ITALY SEEKS CLARIFICATION ON PRT LOCATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000798 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2014 TAGS: MOPS AF IT NATO AFGHANISTAN SUBJECT: ITALY SEEKS CLARIFICATION ON PRT LOCATION REF: A. 03 ROME 5230 ¶B. 03 STATE 303817 Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D ) ¶1. (C) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. See para 4. Italy has requested clarification of the USG's position regarding the location of an Italian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT). Giovanni Brauzzi, MFA NATO Affairs Office Director, called Pol-Mil Officer on March 1 to say that comments made by State Department officials during the recent visit of Italy's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Enrico De Maio had further confused planning for the PRT that Italy has offered to contribute. In preparation for an upcoming interagency PRT meeting and Foreign Minister Frattini's trip to NATO on March 3, Brauzzi asked for some direction from the USG, preferably in writing, to replace the demarche delivered in November 2003 by which the US asked Italy to stand up a PRT in Ghazni (reftels). ¶2. (C) Pol-Mil Officer confirmed that the current USG position is that the US will work with Italy if it decides to proceed with a PRT in Ghazni under OEF. The US's strong preference, however, is that Italy set up a new PRT under ISAF that supports SHAPE strategy for ISAF expansion. This is in accordance with General Jones's discussion with Italy's CHOD in mid February and is consistent with Amb. Burns comments during his Feb. 26-27 meetings in Rome, she said. US and NATO policies on ISAF expansion have evolved significantly since the November demarche was delivered. While the recent change in focus from Ghazni to a location in the north or west has created some confusion, it underscores the importance of close coordination with SHAPE contacts who have the most up to date information on NATO ISAF military strategy, she added. ¶3. (C) Brauzzi emphasized that Italy is making a good faith effort to do the right thing but is getting inconsistent messages that are complicating planning. Italy is now being asked to play a key role in the second stage of ISAF expansion by providing a PRT and Forward Operating Base in a northwestern location. "We want to be sure we know what it is we're being asked to do," Brauzzi said. If the US and NATO prefer Italy set up a new PRT in the north or west, does Herat, which has a PRT in place, qualify? After six months of planning for the Ghazni PRT, including an interagency trip to Afghanistan and redirecting development assistance to the Ghazni area, Italy is gun-shy of moving forward without more formal direction from the USG to replace the official request still on the record from November, he said. ¶4. (C) ACTION REQUEST AND COMMENT. Brauzzi's pique may be exaggerated but the multiplicity of interlocutors on the PRT issue has genuinely confused the Italians. Acting in accordance with the USG position is particularly important to Italy, and not only because they have worked hard to fulfill our now outdated request for an Italian PRT in Ghazni. Some planning done for a Ghazni PRT may apply to a new location as well, however, it will not be as easy to redirect efforts already underway by the MFA development assistance office to concentrate projects in the Ghazni area. Despite indications from Minister Martino to the NATO Secretary General and by other senior Italian officials that Italy is prepared to stand up a PRT in the north or west, MFA officials working on development assistance may continue to favor Ghazni. We agree with Ambasador Burns that SHAPE should be the central contact for coordinating PRT logistics. Unless otherwise instructed, Post intends to provide Brauzzi with the following points on March 3: -- The USG is grateful for Italy's willingness to contribute a PRT to support ISAF expansion beyond Kabul. -- We understand considerable planning has gone into establishing an Italian PRT in Ghazni. As we have discussed, security conditions on the ground would require such a PRT to operate under OEF command, at least for the time being. -- We would strongly prefer that Italy stand up a PRT in the north or west in accordance with SHAPE strategy for expanding ISAF. Minister Martino indicated to the NATO Secretary General that he agreed to this. -- The fast pace of recent developments on NATO's role in Afghanistan underscores the importance of close coordination with SHAPE on the details of establishing PRTs. We encourage Italy to consult with SACEUR for definitive military guidance on the optimal location for an Italian PRT. END ACTION REQUEST AND COMMENT. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. SEMBLER NNNN 2004ROME00798 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL