AMBASSADOR DAALDER AND FM FRATTINI DISCUSS

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS NATO IT AF
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DAALDER AND FM FRATTINI DISCUSS
AFGHANISTAN, NATO STRATEGIC CONCEPT

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Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Barbara A. Leaf for Reasons
1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder and EUR
DAS for Western Europe Spencer Boyer met with Italian Foreign
Minister Frattini on October 8 to discuss the way ahead in
Afghanistan and the development of the NATO Strategic
Concept. Frattini said that Italy remains firmly committed
to Afghanistan, is interested in expanding its training
efforts for Afghan National Security Forces, and looks
forward to discussing the results of the U.S. strategic
review and the McChrystal report. Frattini advocated an
expanded political role for ISAF in the area of
reconciliation and reintegration of Taliban fighters,
endorsed President Obama's goal of a world free of nuclear
weapons, and agreed that NATO's review of its Strategic
Concept should explore how the Alliance can best participate
in and contribute to that goal. End summary.

Afghanistan: Italy's Commitment Firm, Sees Expanded Political
Role for ISAF in Reconciliation
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2. (C) U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder and EUR DAS for
Western Europe Spencer Boyer met with FM Frattini on October

8. Frattini noted that MOD La Russa was at that moment in
Afghanistan visiting Italian troops and had used the
opportunity to reaffirm Italy's commitment to Afghanistan.
Frattini recently presided over the G8 Foreign Ministers'
meeting on the margins of UNGA where the G8 commitment to
Afghanistan and Pakistan had been reaffirmed as well. The
GOI is looking forward to seeing the results of the strategic
review taking place in Washington in the wake of the Afghan
elections and the McChrystal report, but regardless of the
outcome Italy's commitment will remain firm. Frattini said
Italy wants to do more in the field of training the Afghan
National Security Forces, where it already has the lead in
the nascent NTM-A structure for Police Training, and to
expand its civil reconstruction efforts which, he noted, are
greatly appreciated by the Afghan people. He said the
Governor of Herat recently thanked Italy for the agricultural
and infrastructure projects carried out by its PRT, and FM
Spanta (who is from Herat) noted to him recently that 35
years ago Italy helped Herat to develop wine production.
Italy intends to re-launch that program, along with olive
cultivation, as an effort to reverse the trend toward opium
production in RC-West. Ambassador Holbrooke, Frattini said,
had been absolutely correct in stressing the importance of
crop substitution over eradication.


3. (C) With regard to the audit of the Afghan elections,
Frattini acknowledged that some allies feel that there should
be a second round regardless of the audit outcome, while
others believe that Karzai would likely win a free and fair
election in any event and that subjecting him to a second
round would be humiliating. Italy's goal was simply to
ensure that there is a transparent procedure in place for
conferring legitimacy on the victor, whoever that turns out
to be. Ambassador Daalder replied that the U.S. shares these
concerns and that it is important that the Afghan-led
election review process be allowed to play itself out. The
IEC and ECC are moving forward as quickly as possible to
obtain results by mid-October. He noted that, while we still
have a window in which a second round could take place, we
are reaching the point (early November) at which the onset of
winter would require postponement until spring 2010. Either
way it will be important for Karzai to reach out to Abdullah
in the event of a victory. Minister Frattini and Ambassador
Daalder agreed on the importance of marking the inauguration
of the new government with an international meeting in Kabul
that would confer international recognition and help to seal
a new compact between the government and the Afghan people.
Daalder noted that it would be important for NATO to plan for
various scenarios even before the election process is
finished, so that resources could start moving through NATO
channels at the earliest opportunity, but that no firm
decisions would be made before the October 23 Bratislava
Defense Ministerial at the earliest.


4. (C) Frattini offered his strong support for expanding
ISAF's political role to include reconciliation and

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reintegration of insurgent fighters seeking an honorable way
out. He noted that during discussions on the margins of UNGA
it became clear that some allies felt that this task fell
more appropriately to UNAMA, but that in his view there is a
role for ISAF. Ambassador Daalder agreed that ISAF has more
people on the ground than the UN and hence better access to
information and intelligence that would identify footsoldiers
and leaders ready for reconciliation. He noted that the
process should remain Afghan-led, but that ISAF units and
Embassies could help. Frattini and Ambassador Daalder agreed
that NATO PermReps should work on language for the December
Ministerial that would render ISAF's political role more
explicit.

NATO's Role in Promoting a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
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5. (C) Minister Frattini and Ambassador Daalder also had an
exchange over the need for NATO to participate and contribute
to President Obama's vision of a world free of nuclear
weapons, and agreed that an appropriate place to start was in
the elaboration of the new NATO Strategic Concept. Frattini
reiterated Italy's strong endorsement of this goal and
appreciation of the President's leadership on the issue,
which Italy had sought to incorporate in the 2009 G8 agenda.


6. (U) Ambassador Daalder has cleared this message.
THORNE