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


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2004ROME00798 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL