US embassy cable - 02ROME3217

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003217 
 
SIPDIS 
 
(CORRECTED COPY - PARA NUMBERS) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2012 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IS, US, XF, IT, UN 
SUBJECT: ITALY: REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH 
ON THE MIDDLE EAST 
 
REF: SECSTATE 122320 
 
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CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POL MC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: THE GOI INITIALLY EXPRESSED GENERAL SUPPORT 
FOR THE PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH ON THE MIDDLE EAST 
TEMPERED WITH CONCERN OVER ARAFAT'S ROLE.  AFTER THE G8 
SUMMIT, WHERE PM AND ACTING FM BERLUSCONI HAD A CHANCE TO 
SPEAK WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AND WAS REPORTEDLY "OVERWHELMED" BY 
THE EVIDENCE LINKING ARAFAT AND THE PA TO TERRORISM, 
BERLUSCONI CHANGED HIS STAND ON ARAFAT.  HE HAS NOW SUGGESTED 
THAT ARAFAT STEP DOWN AS LEADER OF THE PA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) MFA SOURCES EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE 
PRESIDENT'S JUNE 24 SPEECH ON THE MIDDLE EAST, SAYING IT 
REFLECTED US WILLINGNESS TO COMMIT TO REACTIVATING THE PEACE 
PROCESS IN THE REGION.  MFA SOURCES ALSO NOTED THE POINTS OF 
CONVERGENCE WITH THE EU'S POSITION AT THE EU COUNCIL IN 
SEVILLE JUNE 21-22: TWO STATES, STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM, 
AND END OF OCCUPATION. 
 
3. (U) MFA SOURCES AGREED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT AND URGENT TO 
HOLD ELECTIONS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.  THEY STRESSED 
HOWEVER THAT ONLY THE PALESTINIANS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO 
CHOOSE THEIR LEADERSHIP.  SPEAKING PUBLICLY ON JUNE 25, 
ALFREDO MANTICA, THE MFA'S UNDER SECRETARY FOR AFRICA AND THE 
MIDDLE EAST, SAID "UNDOUBTEDLY, FOR THE AMERICANS TO CHOOSE 
ARAFAT AS A CONDITION FOR NON-PEACE IS A RISK.  THIS WILL 
CREATE DIFFICULTIES FOR BUSH WITH MANY EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS 
WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION.  EVEN WE ITALIANS HAVE 
REITERATED THAT ARAFAT IS THE LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF 
THE PALESTINIAN POPULATION AND THAT ONLY THE PALESTINIANS CAN 
CHOSE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE". 
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4. (U) BERLUSCONI ECHOED MANTICA'S VIEWS RIGHT BEFORE THE 
BEGINNING OF THE G8 SUMMIT IN KANANASKIS.  SPEAKING TO 
JOURNALISTS JUNE 26, HE SAID: "ARAFAT CERTAINLY IS AND WILL 
CONTINUE TO BE THE ELECTED LEADER OF THE PALESTINIANS."  IN 
RESPONSE TO A SPECIFIC QUESTION HOWEVER, BERLUSCONI SAID HE 
WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY WHETHER ARAFAT IS AN OBSTACLE THAT MUST 
BE REMOVED ONLY AFTER SPEAKING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH.  ONE DAY 
LATER, AFTER THE DINNER WITH PRESIDENT BUSH AND BEING 
REPORTEDLY OVERWHELMED BY THE INFORMATION LINKING ARAFAT AND 
THE PA TO TERRORISM, BERLUSCONI INVITED ARAFAT TO STEP ASIDE: 
"IF I WERE ARAFAT, I WOULD MAKE THE GREAT GESTURE THAT WOULD 
CONSECRATE HIM TO HISTORY AS A MAN WHO DID EVERYTHING FOR HIS 
COUNTRY."  BERLUSCONI WAS REPORTEDLY THE ONLY EUROPEAN LEADER 
TO STATE THAT ARAFAT SHOULD STEP DOWN FOR THE GOOD OF THE 
PALESTINIANS. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT: WHY SUCH A METAMORPHOSIS IN BERLUSCONI'S 
POSITION?  IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS INDEED PERSUADED BY 
EVIDENCE LINKING ARAFAT TO TERRORISM.  IT IS MORE LIKELY, 
HOWEVER, THAT BERLUSCONI SAW IN THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE 
SUPPORTIVE OF THE US WHEN SOME OTHER EU LEADERS, AND SOME KEY 
OFFICIALS WITHIN HIS OWN MFA, HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE US 
POSITION ON ARAFAT.  BERLUSCONI, WHO IS STILL ACTING FM, 
CONTINUES TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HE IS ONE 
OF OUR GREATEST SUPPORTERS IN THE EU.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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