AMBASSADOR BURNS REVIEWS NATO ISSUES WITH ITALIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000860

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2014
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL BK AF IZ IT NATO AFGHANISTAN IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR BURNS REVIEWS NATO ISSUES WITH ITALIAN
OFFICIALS

REF: ROME 0703

Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D
)


1. (C) Summary. Ambassador Burns discussed the Istanbul
Summit, the Greater Middle East (GME) Initiative, NATO
prospects for Iraq and Afghanistan and a successor mission to
SFOR during Feb. 26-27 meetings with Italian officials,
journalists and academics in Rome. Italy is revising its
plans to set up a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) after
input from the US and NATO, and is now evaluating the
possibility of establishing an ISAF PRT and a Forward Support
Base (FSB),most likely in western Afghanistan. On the GME,
the Italians recommended moving forward with both NATO's
Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the GME Initiative for the
time being. By the Istanbul Summit, the Italians hope the
alliance will be ready to present leaders with a coherent
approach to the entire "arc of crisis", rather than just the
GME Initiative and MD. Foreign Minister Frattini will explain
the Italian proposal when he speaks to the NAC on March 3
(reftel). The Summit will also be the time to decide on
scenarios for NATO participation in Iraq, according to the
Italians. In moving from SFOR to an EU successor mission, the
Italians want the Berlin Plus agreement to be followed
rigorously and stressed the importance of a strong,
substantive mandate in order to reinforce EU military
credibility with local players. End Summary.

ISTANBUL SUMMIT
--------------

2. (C) Ambassador Burns discussed priorities for the June
NATO Summit in Istanbul with Italian officials from the MFA,
the Prime Minister's office and the MOD while in Rome on Feb.
26-27. He welcomed Foreign Minister Franco Frattini's visit
to NATO on March 3, particularly his speech to the NAC. MFA
Political Director General Giancarlo Aragona told Amb. Burns
that Frattini will present Italy's view of the road to
Istanbul and beyond (reftel). Istanbul should provide the
same direction to NATO's political approach to the "arc of
crisis" as the Prague Summit did to NATO's military mission,
Aragona said. Amb. Burns agreed that NATO needs to develop a
coherent, long-term outreach to the Muslim world. The G8
Summit, the US-EU Summit and the NATO Summit provide
excellent opportunities to do so. Frattini's speech, along
with US ideas for the Greater Middle East (GME) Initiative,
provide useful frameworks for discussion, he added.

GREATER MIDDLE EAST INITIATIVE
--------------

3. (C) Amb. Burns thanked Italy for its support for the US-UK
GME Initiative. He clarified that the initiative has been
refined to reflect the preference of several allies not to
fold NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue into the broader GME
Initiative. Both efforts will move forward in parallel. At
the April 2 ministerial or at the June Summit, leaders can
decide what approach will be the most effective strategy for
engaging the Muslim world. Aragona agreed that a wider
conceptual approach to the Middle East is needed as NATO
expands to address security challenges in the "arc of
crisis." The GME Initiative would be a fundamental part of
NATO's effort to reach out to Muslim countries, he said, but
it could not be imposed from the outside. Aragona's
successor as of March 8, Giampiero Massolo, warned of the
risk of creating competing efforts. He suggested using
existing mechanisms in more creative ways within the
framework of a unifying concept. Aragona added that it would
also be necessary for the GME Initiative to address the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict without falling hostage to it,
as the Med Dialogue and Barcelona Process have. Italy will
help the US move the GME Initiative forward in parallel with
the Med Dialogue, as long as both are clearly part of a
coherent strategy, Aragona said. Italian officials will
raise the initiative with Egyptian President Mubarak when he
is in Rome on March 5 and with Spanish officials with whom
they'll meet later in the month.


4. (C) The US wants to use the Istanbul Summit to open NATO's
channel to Muslim countries, Amb. Burns told Aragona. The
Med Dialogue and the GME Initiative are two parts of the same
NATO outreach effort. Aragona encouraged NATO to invite the
foreign ministers from Med Dialogue countries to the summit
but was unsure whether it would be the right time to include
other Muslim countries. Amb. Burns argued that more debate


within NATO is needed to formulate a proposal for alliance
foreign ministers to consider on April 2. US officials have
been discussing the initiative with Muslim leaders, he
explained, and would continue to do so as the plan evolves.


5. (C) In a separate meeting with Gianni Castellaneta, the
Prime Minister's Diplomatic Advisor, Amb. Burns listed two
key GME goals for the Istanbul Summit: 1) strengthen NATO's
Mediterranean Dialogue and expand it to include more Muslim
countries, and 2) launch the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative,
import more of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program,
increase resources and expand the number of countries
involved. Castellaneta said Italy shares the US's focus on
the Middle East. He noted that the GME has been an Italian
priority for at least a decade. Iraq, the Middle East Peace
Process and the GME Initiative are three parts of an overall
effort to bring democracy and respect for human rights to a
troubled region, he said. It will help Egypt, Jordan,
Pakistan and Turkey sell the concept to their publics if it
does not appear to be imposed from outside, Castellaneta
added.

IRAQ
--------------

6. (C) Amb. Burns noted that the US expects allied leaders to
agree at the Istanbul Summit to send NATO into Iraq to take
command of the Polish-led division, if requested by a
sovereign Iraqi government. A majority of NATO members
support this but everyone wants to avoid dividing the
alliance again over Iraq, he said. Clarifying NATO's
military options is the first step, according to Amb. Burns.
By May, the alliance should be in a position to discuss
political considerations. Aragona said Italy hopes NATO will
be in Iraq sooner rather than later. He agreed that the
Summit is the appropriate forum for making such decisions.

AFGHANISTAN
--------------

7. (C) NATO should have an operational plan for expanding
ISAF beyond Kabul ready for approval at the April 2 Foreign
Ministers meeting, Amb. Burns said. Force generation would
need to be locked in well before then. An Italian ISAF PRT
with Forward Support Base (FSB) in the west would fit nicely
with the plan recently briefed by SACEUR, which initially
concentrates NATO PRTs in the north and west, Amb. Burns
explained. Herat was a likely candidate, but Gen. Jones
should be Italy's main point of contact on PRT logistics.
Aragona indicated that an interagency team plans to discuss
the Italian PRT and FSB with SHAPE on March 2. Once the US
and NATO indicated that Ghazni was not the preferred location
for an Italian PRT, Italy began evaluating other options,
including in the west, Aragona said.


8. (C) In Amb. Burns' discussion with Diplomatic Advisor
Castellaneta, he noted that Gen. Jones and Italy's Chief of
Defense were reviewing options for an Italian PRT, including
a PRT and FSB at Herat. Military decision-makers are in the
best position to determine PRT logistics, such as location,
he added. Castellaneta agreed, adding that Feyzabad would be
difficult for Italy but Herat might have some advantages.
The Prime Minister's Office is studying the possibilities and
will meet soon with MOD and MFA officials to finalize a plan,
he said.

BALKANS
--------------

9. (C) Aragona predicted that the process of establishing an
EU successor operation to SFOR will alleviate many suspicions
and demonstrate how effectively NATO and the EU can work
together. Amb. Burns stated that the US wants this to be a
success and added that the US will support the EU's
preparations at SHAPE through Berlin Plus. The standard in
setting up the new mission must be effectiveness, not
theology. NATO will continue to have a role in defense
reform, counter-terrorism and capturing indicted war
criminals, he added. Aragona agreed that Berlin Plus should
be applied rigorously, not only because true joint planning
will be needed for a mission this complex but also because
Bosnia will set a precedent for future missions. Sandro De
Bernandin, MFA Minister for ESDP, added that the mandate for
the EU mission must be as strong and as substantive as NATO's
in order to ensure EU credibility in the region.

RUSSIA


--------------

10. (C) At the close of his meeting with Amb. Burns,
Castellaneta raised Prime Minister Berlusconi's friendship
with Russian President Putin. Italy believes Putin is truly
committed to administrative and economic reform, and is
working to eliminate remnants of Yeltsin patronage,
Castellaneta said. While interim reorganizations are being
handled in an autocratic way, Castellaneta assured Amb. Burns
that the eventual outcome will be a closer partnership among
Russia, the US and the EU. Persuading Putin to attend the
Istanbul Summit is one of Prime Minister Berlusconi's three
priorities, he said. The other two are finding better
projects for the NATO-Russia Council and between Russia and
the EU, and improving Russia's relations with the Catholic
church. Having Russia as a NATO member would be Italy's
dream come true, Castellaneta said. Amb. Burns noted that
Russia has chosen partnership with NATO, not membership.
Relations with Russia are slowly improving but tough issues
still need to be addressed, including Russia's presence in
Georgia and Moldova and NATO air policing for the Balts and
Slovenia.


11. (U) Amb. Burns has cleared this cable.


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2004ROME00860 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL