THREAT OF KIDNAPPING IN MAGHREB

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000025

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2020
TAGS: PTER PREL ASEC XI XG IT
SUBJECT: THREAT OF KIDNAPPING IN MAGHREB

REF: SECSTATE 769

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Barbara A. Leaf,
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel points to Massimiliano
D'Antuono, Deputy Director of the Italian MFA's Unita di
crisi, Italy's "ops center" or situation room equivalent.


2. (U) With regard to travel warnings, D'Antuono said that
Italy has issued alerts via the MFA website recommending
against travel to Mauritania, Niger and certain areas of Mali
(in the north of the country, and near the borders with
Algeria, Niger and Mauritania).


3. (SBU) D,Antuono noted that this week, FM Frattini is
undertaking a major Africa trip, which had been long planned
(i.e., planned prior to the kidnapping of Italian tourist
Sergio Cicala, 64, and his Burkina Faso-born wife, Philomene
Kabouree, on December 20). The only change to the program in
recent days was the addition of Mali to the visit. Frattini
will be traveling to Mauritania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt,
Uganda and Tunis (where he will visit the gravesite of former
PM Bettino Craxi on January 19th, the tenth anniversary of
his death). Frattini's visit will include the signing of
agreements concerning development assistance for both
Mauritania and Mali. (In the press, Frattini has
characterized his Africa trip as focused on defending Italy's
national interests and resolving the problem of illegal
immigration "at the roots," and said on January 11 from
Nouakchott that he "will do everything possible for the
release of the Italian as well as the other hostages," but
would not provide details because the kidnappers are
"probably tied to Al Qaeda.")

Recovering Italian Hostages
--------------


4. (C) Regarding Italian activities to recover the kidnapped
citizens, D'Antuono said GOI Ambassadors
have spoken with the governments of Burkino Faso, Mali and
Mauritania, and that the GOI is very active in pursuing the
hostages' release. Based on the experiences of Spain and the
UK, and on advice from these countries, he said the GOI is
attempting to work through only one country, Mali, which is
where the GOI believes the tourists are currently being held
(based on information gleaned from Al Qaeda-related
websites),and is attempting to get the Malian government to
coordinate on this issue with the government of Mauritania.
Getting the two countries to coordinate is, he commented, "a
difficult task," but this is the strategy being pursued based
on the advice of Spain and the UK. D'Antuono said the GOI
has had no direct contact with the kidnappers or the
kidnapped, and noted that Italian intelligence services are
in direct contact with the intel agencies of both Mali and
Mauritania.

Press Blackout is Key
--------------


5. (C) D'Antuono emphasized that a key to the GOI strategy is
to keep the kidnapping out of the press headlines, and noted
that the families involved now understand the importance of
this. He said that if the kidnappers "perceived weakness" on
the part of the Italian government, the situation would turn
into a "nightmare." Therefore the GOI strategy is to avoid
escalation through any type of "media standoff."


Italy Firmly Opposed to Ransoms but Wants "Flexibility"
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Poloff delivered points regarding the making of
concessions to terrorists or hostage takers; D'Antuono
insisted the GOI was firmly against such practices. FM
Frattini has said in recent statements that "anyone who has
anything to do with terrorists helps them," and that "even if
we were to say 'we'll talk' just this one time, we would be
legitimizing a terrorist organization." Nonetheless,
D'Antuono said, the GOI resisted signing the proposed G8
statement against kidnapping because it believes that in
such situations, "maintaining flexibility" is crucial, and
that the notion of what constitutes "ransom" is not entirely
clear.


7. (C) D'Antuono shared four maps (which he said were
classified though they are not marked) concerning the hostage
situation and the activities of Al Qaeda in the Maghreb.
Poloff will provide these maps to relevant USG agencies at
post.


8. (SBU) D'Antuono was not familiar with the "Festival du
Desert," but took note of the information and the
Department's concerns.
DIBBLE