has
exceeded that pledge in recent disbursements (see Ref D).)
Boniver stated this was in addition to expenses associated
with Italy's role as lead nation for Afghan judicial reform.
(NOTE: According to figures from the MFA's Development
Directorate General, Italy's pledges include money toward
judicial reform efforts.) Boniver will lead the Italian
delegation to the Berlin conference.


4. (C) Responding to Charge's inquiry, Boniver said that
from a "theoretical point of view," Italian-led efforts
toward judicial reform in Afghanistan were going very well.
Judge Di Gennaro has worked extremely well and has completed
a new condensed version of an Afghan penal code that awaits
only Karzai's approval. Her satisfaction had to be
"theoretical," she explained, because nothing existed in
Afghanistan in terms of judicial infrastructure on which the
Italian efforts could build. Nothing resembled democratic
judicial fixtures; there were no codes, no prisons, no
judges. Training will begin on February 21 of the first of
some 450 Afghan judicial officials (lawyers and judges) to be
trained over the next two months. This would also be
supervised by Di Gennaro. Training will occur in Rome and
Turin.


5. (C) Boniver shared her thoughts on the timetable for
Afghan elections, noting it would require thorough discussion
in Berlin. Presidential elections are "absolutely necessary
and fantastic," she said. But perhaps "we will need to
procrastinate a bit" on legislative elections. If only eight
percent of the population is registered to vote, that is not
enough. Regardless, the international community must
continue to strengthen President Karzai and his
administration.


SEMBLER


NNNN
2004ROME00668 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL