US embassy cable - 02ROME5125

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2012 
TAGS: PREL, SY, LE, IT, SY, LE, IT, IZ, IZPREL 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN MFA ON LEBANON-ISRAEL WATER ISSUE, SYRIA, 
AND PEACE PROCESS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05125  01 OF 02  212149Z 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN 
FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: MFA REPORTS THAT THE ITALIAN WATER EXPERT 
CURRENTLY WORKING THE ISRAELI-LEBANESE WATER DISPUTE MAY SEEK 
TO HELP BROKER A LONGER-TERM, BROADER SHARING AGREEMENT, BUT 
AS AN EU INITIATIVE, NOT AN ITALIAN EFFORT.  ROME RECEIVED 
THE PITCH FROM LEBANESE FINANCE MINISTER SINIORA ON THE EU 
GUARANTEEING BONDS FOR LEBANON.  SYRIAN FM AL-SHAR'A LEFT 
OPEN THE POSSIBILITY OF SYRIA FIGHTING IRAQ IF SADDAM STRIKES 
ANOTHER ARAB STATE.  ITALY IS PREPARED TO PROPOSE A CANDIDATE 
FOR EU SPECIAL ENVOY IF MORATINOS STEPS DOWN.  THE GOI TURNED 
DOWN A SAUDI DEMARCHE ASKING FOR A STATEMENT CONDEMNING 
RECENT US LEGISLATION ON JERUSALEM.  END SUMMARY 
 
------------------------------------- 
ON THE ISRAEL/PALESTINE WATER DISPUTE 
------------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) LUCA FERRARI, EASTERN MED OFFICE DIRECTOR, TOLD POLMC 
AND NEA WATCHER THAT MAZZITTI, THE EU WATER EXPERT, AN 
ITALIAN, WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN IN RECENT MEETINGS IN THE 
REGION THAT THE ISRAELIS WERE NOT AUTOMATICALLY NEGATIVE ON 
THE IDEA OF AN EU ROLE IN HELPING TO MONITOR AND POSSIBLY 
NEGOTIATE, IN THE LONGER TERM, AN ACCORD ON WATER SHARING. 
THE EXPERT'S EFFORTS ARE AND WILL REMAIN AN EU AFFAIR.  THE 
GOI HAS NO INTENTIONS TO BECOME INVOLVED BILATERALLY, NOR TO 
PAY FOR PUMPS OR METERS, ADDED FERRARI. 
 
3. (C) ROME HOSTED OCTOBER 7 THE LEBANESE FINANCE MINISTER 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  05125  01 OF 02  212149Z 
FUAD SINIORA, WHO PRESENTED PM HARIRI'S PLAN FOR DEBT 
RESTRUCTURING, INCLUDING THE CONCEPT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
OR SOME OF ITS MEMBER STATES, GUARANTEEING BONDS FOR LEBANON. 
 WHILE THE CONCEPT WAS CREATIVE, THE MFA HAD GIVEN NO 
ENCOURAGEMENT.  FERRARI COULD NOT PICTURE THAT THE ITALIAN 
MINISTRY OF FINANCE WOULD ACCEPT THE IDEA. 
 
-------------------------------- 
SYRIA ON A POSSIBLE WAR WITH IRAQ 
--------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) FERRARI GAVE A READ-OUT OF THE SEPT. 26 VISIT OF MFA 
UNDERSECRETARY MANTICA TO DAMASCUS, ONE DAY AFTER PM 
BERLUSCONI HAD STRONGLY SUPPORTED U.S. POLICY DURING A 
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON IRAQ.  SYRIAN FM FAROUK AL-SHAR'A HAD 
HARANGUED THE ITALIANS FOR TWENTY MINUTES, CRITICIZING 
BERLUSCONI'S SPEECH IN DETAIL.  SYRIA COULD NOT JUSTIFY TO 
ITS PEOPLE A PRO-AMERICAN POSITION AGAINST IRAQ. AL-SHAR'A 
THEN TOOK A BREATH, RELAXED AND EXPLAINED THAT THE MAIN 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERSIAN GULF WAR AND A POSSIBLE ATTACK 
ON IRAQ TODAY IS THAT IRAQ THIS TIME DID NOT ATTACK AN ARAB 
COUNTRY.  SYRIA IS NOT ANTI-AMERICAN, STRESSED AL-SHAR'A, AND 
WOULD AGAIN FIGHT ALONGSIDE THE U.S. AGAINST IRAQ IF IRAQ 
WERE TO ATTACK A "FELLOW ARAB COUNTRY."  THE ITALIANS ASKED 
IF AL-SHAR'A MEANT THAT DAMASCUS WOULD FIGHT AGAINST IRAQ IF 
SADDAM RESPONDED TO A U.S. MILITARY ATTACK BY ATTACKING SAUDI 
ARABIA OR ANOTHER ARAB NEIGHBOR, TO WHICH AL-SHAR'A REPLIED 
AFFIRMATIVELY.  FERRARI COMMENTED THAT THE SYRIANS ARE STILL 
QUITE NERVOUS ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF BEING THE NEXT U.S. 
TARGET AFTER IRAQ. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  05125  01 OF 02  212149Z 
------------------------------------------ 
ITALIAN CANDIDATE FOR EU MIDDLE EAST ENVOY 
------------------------------------------ 
 
5. (C) FERRARI RECOUNTED SOME OF THE GOSSIP AND MANEUVERING 
IN BRUSSELS AND MADRID OVER MORATINOS' EXTENSION AS THE EU 
REP FOR THE PEACE PROCESS.  WHILE FERRARI 
(UNCHARACTERISTICALLY) HAD SOME GOOD WORDS ABOUT MORATINOS' 
RECENT EFFORTS WITHIN THE QUARTET FRAMEWORK, HE STATED 
CLEARLY THAT THE ITALIAN MFA WOULD NOT BE SAD TO SEE HIM 
RETIRE.  THE GOI WAS QUIETLY PREPARING TO PROMOTE THE 
CANDIDACY OF ITS FORMER AMBASSADOR TO TEL AVIV, GIANPAOLO 
CARAVAI, TO REPLACE MORATINOS.  WHILE EMPHASIZING THAT THIS 
WOULD ONLY GO FORWARD IF MORATINOS CHOSE NOT TO CONTINUE, 
FERRARI SAID THAT CARAVAI WOULD BE LOOKING TO GET TO KNOW USG 
PEACE PROCESS SPECIALISTS BETTER.  (NOTE: WE UNDERSTAND THAT 
THE ITALIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON HAS ALREADY APPROACHED NEA 
INFORMALLY). 
 
6. (C) FERRARI SAID THAT THE SAUDI AMBASSADOR HAD 
"INFORMALLY, BUT FIRMLY" DEMARCHED HIS BOSS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL 
FOR MID-EAST BADINI, TO URGE THAT THE GOI ISSUE A STATEMENT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0297 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  05125  02 OF 02  212150Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00 
      NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00 
      DRL-02   G-00     SAS-00     /007W 
                  ------------------FBE822  212150Z /40 
P 211414Z OCT 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6441 
INFO AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY AMMAN 
AMEMBASSY CAIRO 
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE 
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 
AMCONSUL MILAN 
AMCONSUL NAPLES 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USEU BRUSSELS 2854 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2012 
TAGS: PREL, SY, LE, IT, IZ 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN MFA ON LEBANON-ISRAEL WATER ISSUE, SYRIA, 
AND PEACE PROCESS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05125  02 OF 02  212150Z 
 
CONDEMNING THE NEW US LEGISLATION ON JERUSALEM.  BADINI 
DECLINED TO DO SO, CITING THE PRESIDENT'S CLEAR STATEMENT 
THAT THE LEGISLATION DID NOT CHANGE LONG-STANDING USG POLICY. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME05125 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL