US embassy cable - 03ROME4580

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004580 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA AND NP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2013 
TAGS: PARM, MNUC, KNNP, LY, IT 
SUBJECT: ITALY:  LIBYAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A MORE 
IMMEDIATE CONCERN THAN WMD 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 282619 
 
     B. ROME 3207 
     C. ROME 2917 
 
    CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  THE MFA'S MIDDLE EAST OFFICE APPEARS MORE 
CONCERNED WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION STEMMING FROM LIBYA THAN 
WMD. POST ALSO PLANS TO RAISE OUR CONCERNS WITH MFA DIRECTOR 
GENERAL FOR ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION GIANDOMENICO 
MAGLIANO, WHO OVERSEAS THE OFFICE DEALING WITH EXPORT 
CONTROLS, WHICH HAS NORMALLY BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO WMD 
ISSUES. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL TO ANTONIO BELLAVIA, HEAD OF 
THE MFA'S OFFICE FOR NORTHERN AFRICA. ACCORDING TO BELLAVIA, 
ITALY SHARES U.S. CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE LIBYAN TERRORISM 
AND WMD, BUT HAS NOT SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF PRODUCTION OF 
BIOLOGICAL OR CHEMICAL WMD. ON THE OTHER HAND, ILLEGAL 
IMMIGRATION POSES A REAL AND IMMEDIATE THREAT TO ITALIAN 
SECURITY.  FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF THIS PAST SUMMER, 
WHEN SCORES OF WOULD-BE IMMIGRANTS DROWNED WHILE TRYING TO 
REACH THE ITALIAN COAST ILLEGALLY FROM LIBYA, ITALY IS INTENT 
ON INCREASING ITS COLLABORATION WITH LIBYA IN COMBATING 
CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION. 
 
3. (C) BELLAVIA SAID ONE EU TECHNICAL TEAM HAS ALREADY 
TRAVELED TO LIBYA TO DISCUSS LIBYA'S MATERIAL REQUESTS TO 
HELP COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, AND A SECOND ONE IS 
SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE SOON.  AS OF YET THE LIBYANS HAVE NOT 
PROVIDED A LIST OF MATERIALS.  ONCE IT DOES, THAT LIST WILL 
BE NEGOTIATED DEPENDING ON WHAT THE EU CAN OFFER AND WHETHER 
THE EU DEEMS THE REQUESTS TO BE VALID IN TERMS OF FIGHTING 
CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION.  IN RESPONSE TO POLOFF'S CONCERN 
THAT SOME ITEMS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE REQUESTED, SUCH AS 
    NIGHT GOGGLES, COULD SERVE OTHER PURPOSES, BELLAVIA 
ACKNOWLEDGED THE POINT.  HOWEVER, HE ARGUED THAT THIS WOULD 
BE TRUE FOR MANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE LIST, SUCH AS 
ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES, BUT THAT WITHOUT THESE ITEMS LIBYA DOES 
NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SECURE ITS BORDERS. 
 
4. (C) BELLAVIA DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE LIFTING OF UN 
SANCTIONS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN EXPORTS TO LIBYA OF 
ITEMS THAT COULD BE USED TO CONDUCT TERRORISM, SINCE SUCH 
ITEMS WOULD STILL BE COVERED UNDER CURRENT EXPORT 
REGULATIONS.  LIKEWISE, AN END TO THE EU EMBARGO AGAINST 
LIBYA WOULD RESULT IN A RETURN TO OPERATIONAL NORMALITY.  THE 
POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SUCH A POLICY, ON THE OTHER HAND, 
COULD HAVE VERY BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN TERMS OF EASING 
TENSIONS BETWEEN LIBYA AND THE EU.  IF THE EU DOES NOT LIFT 
THE EMBARGO,  ITALY WILL PRESS FOR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE EU 
WEAPONS BAN FOR THE MATERIALS LIBYA IS SEEKING TO FIGHT 
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. 
 
5. (SBU) COMMENT.  THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND 
TRAFFICKING IS ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE ITALIAN EU 
PRESIDENCY. THE FLOOD OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THIS SUMMER 
CAUSED BITTER STRIFE WITHIN PM BERLUSCONI'S GOVERNING 
COALITION WHEN RIGHT-WING ELEMENTS CRITICIZED THE INTERIOR 
MINISTER'S INADEQUATE ACTIONS.  IN RESPONSE, ITALY SIGNED AN 
AGREEMENT WITH LIBYA ON 3 JULY INVOLVING INFORMATION EXCHANGE 
AND INCREASED ASSISTANCE FROM ITALIAN NAVAL VESSELS AND 
POLICE UNITS, TO COOPERATE IN THESE EFFORTS (REF B).  ITALY 
ALSO IS PRESSING LIBYA TO JOIN NATO'S MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUE. 
 FURTHERMORE, ITALY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIFTING OF THE EU 
EMBARGO AGAINST LIBYA, THOUGH BELLAVIA'S SUPERIOR, VICE 
    DIRECTOR GENERAL CERULLI, SEPARATELY TOLD POL MC THAT HE DOES 
NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN SOON.  IMMEDIATE CONCERNS ABOUT 
BORDER PROTECTION ARE LIKELY TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER LESS 
EVIDENT THREATS OF LIBYA WMD.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME04580 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL