US embassy cable - 03ROME5688

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ROME 005688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2013 
TAGS: MCAP, PREL, IT, NATO 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ADDRESSES EUROPEAN 
SECURITY 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Tom Countryman for Reasons 
1.5(b)(d) 
 
1. (U) Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino reiterated 
the need for Europe to improve actual military capabilities 
while building a European security concept that continues to 
features NATO as its core.  Speaking at the Italian Defense 
Academy recently, Martino noted that the traditional, narrow 
concept of European defense is expanding to reflect a wider, 
collective security concept aimed at guaranteeing stability, 
preventing conflicts, battling global terrorism and halting 
the spread of weapons of mass destruction. 
 
2. (U) NATO will continue to be indispensable, Martino 
emphasized, adding that any detachment from NATO must 
absolutely be avoided as it would be overly ambitious, 
duplicative and wasteful.  Europe should aim at creating an 
effective force that can act under NATO or European command, 
and should take advantage of the experience and cooperative 
mechanisms already in place, adjusting them if needed, he 
stated.  Other EU DefMins had responded positively to Italy's 
plan for achieving by 2010 an interoperable European force 
that can conduct any type of mission, anywhere, Martino 
noted, a goal set by Javier Solana in June 2003. 
 
3. (U) Martino said he is less worried about the particulars 
of EU defense concepts than he is about the growing gap 
between US and European capabilities.  He blamed excessive 
media attention for generating unwarranted fears about 
autonomous EU defense plans.  The greater risk, according to 
Martino, is the qualitative and quantitative gap between US 
and European capabilities, which makes it increasingly 
difficult to conduct joint operations.  The EU spends about 
one-half of what the US spends on defense but gets only about 
ten percent of the capability the US attains.  The deficit 
results from each EU member trying to have a complete 
repertoire of capabilities, which results in inefficient 
duplications that reduce the EU's overall capacity, he 
explained.  Within the EU, as between the EU and NATO, the 
goal must be complementarity, not duplication or competition. 
 
4. (U) The proposed European Defense Agency will be an 
important step toward more efficient collaboration and use of 
limited resources, Martino said.  The Agency will have a 
central role in coordinating the policies of various sectors, 
overcoming duplications and harmonizing investments in 
research, development and acquisition of armaments.  Europe 
needs to create a more efficient, expanded arms market that 
operates beyond narrow national interests for a more 
collective, continental approach, according to Martino. 
Consolidating and strengthening the industrial base and 
defense technology will benefit each EU member as well as the 
EU and NATO, he said, and will contribute to the development 
of national and European technology and production 
capabilities.   Martino noted Italy's efforts, as EU 
President, to accelerate the creation of the Agency, which he 
said represents a fundamental step in the construction of EU 
defense and security. 
 
5. (U) What this means for Italy, according to Martino, is 
that defense spending must be linked to a smooth and rapid 
modernization of the Italian military.  Failure in the past 
to spend on recapitalization measures must now be remedied, 
despite the shortage of resources and current difficult 
economic conditions.  The resources that are available should 
be concentrated on filling essential missing capabilities. 
 
6. (U) Martino also stressed the importance of remaining in 
Iraq until a functioning democracy and economy have been 
established. (Comment: Even before the November 12 bombing of 
the Carabinieri headquarters in Nassiyria that killed 19 
Italians, Martino encouraged Italy to extend its 
participation in Iraqi reconstruction.  He has become more 
public and more ardent about the need for Italy to stay since 
those Italian lives were lost.) 
 
7. (C) Comment.  Martino's message on building capabilities 
as the best way to strengthen European security is one he has 
delivered consistently and fervently since becoming defense 
minister in 2001.  He has pushed the point hard during 
Italy's EU Presidency, both within the EU and NATO, always 
stressing that NATO is, and must remain, the primary security 
organization.  Most importantly, he practices what he 
preaches by using Italy's limited defense funds to transform 
and improve Italian military capabilities in ways that 
 
 
strengthen the NATO alliance.  End Comment. 
SEMBLER 
 
 
NNNN 
	2003ROME05688 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL