ITALY SEES NO POSSIBILITY TO DEPLOY EGF FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003796 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2015 TAGS: MARR PREL KPKO HA IT EUN SUBJECT: ITALY SEES NO POSSIBILITY TO DEPLOY EGF FOR HAITIAN ELECTIONS REF: STATE 206172 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor David D. Pearce, reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloffs delivered ref demarche to MFA Central America and the Caribbean Office Director Paolo Miraglia and to Major Fabio Cairo, who handles European Gendarme Force policy for Carabinieri HQ Rome. Poloffs urged consideration of early European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) deployment, but both Miraglia and Cairo said it would be impossible to deploy the EGF in time for the Haitian elections in December. The MFA reported that the EGF was not yet at full, or even intermediate, operational capability, making a mission on such short notice impracticable. Miraglia also noted that the high-level interministerial committee of the EU, CIMIN, has not yet determined under what circumstances the EGF will be deployed. Cairo asserted the same points, noting that EGF would not be operational until, at the earliest, spring 2006. ¶2. (C) In a separate conversation, Carabinieri Major Cairo confirmed that EGF, whose command is located at Vicenza, is still in the process of organizing itself and not yet operational. In June 2005, EGF undertook its first command and planning exercise. A more extensive follow-on exercise will take place in late spring 2006. EGF will assess whether it has reached operational status upon completion of that exercise. SPOGLI