Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ROME194
2007-01-29 15:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
ITALY TO PUSH FOR CCW AGREEMENT ON CLUSTER
how-toVZCZCXRO1454 PP RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHRO #0194/01 0291538 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 291538Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7060 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0380 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0487 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1877 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 4475 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 6314 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000194
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/WRA KATHERINE BAKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2017
TAGS: MOPS PARM PREL NATO IT
SUBJECT: ITALY TO PUSH FOR CCW AGREEMENT ON CLUSTER
MUNITIONS; WILL ATTEND OSLO CONFERENCE
REF: SECSTATE 06667
Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Jonathan Cohen for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000194
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/WRA KATHERINE BAKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2017
TAGS: MOPS PARM PREL NATO IT
SUBJECT: ITALY TO PUSH FOR CCW AGREEMENT ON CLUSTER
MUNITIONS; WILL ATTEND OSLO CONFERENCE
REF: SECSTATE 06667
Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Jonathan Cohen for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: The GOI generally supports finding ways to
limit the use of cluster munitions but does not believe the
Oslo Conference is the appropriate venue for the discussion.
Italy's center-left coalition government is sympathetic to
multilateral efforts that appear to defend humanitarian
principles, but the GOI will attend Oslo in the hopes that it
can steer the debate toward the Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons (CCW) auspices. The GOI is open to
engaging in military to military discussion on cluster
munitions (CMs),but believes this can be accomplished on the
margins of CCW meetings or within NATO to include Norway. End
Summary.
2. (C) Poloff delivered Ref demarche to Emanuele Farruggia
from the Non-proliferation office at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Farruggia underscored that the GOI's policy on
cluster munitions (CMs) is generally in synch with the USG's,
but that the center-left government is under pressure from
parliament, public opinion, and NGOs to restrict the use of
CMs. Moreover, the GOI is loathe to turn away from a
multilateral effort that tries to achieve a perceived
humanitarian goal. However, the Italian military resists a
total ban on CMs, citing the potential impact on military
capability and rules of engagement when participating in a
coalition mission.
(SBU) Going to Oslo, But Emphasis On CCW
--------------
3. (C) Italy has not received a formal invitation to attend
the Oslo conference but will attend anyway based on the GON's
informal soundings. Farruggia noted that EU members recently
discussed the Oslo conference and shared their confusion over
the goal of the meeting and the GON's methodology in
extending invitations. The GON also has not raised the issue
in NATO, which would have been an appropriate venue. If the
point was to invite only potentially like-minded countries,
Farruggia added, the GON is being shortsighted. A discussion
on CMs must be genuinely multilateral and comprehensive.
4. (C) The Italian delegation to Oslo is not yet finalized,
but it may be led by Italy's Perm Rep in Geneva and some
representatives from Italy's General Staff. The GOI will go
to Oslo mainly in listening mode but will try to engage in
some "damage control," said Farruggia. The GOI believes a
process outside the CCW that could fuel demagoguery serves no
useful purpose. Therefore, the GOI will do what it can to
steer the discussion on CMs back into the CCW. Farruggia
advised that the USG should go to Oslo if invited to
demonstrate extraordinary flexibility and be in a better
position to influence the discussion.
(SBU) Pushing "Protocol VI" for CCW
--------------
5. (C) Italian officials, in coordination with the Italian
military, hope to revive the idea of establishing a "Protocol
VI" to the CCW but will not explicitly raise this issue in
Oslo. Farruggia noted, however, that the GOI may champion
the issue at the June experts meeting of the CCW. The idea
would be to discuss ways to govern the use of CMs
multilaterally, and the GOI is open to broaching the
humanitarian legal aspects of such potential restrictions on
the margins of the meeting at Montreaux in April. Farruggia
said that the GOI can envision limiting the use of CMs to
within Italy's national territory (for self defense) or using
them only if taking part in a coalition mission such as NATO.
(SBU) Engaging the Military
--------------
6. (C) Farruggia did not dismiss military to military
discussions on CMs, but believed this was already happening
at some level. Rather than spark multiple levels of
discussions on CMs, mil to mil talks could take place
informally on the margins of CCW meetings, given that most of
ROME 00000194 002 OF 002
the experts are in attendance. He suggested that the
upcoming meeting in Montreaux might offer such an
opportunity. At the same time, Farruggia noted that NATO
could be another appropriate venue for mil to mil
discussions, particularly since Norway is a member of the
Alliance.
SPOGLI
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/WRA KATHERINE BAKER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2017
TAGS: MOPS PARM PREL NATO IT
SUBJECT: ITALY TO PUSH FOR CCW AGREEMENT ON CLUSTER
MUNITIONS; WILL ATTEND OSLO CONFERENCE
REF: SECSTATE 06667
Classified By: Political-Military Counselor Jonathan Cohen for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: The GOI generally supports finding ways to
limit the use of cluster munitions but does not believe the
Oslo Conference is the appropriate venue for the discussion.
Italy's center-left coalition government is sympathetic to
multilateral efforts that appear to defend humanitarian
principles, but the GOI will attend Oslo in the hopes that it
can steer the debate toward the Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons (CCW) auspices. The GOI is open to
engaging in military to military discussion on cluster
munitions (CMs),but believes this can be accomplished on the
margins of CCW meetings or within NATO to include Norway. End
Summary.
2. (C) Poloff delivered Ref demarche to Emanuele Farruggia
from the Non-proliferation office at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Farruggia underscored that the GOI's policy on
cluster munitions (CMs) is generally in synch with the USG's,
but that the center-left government is under pressure from
parliament, public opinion, and NGOs to restrict the use of
CMs. Moreover, the GOI is loathe to turn away from a
multilateral effort that tries to achieve a perceived
humanitarian goal. However, the Italian military resists a
total ban on CMs, citing the potential impact on military
capability and rules of engagement when participating in a
coalition mission.
(SBU) Going to Oslo, But Emphasis On CCW
--------------
3. (C) Italy has not received a formal invitation to attend
the Oslo conference but will attend anyway based on the GON's
informal soundings. Farruggia noted that EU members recently
discussed the Oslo conference and shared their confusion over
the goal of the meeting and the GON's methodology in
extending invitations. The GON also has not raised the issue
in NATO, which would have been an appropriate venue. If the
point was to invite only potentially like-minded countries,
Farruggia added, the GON is being shortsighted. A discussion
on CMs must be genuinely multilateral and comprehensive.
4. (C) The Italian delegation to Oslo is not yet finalized,
but it may be led by Italy's Perm Rep in Geneva and some
representatives from Italy's General Staff. The GOI will go
to Oslo mainly in listening mode but will try to engage in
some "damage control," said Farruggia. The GOI believes a
process outside the CCW that could fuel demagoguery serves no
useful purpose. Therefore, the GOI will do what it can to
steer the discussion on CMs back into the CCW. Farruggia
advised that the USG should go to Oslo if invited to
demonstrate extraordinary flexibility and be in a better
position to influence the discussion.
(SBU) Pushing "Protocol VI" for CCW
--------------
5. (C) Italian officials, in coordination with the Italian
military, hope to revive the idea of establishing a "Protocol
VI" to the CCW but will not explicitly raise this issue in
Oslo. Farruggia noted, however, that the GOI may champion
the issue at the June experts meeting of the CCW. The idea
would be to discuss ways to govern the use of CMs
multilaterally, and the GOI is open to broaching the
humanitarian legal aspects of such potential restrictions on
the margins of the meeting at Montreaux in April. Farruggia
said that the GOI can envision limiting the use of CMs to
within Italy's national territory (for self defense) or using
them only if taking part in a coalition mission such as NATO.
(SBU) Engaging the Military
--------------
6. (C) Farruggia did not dismiss military to military
discussions on CMs, but believed this was already happening
at some level. Rather than spark multiple levels of
discussions on CMs, mil to mil talks could take place
informally on the margins of CCW meetings, given that most of
ROME 00000194 002 OF 002
the experts are in attendance. He suggested that the
upcoming meeting in Montreaux might offer such an
opportunity. At the same time, Farruggia noted that NATO
could be another appropriate venue for mil to mil
discussions, particularly since Norway is a member of the
Alliance.
SPOGLI