Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME1143
2008-09-12 08:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
AFGHANISTAN: ITALY STILL SUPPORTIVE OF ANA
how-toVZCZCXRO1290 PP RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG DE RUEHRO #1143 2560826 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 120826Z SEP 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0886 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0426 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1947 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0818 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0893 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1310 RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0482 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 4448 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 9555 RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 3200 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 3352 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 4659 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2964 RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS ROME 001143
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SCA/A FOR NISHA SINGH, EUR/RPM FOR RAPHAEL CARLAND
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR NATO IT AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: ITALY STILL SUPPORTIVE OF ANA
EXPANSION IN PRINCIPLE, AWAITS DETAILS
REF: A. STATE 93225
B. ROME 835
UNCLAS ROME 001143
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SCA/A FOR NISHA SINGH, EUR/RPM FOR RAPHAEL CARLAND
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR NATO IT AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: ITALY STILL SUPPORTIVE OF ANA
EXPANSION IN PRINCIPLE, AWAITS DETAILS
REF: A. STATE 93225
B. ROME 835
1. Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
2. (SBU) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to Italian MFA
Coordinator for Afghanistan Sergio Mercuri and MFA
Political-Military Office Deputy Director Carlo Batori on
September 3. Mercuri and Batori both reiterated Italian
support for ANA expansion in principle (Ref B),but stressed
that the GOI will need more details on the proposal before
committing funds. In a subsequent discussion on September 8
Batori said that MOD Wardak had made an excellent case for
ANA expansion at the NAC on September 3 but that many
questions still remain. The ANA already has difficulties
with recruitment and desertions, Batori said; can it
effectively grow to the 134,000-troop level? A larger ANA
would, he agreed, help address some of the current CJSOR
shortfalls, but it would also create a need for additional
OMLTs and possibly divert scarce training resources away from
the "underprioritized" Afghan National Police.
2. (SBU) Batori also cautioned that all of Italy's foreign
aid and defense programs are facing the possibility of deep
budget cuts under the current government. (Note: Budget cuts
in defense spending alone are projected to total USD 2.5
billion over the next three years.) Although Afghanistan
will remain a top priority for the GOI, he said, large new
outlays of donor assistance are unlikely beyond the Euro 50
million/year commitment Italy made at the June 2008 Paris
Conference.
SPOGLI
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SCA/A FOR NISHA SINGH, EUR/RPM FOR RAPHAEL CARLAND
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR NATO IT AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: ITALY STILL SUPPORTIVE OF ANA
EXPANSION IN PRINCIPLE, AWAITS DETAILS
REF: A. STATE 93225
B. ROME 835
1. Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
2. (SBU) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to Italian MFA
Coordinator for Afghanistan Sergio Mercuri and MFA
Political-Military Office Deputy Director Carlo Batori on
September 3. Mercuri and Batori both reiterated Italian
support for ANA expansion in principle (Ref B),but stressed
that the GOI will need more details on the proposal before
committing funds. In a subsequent discussion on September 8
Batori said that MOD Wardak had made an excellent case for
ANA expansion at the NAC on September 3 but that many
questions still remain. The ANA already has difficulties
with recruitment and desertions, Batori said; can it
effectively grow to the 134,000-troop level? A larger ANA
would, he agreed, help address some of the current CJSOR
shortfalls, but it would also create a need for additional
OMLTs and possibly divert scarce training resources away from
the "underprioritized" Afghan National Police.
2. (SBU) Batori also cautioned that all of Italy's foreign
aid and defense programs are facing the possibility of deep
budget cuts under the current government. (Note: Budget cuts
in defense spending alone are projected to total USD 2.5
billion over the next three years.) Although Afghanistan
will remain a top priority for the GOI, he said, large new
outlays of donor assistance are unlikely beyond the Euro 50
million/year commitment Italy made at the June 2008 Paris
Conference.
SPOGLI