US embassy cable - 01VATICAN2867

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 002867 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR: NEA/IAI, EUR/WE 
 
FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 76/001 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/06 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, XR, VT 
SUBJECT:  REINVIGORATING THE MEPP? KISSINGER VISITS THE 
 
 
VATICAN 
 
REF:  A) STATE 89338 
 
CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE JOSEPH MERANTE, REASONS E.O. 12958 
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(B) ,  (D) . 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY:  HENRY KISSINGER MET WITH VATICAN PRIME 
MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER ON MAY 22.   THE VATICAN 
STRESSED THE NEED FOR AN "INTERNATIONAL FORCE" TO KEEP THE 
ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS APART.  IN A SUBSEQUENT 
CONVERSATION, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TOLD CHARGE THAT THE 
VATICAN IS NOW PROPOSING AN INTERNATIONAL FORCE.  IN 
ADDITION, IT PLANS TO SEND A "SPECIAL ENVOY" TO ISRAEL AND 
THE TERRITORIES.  JERUSALEM HAS REACTED COOLLY TO BOTH 
PROPOSALS.  VATICAN RESPONSE TO REFTEL FOCUSED ON NEED FOR 
IMMEDIATE STOP TO VIOLENCE LEST "HABITS OF WAR" BECOME SET. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER VISITED 
VATICAN CITY MAY 22-23.  HE WAS IN ITALY IN HIS CAPACITY AS 
THE CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY BOARD OF BOOZ/ALLEN, WHICH WAS 
HOLDING ITS ANNUAL MEETING.  DR. KISSINGER MET VATICAN 
PRIME MINISTER SODANO AND FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN EVENING 
OF MAY 22.  KISSINGER BRIEFED CHARGE MORNING OF MAY 23. 
THE FORMER SECRETARY SAID THAT THE MEETING FOCUSED ON THE 
SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.  THE VATICAN REPEATED ITS 
CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEES FOR THE HOLY SITES, AND 
GAVE DR. KISSINGER A NON-PAPER (FAXED TO EUR/WE MAY 24). 
IN ADDITION, SODANO AND TAURAN STRESSED THE NEED FOR AN 
"INTERNATIONAL FORCE" TO KEEP THE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS 
APART.  CHARGE ACCOMPANIED DR. KISSINGER TO A PRESENTATION 
TO THE POPE ON THE MORNING OF MAY 23.  THE POPE LOOKED 
EXTREMELY WEAK, AND APPEARED NOT TO RECOGNIZE DR. 
KISSINGER.  AFTER THE THREE MINUTE MEETING WITH THE POPE, 
DR. KISSINGER REMARKED TO THE CHARGE THAT THE POPE SEEMED 
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TO BE UNAWARE OF HIS IDENTITY. 
 
3.  (C) CHARGE SPOKE TO ISRAELI AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LAMDAN 
EVENING OF MAY 23.  THE AMBASSADOR USED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO 
TELL CHARGE THAT THE VATICAN HAS BEEN RAISING THE IDEA OF 
AN "INTERNATIONAL FORCE".  LAMDAN SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT 
RESPONDED VERY "COLDLY" TO THE IDEA.  HE ALSO TOLD CHARGE 
THAT THE VATICAN TOLD HIM IT WOULD SEND A "SPECIAL ENVOY" 
TO ISRAEL AND THE TERRITORIES.  AMBASSADOR LAMDAN SAID THAT 
AT FIRST, JERUSALEM SAID IT WOULDN'T RECEIVE HIM, BUT IS 
NOW RECONSIDERING. 
 
4.  (C) POLOFF SUBSEQUENTLY MET WITH VATICAN MIDDLE EAST 
DIRECTOR GIOVANNI D'ANIELLO MAY 24 TO SHARE REFTEL POINTS 
ON US REENGAGEMENT IN THE MEPP AND TO PASS HIM A COPY OF 
SUMMARY OF MITCHELL REPORT TAKEN FROM INTERNET.  D'ANIELLO 
THANKED US FOR THE PAPER (NOTE: DESPITE THEIR FOCUS ON THE 
NEW MILLENNIUM, THE CURIA IS NOT YET FULLY WIRED). 
D'ANIELLO, INVOKING THE POPE'S SUNDAY HOMILY, SAID IT IS 
MOST IMPORTANT NOW FOR THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS 
TO HAVE THE POLITICAL COURAGE TO STOP THE VIOLENCE.  FROM 
THAT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS POSSIBLE.  D'ANIELLO NOTED THE 
EXISTENCE OF A NUMBER OF PLANS AND INTERNATIONAL 
INSTRUMENTS FOR PROGRAMMING CONFIDENCE BUILDING -- BUT CAME 
BACK TO THE NEED FOR THE VIOLENCE TO STOP FIRST.  IF REAL 
PROGRESS IS NOT SHOWN NOW, HE FEARED THAT PEOPLE, BOTH IN 
THE REGION AND INTERNATIONALLY, WILL BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO 
THE VIOLENCE AND THE CONFLICT WOULD GRIND ON INDEFINITELY. 
HE DID UNDERSCORE THE VATICAN'S POSITION THAT THE HOLY 
SITES IN JERUSALEM SHOULD COME UNDER INTERNATIONAL 
GUARANTEES, AND HE AVERRED THAT REACHING AN AGREEMENT TO 
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THAT END WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS BUILDING CONFIDENCE. 
HE TOO SAID THAT THE VATICAN SUPPORTS THE DEPLOYMENT OF AN 
INTERNATIONAL FORCE TO ENSURE PEACE, BUT HE DIDN'T SHARE 
WITH POLOFF ANY HINT OF A VATICAN SPECIAL ENVOY. 
MERANTE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 

 2001VATICA02867 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL