US embassy cable - 05ROME296

S E C R E T ROME 000296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MARR, MOPS, IZ, IT, UNSC, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: ITALY ON BOARD WITH EVOLVING MNF-I MISSION 
 
REF: A. STATE 15400 
 
B. ROME 262 
C. USNATO 54 
 
Classified By: Pol M/C Tom Countryman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 6. 
 
2. (C) Summary.  Italian MFA officials are well-aware of and 
comfortable with proposals for the MNF-I to shift some 
emphasis to training and increasing the capacity of Iraqi 
Security Forces.  Italy intends to maintain its current force 
level (and is encouraging others to do the same).  However, 
our interlocutors also stress the continuing importance of 
the role of international organizations such as NATO, the EU, 
and the UN in Iraqi reconstruction and stabilization efforts. 
End summary. 
 
3. (C) Poloff conveyed reftel demarche to MFA Iraq Task Force 
officer Damiano Francovigh and, separately, MFA NATO Office 
Director Giovanni Brauzzi on January 28.  Both contacts said 
that it was "well-known" that the MNF-I intends to devote 
more of its efforts to training Iraqi security forces in the 
future (Francovigh said the topic had come up in a recent 
phone call between NSA Hadley and his Italian counterpart, 
Giovanni Castellaneta).  Francovigh noted that the focus also 
should be on improving quality and not just quantity, since 
many of the personnel that have already undergone training 
are not ready operationally.  He also said that the MNF-I 
training should be complementary to multinational efforts, 
such as the NATO Training Mission (NTM-I) and EU 
reconstruction efforts (both of which Italy is involved in). 
He noted that the EU, at its January 31 meeting in Brussels, 
would discuss a paper proposing specific areas where the EU 
could provide assistance, such as judicial training and 
criminal procedures (Ref B). 
 
4. (C) Both contacts reiterated Italy's commitment to staying 
in Iraq.  (Comment. Despite much press speculation and calls 
by the opposition for troop withdrawal, the Italian 
government's official stance has not wavered.  End comment.) 
Francovigh said that Italy had recently demarched Ukraine on 
its announcement regarding a gradual troop withdrawal, but, 
due to President Yushchenko's recent inauguration, had not 
yet received a response. 
 
Questions from the Italians 
--------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Brauzzi wanted to know where the UNSC fit into the 
process.  Though he acknowledged that UNSC 1546 gave the MNF 
a mandate until completion of the political transition, he 
also noted that it called for a review of this mandate after 
one year.  (Comment.  Italian involvement in Iraq -- and any 
mission abroad -- is much more easily digested by the Italian 
public, and hence more easily justified by the government, 
when sanctioned by the UN or NATO.  End comment.) 
 
6. (S) Brauzzi also asked that we share the report from 
General Luck's assessment trip to Iraq (in which two Italians 
also participated) and that we confirm that the February 
22-23 MNF-I contributors' conference will be held in 
Bucharest (he thought it would be held in Poland).  Action 
request:  Please confirm conference locations and provide 
information on General Luck's trip that Post can share with 
the Italian government.  Please also provide current US 
thinking on the need for a new UNSC on Iraq. 
 
BAGHDAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
 
 
SKODON 
 
 
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2005ROME00296 - Classification: SECRET