US embassy cable - 03ROME5057

S E C R E T  ROME 005057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR, EUR/RPM, EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MCAP, PGOV, IT, AF, IZ, NATO 
SUBJECT:  ITALY STILL UPSET ABOUT FLAGS TO POSTS 
 
REF: A. A) USNATO 1078 
B. B) STATE 303817 
C. C) ROME 4933 
D. D) ROME 5003 
E. E) ROME 5008 
 
Classified By: DCM Emil Skodon, reasons 1.5 b and d 
 
1. (C) Summary.  DEFMIN Martino's office and the MFA's NATO 
Office warn that Italy will break silence if the Chairman of 
NATO's Military Committee follows through on a reported plan 
to put forward a flags to posts proposal to which Italy has 
registered strong objections.  As related to SECDEF at last 
month's summit in Colorado, Martino finds the proposal 
"unacceptable and offensive".  Contacts here advise that the 
Italian PermRep will raise the matter with USNATO at the 
earliest opportunity.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) Minister Francesco Trupiano, Diplomatic Advisor to 
Defense Minister Martino, contacted Pol-Mil Counselor on Nov. 
6 to complain about a conversation on the 5th between Italian 
reps and Gen. Kujat, Chairman of NATO's Military Committee. 
Kujat reportedly threatened to propose formally an allocation 
of positions under NATO's new command structure to which 
Italy has already registered strong objections.  Trupiano, 
who served as Italy's Deputy Perm Rep to NATO before moving 
to Martino's office, said Italy will oppose the proposal if 
it goes forward.  He lamented that Italian views have 
apparently not been taken into account, recalling that, in 
their meeting on the margins of the Colorado Springs summit 
(reftel A), Martino told Secretary Rumsfeld that Italy finds 
the proposal "not only unacceptable, but offensive."  He 
added that Italian Perm Rep Moreno will seek a meeting with 
Amb. Burns at the earliest opportunity. 
 
3. (S) Pressing the Italian case, Trupiano cited Italy's 
robust support for allied missions and initiatives, including 
KFOR, SFOR, ISAF, the NATO/Russia Council, and all the Prague 
undertakings.  He added that, as we recently requested, Italy 
is likely to stand up a PRT in Ghazni -- under NATO auspices. 
Trupiano also cited Italy's broader-ranging support outside 
alliance structures:  in Iraq (where Italy is all but certain 
to agree to our request that it extend its 3,000-person 
deployment well into 2004); and in OEF (during the opening 
phases by sending personnel, aircraft and its sole aircraft 
carrier; more recently with a six-month deployment of 1,000 
troops to Khowst).  (See reftels B-E.) 
 
4. (S) Comment.  A response to our outstanding request for a 
new deployment of 1,000 troops to Khowst in March 2004 -- in 
order to relieve US troops there -- is still pending, and we 
are getting signals that training and rotation cycles may 
complicate Italy's ability to accede to our request.  MOD 
contacts have advised repeatedly that there is no/no linkage 
between Italian decisions on that issue and on flags to posts 
-- and we believe that there is none.  However, Trupiano and 
other contacts have made clear that a "loss" on the latter 
issue would undermine Martino's political authority to push 
through commitments over his generals' objections.  End 
comment. 
 
5. (C)  Trupiano argued that the alliance's structural 
arrangements should reflect its realities, and that those 
realities demonstrate that Italy is playing a far more robust 
role than Gen. Kujat's proposal would indicate.  This means, 
for instance, that Italy should be included in the rotation 
of Deputy SACEUR duties.  Trupiano added that the Italian 
government's activities in support of US-sponsored 
initiatives were often carried out in the face of strong 
opposition in the arenas of domestic politics and public 
opinion.  Despite this, Berlusconi's government has stayed 
the course.  Any signal that Italy's importance to the 
alliance is being deprecated would only bolster those 
opposing such engagement. 
 
6. (C) In a separate Nov. 6 conversation, MFA NATO Office 
Director Giovanni Brauzzi reinforced Trupiano's points. 
Brauzzi noted pointedly that, so far as he knows, Secretary 
Rumsfeld has not responded to the objections Martino voiced 
last month.  Accordingly, Italy was surprised by Kujat's 
threat to move the issue forward without further discussion 
or revision. 
 
7. (C) Comment:  Italy wants recognition of the far more 
robust military role it has played in recent years.  It 
continues to back steps to make NATO structures more 
efficient, even when those moves are contrary to its narrower 
national interests (e.g., the departure of AirSouth).  That 
said, Italy is not beyond wanting to have it both ways. 
Indeed, Italy perceives that some allies are already having 
it both ways, since they have been far less supportive than 
Italy of alliance and other US-led initiatives but get more 
"respect" in projected flags to posts.  Martino, in 
particular, wants the US to address this perceived imbalance. 
End comment. 
SEMBLER 
 
 
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2003ROME05057 - Classification: SECRET