US embassy cable - 03ROME4715

S E C R E T ROME 004715 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR NEA AND NP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2013 
TAGS: KNNP, PARM, MNUC, ETTC, IT, LY 
SUBJECT: MORE FROM ITALY ON LIBYAN WMD DEVELOPMENT, POST UN 
SANCTIONS 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 282619 
         B. ROME 4580 
     C. ROME 2977 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC MINISTER-COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5 
 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (S) ECMIN DELIVERED REF A POINTS ON OCTOBER 10 TO MFA 
DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION 
GIANDOMENICO MAGLIANO, WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY DIEGO UNGARO, 
DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S OFFICE OF DEFENSE INDUSTRY AND 
SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS.  NOTING THAT WE HAD ALREADY 
RAISED OUR CONCERNS WITH THE MFA'S LIBYA DESK (REF B), ECMIN 
STRESSED THAT THE U.S. WAS INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT 
LIBYA'S CONTINUED PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL, AND 
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS.  VIGILANCE REGARDING EXPORTS THAT COULD 
CONTRIBUTE TO WMD DEVELOPMENT WAS ESPECIALLY NECESSARY IN THE 
WAKE OF THE LIFTING OF UN SANCTIONS.  ECMIN NOTED THAT 
NUMEROUS PRIOR DISCUSSIONS WITH GOI OFFICIALS ON LIBYA HAD 
REVEALED DIVERGENT VIEWPOINTS WITH THE U.S. IN SOME AREAS. 
 
2. (S) MAGLIANO RESPONDED THAT ITALY WOULD REMAIN VIGILANT, 
STRICTLY ADHERING TO THE TENETS OF ALL EXPORT CONTROL REGIMES 
TO INHIBIT ANY LIBYAN WMD DEVELOPMENT.  HE ADDED THAT HE 
WOULD SPEAK WITH MFA NONPROLIFERATION COORDINATOR UGO DE MOHR 
TO REITERATE THIS POINT. HOWEVER, MAGLIANO STATED THAT ITALY 
SAW A CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WMD-RELATED MATERIAL, WHICH 
MUST BE STRICTLY CONTROLLED, AND ITEMS THAT ARE INTENDED TO 
STRENGTHEN LIBYA'S ABILITY TO COUNTER ILLEGAL MIGRATION. 
ECMIN RESPONDED THAT THE U.S. REMAINED EXTREMELY SKEPTICAL 
ABOUT LIBYAN INTENTIONS, AND WOULD REMAIN UNWILLING TO DO 
ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BENEFIT LIBYAN MILITARY OR PARA-MILITARY 
    CAPABILITIES.  GIVEN OUR DIVERGENT VIEWS, UNGARO SUGGESTED 
THAT THE U.S. AND ITALY MIGHT BENEFIT FROM BILATERAL EXPORT 
CONTROL DISCUSSIONS ON LIBYA, PERHAPS AS A FOLLOW-UP TO OUR 
RECENT BILATERAL TALKS THAT FOCUSED ON ITALIAN SPACE 
COOPERATION WITH CHINA (REF C). 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME04715 - Classification: SECRET