ITALY AGREES TO CO-SPONSOR UPCOMING UNSCR 1267

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000075 SENSITIVE SIPDIS S/CT FOR JASON BLAZAKIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020 TAGS: IT KTFN PINR PREL PTER SA YM SUBJECT: ITALY AGREES TO CO-SPONSOR UPCOMING UNSCR 1267 LISTING REQUEST REF: STATE 129597 Classified By: Economic Minister Counselor George White for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. After a careful review, the GOI has agreed to co-sponsor the UNSCR 1267 listing request of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and of its leaders, Nasir Al-Wahishi and Said Al-Shihri (reftel). End summary. ¶2. (C) An official in the counter terrorism section of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) contacted ECONOFF 20 January to advise that an "experts panel" has recommended that the GOI co-sponsor the UNSCR 1267 listing request of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula and of its leaders, Nasir Al-Wahishi and Said Al-Shihri. The GOI will be forwarding this directive to its permanent representative at the UN by 22 January. ¶3. (C) On 12 December 2009, ECONOFF conveyed the USG request for co-sponsorship (reftel) to the official in the MFA. The delay in responding is a result of Italy's recent change in co-sponsorship policy. The GOI will no longer co-sponsor UNSCR 1267 listing requests without performing their own due diligence. The official informed ECONOFF that although in the past Italy was willing to be a co-sponsor based on "political friendships", their policy henceforth will be to co-sponsor based solely on information gathered through their own investigations. ¶4. (C) According to the official, the investigation by the Italian intelligence agencies took several weeks but has allowed the GOI to agree to co-sponsor the requested listing. THORNE