DARFUR:ITALIAN SORTIES GET NATO FLAGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002046 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR A/S FRIED; EUR/RPM: RATHKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR SU IT NATO SUBJECT: DARFUR:ITALIAN SORTIES GET NATO FLAGS REF: ROME 1979 Classified By: PolMinCouns Tom Countryman, for Reasons 1.5 (B) (D) ¶1. (C) Italy will designate all its aircraft sorties to Darfur as part of NATO's operation, according to MFA NATO Office Director Giovanni Brauzzi. In a June 15 conversation with PolMilOff, Brauzzi said that Italy will use a yet to be determined number of Boeing 707s for the mission. All Italian air sorties to Darfur will be flagged NATO, Brauzzi said, while Italy will provide other types of assistance to Darfur under EU auspices. ¶2. (C) Italian officials, including Brauzzi, have stressed repeatedly that Italy's numerous overseas military commitments have resulted in a shortage of resources available for the Darfur mission, particularly in regard to transport aircraft such as C-130s. ¶3. (U) KHARTOUM MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. SEMBLER NNNN 2005ROME02046 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL