US embassy cable - 04ROME638

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000638 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
    E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PGOV, MOPS, EAID, MCAP, IZ, IT, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN SENATE APPROVES FUNDING FOR MILITARY 
MISSIONS ABROAD 
 
 
1.  ON FEBRUARY 18, THE ITALIAN SENATE APPROVED THE 
GOVERNMENT DECREE EXTENDING UNTIL JUNE 30, 2004, FUNDING 
FOR ITALY'S PARTICIPATION IN ALL THE MILITARY MISSIONS IN 
WHICH IT IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED ABROAD, INCLUDING IRAQ. 
WHILE APPROVAL OF THE DECREE WAS ASSURED BY THE GOVERNING 
COALITION'S SOLID MAJORITY, THE DEBATE OVER CONTINUED 
PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ WAS HEATED AND CONTENTIOUS.  THE 
FINAL VOTE WAS 153 IN FAVOR, 42 AGAINST, AND ONE 
ABSTENTION, IN ERROR.  ALTHOUGH 83 SENATORS DID NOT 
PARTICIPATE IN THE VOTE, THEY DID NOT WALK OUT, AS 
THREATENED, EITHER.  (A WALK-OUT COUNTS AS A VOTE AGAINST 
UNDER SENATE RULES.)  THE DECREE WILL NOW GO TO THE CHAMBER 
OF DEPUTIES FOR DEBATE AND APPROVAL, WHICH IS TENTATIVELY 
SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 8.  PARA 5 PROVIDES A LIST 
OF THE MISSIONS FOR WHICH FUNDING WAS APPROVED BY THE 
SENATE. 
 
2.  THE SENATORS WHO VOTED IN FAVOR WERE ALL FROM THE 
CENTER-RIGHT MAJORITY, SAVE RARE EXCEPTIONS.  THOSE WHO 
VOTED AGAINST INCLUDED, AS EXPECTED, THE GREENS, COMMUNIST 
RENEWAL (RC), THE COMMUNIST PARTY (PDCI), AND THE LEFT WING 
OF THE LEADING OPPOSITION PARTY, DEMOCRATS OF THE LEFT 
(DS).  UNEXPECTEDLY, THE NO'S ALS INCLUDED 16 MAINSTREAM 
DS SENATORS AND FOUR FROM EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT PRODI'S 
PARTY, THE DAISY.  THE 83 WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE 
VOTE WERE ALL FROM WHAT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO HERE AS 
    PRODI'S "TRICYCLE", I.E. THE COALITION WITHIN THE CENTER- 
LEFT OF DS, SOCIALISTS SDI, AND THE DAISY.  THEY DID NOT 
WANT TO FORMALLY ABSTAIN, BECAUSE IN THE SENATE FORMAL 
ABSTENTIONS ARE COUNTED AS NEGATIVE VOTES.  THEY DID NOT 
WALK OUT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE BLATANTLY SUGGESTED THE 
TROOPS DID NOT HAVE THEIR MORAL SUPPORT.  THEY STAYED, 
WITHOUT VOTING, TO SIGNIFY THEIR DISAGREEMENT WITH THE 
GOVERNMENT POSITION ON IRAQ.  THEY WANT THE UN TO 
IMMEDIATELY TAKE ON A LEAD ROLE IN IRAQ, A DEMOCRATIC 
CONSTITUTION NOW, A FIRM ELECTORAL CALENDAR TO BE 
ESTABLISHED, AND MULTINATIONAL TROOPS UNDER UN AUSPICES IN 
PLACE.  THEY ALSO WANT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ADMIT THAT 
THE WAR WAS A MISTAKE AND THAT SENDING THE TROOPS HAS 
FUELED TERRORISM INSTEAD OF STOPPING IT. 
 
3.  THE OPPOSITION WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO VOTE ON FUNDING 
FOR THE IRAQ MISSION SEPARATELY FROM THE OTHER MILITARY 
MISSIONS; IT WOULD THEN HAVE APPROVED ALL THE MISSIONS 
EXCEPT IRAQ, AS IT DID DURING THE PREVIOUS VOTE EXTENDING 
FUNDING IN JULY 2003.  THE GOVERNMENT REJECTED THAT 
COMPROMISE APPROACH THIS TIME AND INSISTED ON ONE VOTE ON 
THE ENTIRE PACKAGE.  AS CENTER-RIGHT FORZA ITALIA SENATE 
GROUP LEADER SCHIFANI TOLD THE FLOOR, ITALY DID NOT FIGHT 
THE WAR IN IRAQ, NOR DID IT AUTHORIZE THE USE OF ITS BASES 
FOR DIRECT ATTACKS ON IRAQ.  ALL THE MILITARY MISSIONS 
ITALY IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN, HE SAID, ARE PEACE MISSIONS, 
AND ALL SERVE TO HOLD WAR BACK.  HENCE THE REASON FOR THE 
GOVERNMENT'S DECISION NOT TO SPLIT THE VOTE IN TWO. 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE AND THE DIVISIONS 
IT PRODUCED WITHIN THE CENTER-LEFT, MOD MARTINO REGRETTED 
    THERE WAS NOT WIDER CONSENSUS, SAYING THE OPPOSITION WAS 
STILL LOOKING AT THE PAST, INSTEAD OF PROJECTING ITS VISION 
TO THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE.  MARTINO CITED GERMAN FM 
FISCHER, WHO AT THE 40TH MUNICH CONFERENCE ON SECURITY 
POLICY FEBRUARY 7 SAID, "REGARDLESS OF OUR OPINION OF THE 
WAR, WE HAVE TO WIN THE PEACE TOGETHER, BECAUSE OTHERWISE 
WE WILL LOSE TOGETHER.  WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD....  THE 
FORCES OF VIOLENCE AND TERROR IN IRAQ MUST NOT WIN THE 
UPPER HAND." 
 
5.  THE SUM TOTAL APPROVED BY THE SENATE IS A LITTLE OVER 
EURO 550.640.000 (ABOUT USD 700,415,000).  BREAKING IT 
DOWN, FUNDS FOR THE MILITARY MISSION IN IRAQ BY ITELF 
AMOUNT TO A LITTLE OVER EURO 209.000.000 (ABUT USD 
265,848,000), WHILE FUNDS FOR THE HUMANITRIAN AND 
RECONSTRUCTION MISSION THERE TOTAL A LITLE OVER EURO 
11.627.000 (ABOUT USD 14,789,500).  MILITARY PARTICIPATION 
IN ALL THE OTHER INTERNATONAL MISSIONS ADDS UP TO JUST 
UNDER EURO 293.000000 (ABOUT USD 372,696,000).  BELOW IS A 
LIST OF THE MILITARY, CIVILIAN, AND POLICE MISSIONS FOR 
 
ROME 00000638  001.2 OF 002 
 
30, 2004, FUNDING 
FOR ITALY'S PARTICIPATION IN ALL THE MILITARY MISSIONS IN 
WHICH IT IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED ABROAD, INCLUDING IRAQ. 
WHILE APPROVAL OF THE DECREE WAS ASSURED BY THE GOVERNING 
COALITION'S SOLID MAJORITY, THE DEBATE OVER CONTINUED 
PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ WAS HEATED AND CONTENTIOUS.  THE 
FINAL VOTE WAS 153 IN FAVOR, 42 AGAINST, AND ONE 
ABSTENTION, IN ERROR.  ALTHOUGH 83 SENATORS DID NOT 
PARTICIPATE IN THE VOTE, THEY DID NOT WALK OUT, AS 
THREATENED, EITHER.  (A WALK-OUT COUNTS AS A VOTE AGAINST 
UNDER SENATE RULES.)  THE DECREE WILL NOW GO TO THE CHAMBER 
OF DEPUTIES FOR DEBATE AND APPROVAL, WHICH IS TENTATIVELY 
SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 8.  PARA 5 PROVIDES A LIST 
OF THE MISSIONS FOR WHICH FUNDING WAS APPROVED BY THE 
SENATE. 
 
2.  THE SENATORS WHO VOTED IN FAVOR WERE ALL FROM THE 
CENTER-RIGHT MAJORITY, SAVE RARE EXCEPTIONS.  THOSE WHO 
VOTED AGAINST INCLUDED, AS EXPECTED, THE GREENS, COMMUNIST 
RENEWAL (RC), THE COMMUNIST PARTY (PDCI), AND THE LEFT WING 
OF THE LEADING OPPOSITION PARTY, DEMOCRATS OF THE LEFT 
(DS).  UNEXPECTEDLY, THE NO'S ALSO INCLUDED 16 MAINSTREAM 
DS SENATORS AND FOUR FROM EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT PRODI'S 
PARTY, THE DAISY.  THE 83 WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE 
VOTE WERE ALL FROM WHAT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO HERE AS 
    PRODI'S "TRICYCLE", I.E. THE COALITION WITHIN THE CENTER- 
LEFT OF DS, SOCIALISTS SDI, AND THE DAISY.  THEY DID NOT 
WANT TO FORMALLY ABSTAIN, BECAUSE IN THE SENATE FORMAL 
ABSTENTIONS ARE COUNTED AS NEGATIVE VOTES.  THEY DID NOT 
WALK OUT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE BLATANTLY SUGGESTED THE 
TROOPS DID NOT HAVE THEIR MORAL SUPPORT.  THEY STAYED, 
WITHOUT VOTING, TO SIGNIFY THEIR DISAGREEMENT WITH THE 
GOVERNMENT POSITION ON IRAQ.  THEY WANT THE UN TO 
IMMEDIATELY TAKE ON A LEAD ROLE IN IRAQ, A DEMOCRATIC 
CONSTITUTION NOW, A FIRM ELECTORAL CALENDAR TO BE 
ESTABLISHED, AND MULTINATIONAL TROOPS UNDER UN AUSPICES IN 
PLACE.  THEY ALSO WANT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ADMIT THAT 
THE WAR WAS A MISTAKE AND THAT SENDING THE TROOPS HAS 
FUELED TERRORISM INSTEAD OF STOPPING IT. 
 
3.  THE OPPOSITION WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO VOTE ON FUNDING 
FOR THE IRAQ MISSION SEPARATELY FROM THE OTHER MILITARY 
MISSIONS; IT WOULD THEN HAVE APPROVED ALL THE MISSIONS 
EXCEPT IRAQ, AS IT DID DURING THE PREVIOUS VOTE EXTENDING 
FUNDING IN JULY 2003.  THE GOVERNMENT REJECTED THAT 
COMPROMISE APPROACH THIS TIME AND INSISTED ON ONE VOTE ON 
THE ENTIRE PACKAGE.  AS CENTER-RIGHT FORZA ITALIA SENATE 
GROUP LEADER SCHIFANI TOLD THE FLOOR, ITALY DID NOT FIGHT 
THE WAR IN IRAQ, NOR DID IT AUTHORIZE THE USE OF ITS BASES 
FOR DIRECT ATTACKS ON IRAQ.  ALL THE MILITARY MISSIONS 
ITALY IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN, HE SAID, ARE PEACE MISSIONS, 
AND ALL SERVE TO HOLD WAR BACK.  HENCE THE REASON FOR THE 
GOVERNMENT'S DECISION NOT TO SPLIT THE VOTE IN TWO. 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE RESULTS OF THE VOTE AND THE DIVISIONS 
IT PRODUCED WITHIN THE CENTER-LEFT, MOD MARTINO REGRETTED 
    THERE WAS NOT WIDER CONSENSUS, SAYING THE OPPOSITION WAS 
STILL LOOKING AT THE PAST, INSTEAD OF PROJECTING ITS VISION 
TO THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE.  MARTINO CITED GERMAN FM 
FISCHER, WHO AT THE 40TH MUNICH CONFERENCE ON SECURITY 
POLICY FEBRUARY 7 SAID, "REGARDLESS OF OUR OPINION OF THE 
WAR, WE HAVE TO WIN THE PEACE TOGETHER, BECAUSE OTHERWISE 
WE WILL LOSE TOGETHER.  WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD....  THE 
FORCES OF VIOLENCE AND TERROR IN IRAQ MUST NOT WIN THE 
UPPER HAND." 
 
5.  THE SUM TOTAL APPROVED BY THE SENATE IS A LITTLE OVER 
EURO 550.640.000 (ABOUT USD 700,415,000).  BREAKING IT 
DOWN, FUNDS FOR THE MILITARY MISSION IN IRAQ BY ITSELF 
AMOUNT TO A LITTLE OVER EURO 209.000.000 (ABOUT USD 
265,848,000), WHILE FUNDS FOR THE HUMANITARIAN AND 
RECONSTRUCTION MISSION THERE TOTAL A LITTLE OVER EURO 
11.627.000 (ABOUT USD 14,789,500).  MILITARY PARTICIPATION 
IN ALL THE OTHER INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS ADDS UP TO JUST 
UNDER EURO 293.000.000 (ABOUT USD 372,696,000).  BELOW IS A 
LIST OF THE MILITARY, CIVILIAN, AND POLICE MISSIONS FOR 
 
ROME 00000638  002 OF 002 
 
SION TO GUARANTEE CONDITIONS OF SECURITY FOR THE 
HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION AND THE STABILIZATION PROCESS. 
-- BOSNIA: JOINT FORGE AND OVER THE HORIZON FORCE. 
-- BOSNIA AND KOSOVO: MULTINATIONAL SPECIALIZED UNIT (MSU). 
-- KOSOVO AND FYROM: JOINT GUARDIAN (INCLUDES KFOR). 
-- FYROM: NATO HEADQUARTERS SKOPJE (NATO HQS). 
-- KOSOVO: UN MISSION IN KOSOVO (UNMIK) AND CRIMINAL 
INTELLIGENCE UNIT (CIU). 
-- ALBANIA: ALBIT, ALBANIA 2, AND NATO HEADQUARTERS TIRANA 
(NATO HQT). 
-- TERRITORIES: TEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE IN HEBRON 
(TIPH2). 
-- ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA: UN MISSION IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA 
(UNMEE). 
-- AFGHANISTAN: ENDURING FREEDOM, ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, 
RESOLUTE BEHAVIOR, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE 
(ISAF). 
-- EX-YUGOSLAVIA: EU MONITORING MISSION (EUMM). 
-- SOMALIA AND SUDAN: PARTICIPATION IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS 
AND MONITORING MISSION ON SUDAN'S NUBA MOUNTAINS. 
-- ALBANIA AND BALKANS: STATE POLICE PARTICIPATION IN 
POLICE COOPERATION PROGRAMS. 
-- BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: STATE AND MILITARY (CARABINIERI) 
    POLICE PARTICIPATION IN EU POLICE MISSION (EUPM). 
-- FYROM: STATE AND MILITARY (CARABINIERI) POLICE 
PARTICIPATION IN EU MISSION (EUPO PROXIMA). 
 
6.  CPA BAGHDAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
SKODON 
 
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 2004ROME00638 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED