US embassy cable - 04ROME2115

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002115 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2014 
TAGS: PREL, IT, IZ, UNSC, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: ITALY HOPES FOR EARLY SECURITY COUNCIL 
RESOLUTION 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON, PARA 1.5 B AND D. 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  WITH THE PLANNED VISIT OF PRESIDENT BUSH IN 
EARLY JUNE, ITALY WANTS TO FOCUS PUBLIC ATTENTION ON IRAQ,S 
NEW POLITICAL PHASE AND THE CONSENSUS AND DETERMINATION OF 
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ASSIST IRAQIS IN THAT PROCESS. 
ITALY HOPES FOR AN EARLY ADOPTION OF A SECURITY COUNCIL 
RESOLUTION ON IRAQ, AND IS WORKING WITH FRANCE, GERMANY, AND 
RUSSIA AND OTHERS TO ENCOURAGE A COOPERATIVE APPROACH. 
SENIOR OFFICIALS BELIEVE FRANCE WANTS AGREEMENT BEFORE THE 
JUNE 6 NORMANDY EVENTS, AND URGE US FLEXIBILITY IN 
STRENGTHENING/INSERTING RESOLUTION REFERENCES TO IRAQI 
SOVEREIGNTY, ONGOING CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE NEW IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT AND MULTINATIONAL FORCES, RESPECT FOR HUMAN 
RIGHTS, AND AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.  ITALY APPEARS 
UNLIKELY TO COMMIT TO A PRT OR FSB IN AFGHANISTAN UNTIL 
IRAQ,S POST-JUNE STATUS, AND KEY ASPECTS OF THE 
MULTINATIONAL FORCE - IN WHICH ITALY WILL CONTINUE TO 
PARTICIPATE - ARE CLARIFIED (AFGHANISTAN DETAILS WILL BE 
REPORTED SEPTEL).  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) DCM, ACCOMPANIED BY POL-MIL COUNSELOR, MET ON MAY 27 
WITH MFA SECRETARY GENERAL UMBERTO VATTANI AND ON MAY 28 WITH 
PM BERLUSCONI,S DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR, GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA. 
TOPICS INCLUDED PLANS FOR THE PRESIDENT,S JUNE 4-5 VISIT, 
IRAQ, AND AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEL).  ON IRAQ, BOTH STRESSED THE 
NEED TO FOCUS PUBLIC ATTENTION ON THE NEW POLITICAL PHASE 
IRAQ IS ENTERING, AS A NEW SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENT MOVES TOWARD 
ELECTIONS, AND ON THE COMMITMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY (AND THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS) IN ASSISTING 
THAT PROCESS.  ACCORDINGLY, THE MILITARY/SECURITY ASPECTS OF 
THE MULTINATIONAL FORCE - WHILE VITAL TO ENSURING THE NEXT 
PHASE OF IRAQ,S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT - SHOULD BE GIVEN LESS 
PUBLIC/PUBLIC EMPHASIS. 
 
3. (C) BOTH EXPRESSED THE STRONG HOPE THAT EFFORTS TO REACH 
AGREEMENT ON A SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION WILL SUCCEED 
BEFORE THE PRESIDENT,S VISIT TO ITALY, WHICH WILL 
COMMEMORATE THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROME,S LIBERATION.  BOTH 
OFFICIALS TOLD DCM THAT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT IS REACHING 
OUT TO THE FRENCH, GERMANS, RUSSIANS, AND CHINESE TO COUNSEL 
A COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH IN NEW YORK.  THEY 
EXPECT GERMANY AND CHINA TO POSE FEW DIFFICULTIES, INDICATING 
THEIR GREATEST CONCERN IS FRANCE.  CASTELLANETA DID NOTE, 
HOWEVER, THAT A FRENCH INTERLOCUTOR (NFI) HAD INDICATED TO 
HIM THAT PARIS WANTS AGREEMENT ON A SECURITY COUNCIL 
RESOLUTION BEFORE THE PRESIDENT,S JUNE 5-6 VISIT TO NORMANDY. 
 
4. (C) BOTH OFFICIALS URGED THE US TO SUPPORT CHANGES TO THE 
RESOLUTION,S DRAFT TEXT THAT WOULD REITERATE SUPPORT FOR 
IRAQI SOVEREIGNTY, COMMIT TO FULL SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, 
AND INDICATE THAT CONSULTATION BETWEEN THE NEW IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT AND MULTINATIONAL FORCES IN IRAQ WOULD BE ONGOING. 
VATTANI IN PARTICULAR VOICED SUPPORT FOR LANGUAGE SUPPORTING 
BRAHIMI,S "LIST" AND THE INTENTION TO CONVENE AN 
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AT SOME UNSPECIFIED FUTURE DATE. 
VATTANI DISMISSED AS "RUBBISH" FRENCH EFFORTS TO SECURE "MORE 
DETAIL ON REVENUES" IN PARAS 15 AND 16. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT.  THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT FACES A CENTER-LEFT 
OPPOSITION INCREASINGLY UNIFIED IN CALLING FOR WITHDRAWAL 
FROM IRAQ.  IT IS HOPING A NEW SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 
WILL EMPHASIZE THE ASCENDANCY OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS ALONG 
WITH THE VITAL ROLE OF THE MULTINATIONAL FORCE IN POST-JUNE 
30 IRAQ, AND THE FACT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS 
WORKING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN 
IRAQ.  SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT WOULD, INTER ALIA, BLUNT 
OPPOSITION CRITICISM OF ITALY,S IRAQ POLICY IN THE RUN-UP TO 
THE MID-JUNE LOCAL AND EURO-PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. 
WHATEVER THE SUCCESS OF SECURITY COUNCIL EFFORTS, HOWEVER, WE 
REMAIN CONFIDENT THAT THIS GOVERNMENT WILL EXTEND ITS IRAQ 
DEPLOYMENT INTO JULY AND BEYOND. 
 
6. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SEMBLER 
 
NNNN 
2004ROME02115 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL