Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ROME1391
2005-04-22 16:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
ITALY: POTENTIAL SALE TO SYRIA OF AIR DEFENSE
how-toThis 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 001391
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2010
TAGS: IS IT MASS SY ETTC EXPORT CONTROLS
SUBJECT: ITALY: POTENTIAL SALE TO SYRIA OF AIR DEFENSE
SYSTEM
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL M. SKODON, REASONS 1.5 (B)
AND (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001391
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2010
TAGS: IS IT MASS SY ETTC EXPORT CONTROLS
SUBJECT: ITALY: POTENTIAL SALE TO SYRIA OF AIR DEFENSE
SYSTEM
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL M. SKODON, REASONS 1.5 (B)
AND (D)
1. (C) Prime Minister Berlusconi's diplomatic adviser,
Giovanni Castellaneta, invited DCM and POL MC to his office
April 22 to discuss Italian plans to sell an "Air Defense
Integrated System" (ADIS) to Syria. Castellaneta said that
the Italian firm Finmecannica (a defense industry
conglomerate, 32% state-owned, on whose board Castellaneta
sits) and its subsidiaries Alenia and Marconi Systems had
reached a draft agreement with the government of Syria for a
422 million dollar project, commencing in 2006 with
completion targeted for 2009. The proposal would be built
around Damascus and would include surveillance radar, fixed
and mobile command centers, and a secure ground
communications network. Castellaneta provided a three-page
description of the project, which post has secure faxed to
State (EUR/WE). He said that the Italian proposal had won
out over a strong competing bid by a Russian firm.
2. (C) Castellaneta said that no actual contract has been
signed yet, and probably would not be until later this year.
He asked that the DCM provide Washington's reaction to the
proposed sale as soon as possible, ideally within the next
seven days. He specifically said that if the US does not
want Finmeccanica to proceed, it would not. Castellaneta's
deputy, Paolo Dionisi, emphasized that the proposed system is
not "state-of-the-art".
3. (C) DCM undertook to provide Washington's response as soon
as possible. He noted that the question had arisen at a
particularly sensitive time, as it is not yet clear whether
Syria will comply with its obligation under UNSCR 1559 to
withdraw fully from Lebanon. He asked whether the Italians
had yet consulted with Israel on this issue. Castellaneta
replied that he believed Israel was aware of Italian-Syrian
negotiations on the project, but Israel and Italy have not
yet discussed the project directly.
4. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy Rome requests that Department
provide, ideally by April 29, an initial interagency response
to the Italian inquiry. This should include (obviously): the
potential effect on implementation of such a deal on UNSCR
1559 implementation; any applicable side-effects of USG
sanctions on Syria; and an assessment of the potential
Congressional reaction. END ACTION REQUEST
SEMBLER
NNNN
2005ROME01391 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2010
TAGS: IS IT MASS SY ETTC EXPORT CONTROLS
SUBJECT: ITALY: POTENTIAL SALE TO SYRIA OF AIR DEFENSE
SYSTEM
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL M. SKODON, REASONS 1.5 (B)
AND (D)
1. (C) Prime Minister Berlusconi's diplomatic adviser,
Giovanni Castellaneta, invited DCM and POL MC to his office
April 22 to discuss Italian plans to sell an "Air Defense
Integrated System" (ADIS) to Syria. Castellaneta said that
the Italian firm Finmecannica (a defense industry
conglomerate, 32% state-owned, on whose board Castellaneta
sits) and its subsidiaries Alenia and Marconi Systems had
reached a draft agreement with the government of Syria for a
422 million dollar project, commencing in 2006 with
completion targeted for 2009. The proposal would be built
around Damascus and would include surveillance radar, fixed
and mobile command centers, and a secure ground
communications network. Castellaneta provided a three-page
description of the project, which post has secure faxed to
State (EUR/WE). He said that the Italian proposal had won
out over a strong competing bid by a Russian firm.
2. (C) Castellaneta said that no actual contract has been
signed yet, and probably would not be until later this year.
He asked that the DCM provide Washington's reaction to the
proposed sale as soon as possible, ideally within the next
seven days. He specifically said that if the US does not
want Finmeccanica to proceed, it would not. Castellaneta's
deputy, Paolo Dionisi, emphasized that the proposed system is
not "state-of-the-art".
3. (C) DCM undertook to provide Washington's response as soon
as possible. He noted that the question had arisen at a
particularly sensitive time, as it is not yet clear whether
Syria will comply with its obligation under UNSCR 1559 to
withdraw fully from Lebanon. He asked whether the Italians
had yet consulted with Israel on this issue. Castellaneta
replied that he believed Israel was aware of Italian-Syrian
negotiations on the project, but Israel and Italy have not
yet discussed the project directly.
4. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy Rome requests that Department
provide, ideally by April 29, an initial interagency response
to the Italian inquiry. This should include (obviously): the
potential effect on implementation of such a deal on UNSCR
1559 implementation; any applicable side-effects of USG
sanctions on Syria; and an assessment of the potential
Congressional reaction. END ACTION REQUEST
SEMBLER
NNNN
2005ROME01391 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL