US embassy cable - 03ROME5217

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005217 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EU, EUR/WE, SA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2013 
TAGS: MOPS, MASS, PREL, AF, IT, AFGHANISTAN 
SUBJECT: ITALY:  STILL CONSIDERING GHAZNI PRT 
 
REF: A. ROME 5121 
     B. ROME 5003 
     C. ROME 4933 
     D. STATE 317086 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINCOUNS JOHN BASS, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  DESPITE THE TERRORIST BOMBING OF ITALIAN 
CARABINIERI HEADQUARTERS IN IRAQ, WE BELIEVE ITALY CONTINUES 
TO GIVE FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION TO PROVIDING A PROVINCIAL 
RECONSTRUCTION TEAM (PRT) IN GHAZNI, AFGHANISTAN, ALTHOUGH A 
FINAL DECISION HAS NOT BEEN REACHED.  AN MOD-LED TEAM IS IN 
AFGHANISTAN STUDYING THE POSSIBILITY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  THE NOVEMBER 12 TERRORIST BOMBING IN NASIRIYA, IRAQ, 
WHICH KILLED 19 ITALIANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN, WORKING ON 
RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION IN THAT AREA (REF A), MAY 
HAVE SLOWED, BUT APPEARS NOT TO HAVE STOPPED, ITALIAN 
CONSIDERATION OF PROVIDING A PRT IN GHAZNI, AFGHANISTAN.  A 
UK PRT BRIEFING TEAM FOUND A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE AT ITS 
NOVEMBER 7 MEETINGS WITH ITALIAN OFFICIALS, ACCORDING TO OUR 
UK EMBASSY COLLEAGUES.  AT THAT TIME, PRIOR TO THE NASIRIYA 
ATTACK, THE MFA WAS MORE INTRIGUED BY THE SMALLER UK PRT 
MODEL, FOR WHICH IT BELIEVED IT COULD MORE EASILY SECURE 
PARLIAMENTARY BACKING.  THE MOD, HOWEVER, SEEMED EVEN THEN TO 
BE LEANING TOWARD THE GERMAN APPROACH.  AFTER NASIRIYA, UK 
POLOFF TOLD POL MINCOUNS THAT HE SUSPECTED THE ATTACK MIGHT 
PUSH THE ITALIANS TOWARD THE MORE ROBUST PRT MODEL.  THE 
GERMAN POLITICAL COUNSELOR OPINED TO POL MINCOUNS THAT AN 
ITALIAN PRT WOULD STILL BE DISPATCHED, BUT WOULD REQUIRE MORE 
    EXTENSIVE EXPLANATION AND DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. 
 
3.  (C)  MFA SPECIAL ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN DE MAIO TOLD 
POLOFF NOVEMBER 13 THAT THE ATTACK "COMPLICATED" 
CONSIDERATION OF A PRT AND MADE ACCEPTANCE OF GHAZNI AS A 
SITE THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.  (DE MAIO HAS PREVIOUSLY 
EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT INSECURITY IN GHAZNI.)  HE 
UNDERSCORED THE URGENCY OF CONFIRMING OEF PROTECTION AND 
ASSISTANCE IN THE EVENT IT WOULD BE NEEDED BY A PRT, IN THE 
WAKE OF ITALY'S TRAGIC LOSSES IN NASIRIYA.  WHILE DE MAIO WAS 
MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS THAN IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, HE DID NOT 
SUGGEST ITALY WOULD NO LONGER STAND UP A PRT, ONLY THAT THE 
SCENARIO HAD BEEN COMPLICATED AND THAT GHAZNI AS A SITE WAS 
MORE OFF-PUTTING TO THE ITALIANS.  HIS OFFICE CONFIRMED ON 
NOVEMBER 18 THAT AN EXPECTED MOD-LED RECONNAISSANCE TEAM WAS 
ALREADY IN AFGHANISTAN TO STUDY THE IDEA FURTHER.  ITALIAN 
CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST THAT IT LEAD A PRT WILL PROCEED 
WHEN THE TEAM RETURNS.  WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE BOMB ATTACK, 
DE MAIO ALSO NOTED THAT MONEY TO SUPPORT SENDING A PRT WOULD 
BE NEEDED; THE MORE ITALY GAVE IN ONE AREA, SUCH AS FOR 
AFGHAN ELECTIONS, THE LESS IT WOULD HAVE IN ANOTHER -- FOR 
INSTANCE, TO SUPPORT A PRT. 
 
4.  (C)  IN THE CONTEXT OF DISCUSSING REF D REQUEST FOR 
ADDITIONAL ISAF SUPPORT (FULL REPORT OF OUR CONTACTS ON THAT 
DEMARCHE SEPTEL), MFA NATO OFFICE DIRECTOR GIOVANNI BRAUZZI 
ASKED POLMILOFF HOW THE NEW REQUEST FOR HELICOPTERS FOR ISAF 
FIT INTO THE USG'S OTHER REQUESTS FOR ITALIAN SUPPORT IN 
AFGHANISTAN.  HE SPECULATED THAT PROVIDING THE HELOS COULD 
POSSIBLY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO STAND-UP A PRT, AND ASKED 
IF ONE WERE A GREATER PRIORITY THAN THE OTHER. 

5.  (C)  COMMENT:  WHILE THE DEATHS FROM THE ATTACK IN 
NASIRIYA WERE A BODY BLOW TO ITALY AND CANNOT BUT AFFECT ITS 
CONSIDERATION OF FURTHER DANGEROUS MILITARY DEPLOYMENTS, WE 
HAVE SO FAR RECEIVED NO INDICATION THAT IT HAS STYMIED 
ITALIAN CONSIDERATION TO SUPPORT A PRT IN AFGHANISTAN.  THE 
PROCESS MAY HAVE BEEN SLOWED, AND THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE 
MAY BE TOUGH, BUT WE DO NOT THINK IT IS DEAD.  WE CONTINUE 
OUR EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE A POSITIVE DECISION.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME05217 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL