US embassy cable - 04ROME4093

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2014 
TAGS: MOPS, MARR, PREL, IT, AF, IZ, NATO, IRAQI FREEDOM, AFGHANISTAN 
SUBJECT: ITALY: IRAQ NATO MISSION AND ISAF PRT/FSB - 
FOLLOWING UP ON SECDEF-MARTINO MEETING IN ROMANIA 
 
REF: A) ROME 3849 B) ROME 2913 C) ROME 2122 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR 
TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) In an October 22 discussion with PolMilCouns and ODC 
Chief, Diplomatic Advisor to the Italian Minister of Defense 
Francesco Trupiano and Italian J3 MG Giuseppe Marani said 
that at present, Italy was not considering contributing 
additional training assets to the NATO mission in Iraq, but 
was committed to coordinating the bilateral training 
assistance it had already established there within the NATO 
training framework.  They said that given Italy's "exposure" 
elsewhere in Iraq and in Afghanistan, it would be extremely 
difficult for Italy to contribute any troops for force 
protection to the NATO mission.  There are currently some 15 
Italian trainers in Iraq as a bilateral contribution, and in 
November, Italy will begin training 60 senior Iraqi officers 
and 20 civilian Iraqi Defense Ministry managers in Italy, 
training programs that Italy is prepared to coordinate within 
the NATO training framework.  In addition, the Italian troops 
in Nassiriyah are doing some local training, according to 
Trupiano and Marani. 
 
2. (C) On the possibility of future Italian PRT or FSB 
participation in Afghanistan, Marani pointed out that Italy 
is presently contributing approx. 500 troops to ISAF and 
another 500 to election support, and will be taking lead 
nation responsibility for ISAF in August 2005.  Trupiano 
noted that Parliamentary elections still must be held, and 
that Italy may be asked to provide election support for them 
as well.  Any PRT contribution, he said, must be considered 
in this context.  He said that in Romania, DefMin Martino had 
repeated Italy's standing position that it could help run a 
PRT, but could not do it by itself, and suggested there may 
be a chance to partner with the Canadians.  Trupiano and 
Marani were less enthusiastic about the possibility of Italy 
running an FSB, but said Italy could contribute to one run by 
another nation.  In response to our questioning, Marani and 
Trupiano said Italy could make PRT or FSB contributions in 
the near term (i.e., even prior to taking on ISAF leadership 
next August), depending on what support Italy was asked to 
provide for Parliamentary elections and on timing. 
 
3. (U) Minimize Considered. 
 
 
SEMBLER 
 
 
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2004ROME04093 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL