US embassy cable - 05ROME3088

UNCLAS  ROME 003088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, PGOV, IT, ANTITERRORISM/FORCE PROTECTION 
SUBJECT: 9/11 ACTIVITIES IN ITALY 
 
REF: STATE 161551 
 
1. SUMMARY: The Embassy and Consulates General in Milan, 
Florence and Naples participated in thirteen September 11 
commemoration events including the dedication of the World 
Trade Center Memorial in Padua, and a commemoration at the 
Parliament with Ambassador Spogli and President of the 
Chamber of Deputies Pier Ferdinando Casini.  There were 
fewer events held than in past years, but the press covered 
those held closely, and mostly in a positive light.  The 
press, the Mission and event organizers expanded the theme 
to cover the heroes and victims of all terrorist attacks and 
hurricane Katrina.  Some leftist groups used the day to hold 
anti-war protests. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. Four years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 
2001 in the United States, Italians continue to mark the 
anniversary with memorial ceremonies.  As expected, emotions 
are a bit more muted, but all the major print and electronic 
media featured a mix of September 11 recounting, 
correspondent dispatches from the U.S., and coverage of 
commemoration events in Italy.  Most reports also used the 
occasion to remember other victims of terrorism, especially 
those in Madrid and London, and of Hurricane Katrina.  The 
Embassy and Consulates received many invitations to 9/11 
events, though fewer than in previous years. 
 
3.  Ambassador Spogli led the mission's participation in 
9/11 ceremonies, participating in both an internal 
commemoration at the Embassy on Friday, September 9 and a 
public ceremony with President of the Chamber of Deputies 
Pier Ferdinando Casini in the Chamber building, Palazzo 
Montecittorio.  The ceremony received broad media coverage 
that day. The Ambassador's lengthy personal recollection of 
New York City on the day of the attack anchored a two-hour 
special on Sky News 24.  Both the Ambassador and Casini 
recalled all the victims of terrorism, those of Hurricane 
Katrina and the need to never forget 9/11.  The President of 
Italy's Constitutional Court and several Chamber Deputies 
also attended the thirty-minute ceremony. 
 
4.  The dedication of the World Trade Center Memorial in 
Padua, designed by U.S. Architect and Cultural Ambassador 
Daniel Liebeskind, garnered coverage on all major national 
TV newscasts. Milan's Acting Consul General represented 
Mission Italy at the Memorial dedication and at the donation 
of U.S. Cultural Ambassador Joel Meyerowitz' September 11th 
photo exhibition, hosted by President of the Veneto Region 
and the Mayor of Padua. The themes included the U.S.-Italian 
friendship and alliance against terrorism; a remembrance and 
honoring of the victims; democracy building as the legacy of 
the 9/11 victims; and using architecture to "renew" an old 
part of Padua.  Nearby demonstrations by left-wing 
extremists asserted the City of Padua should have built a 
memorial to commemorate all the victims of war and not just 
those from 9/11. 
 
5. Embassy officers attended 9/11 commemoration events in 
Rome's neighboring cities of Civitavecchia, Latina and 
Nettuno.  The city of Civitavecchia has planted two Cyprus 
trees in a park as symbols of the destroyed World trade 
Center Towers and has held a commemoration ceremony in each 
of the past four years.  The ceremony near Latina included 
officials from five local communities in addition to fire 
and law enforcement officers.  Organized by a local 
community group, representatives told EmbOff it was very 
important for them to hold the event and to have an officer 
from the Embassy in attendance.  They said the Latina area 
suffered heavy losses during World War II, and the older 
generations appreciate the enormous sacrifice made by the 
American people for the freedom of Italy.  However, they 
said younger generations lack that understanding, and this 
ceremony is a way to renew the local communities' friendship 
with the United States.  The ceremony in Nettuno was held 
just outside the U.S. cemetery where several thousand 
American soldiers are buried. 
 
6. Milan officers attended several 9/11 events in Milan, 
Brescia, Venice and Riese Pio X. Milan's Provincial 
President hosted an event at the Palazzo Isimbardi with a 
discussion of terrorism since 9/11, which included the 
annual presentation of a journalism award in honor of Enzo 
Baldoni, an Italian journalist killed in Iraq in 2004.  Also 
in Milan, EconOff attended a mass in honor of 9/11 victims 
at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio. 
Special references were made to 9/11 and victims of all 
terrorist attacks around the world.  In Brescia, at an event 
held in a city park named for the Twin Towers, anti- 
globalists and green groups disrupted a speech by Conoff and 
unfurled a banner stating "Yankee Go Home." In Riese Pio X, 
Conoff spoke at the dedication of a new town square called 
"Piazza 11 Settembre 2001."  The piazza features a small 
statue of the twin towers cut from white marble with a 
 
series of national flags.  The symbolism behind the memorial 
is that the nations whose flags fly from the poles stand as 
a bulwark against terrorism.  At a ceremony in Venice, 
national and local officials discussed Hurricane Katrina, 
New Orleans' response and Venice disaster response plans. 
The group informally indicated it would welcome any U.S. 
official visitors and delegations interested in studying 
Venice's disaster plans as Venice deals extensively with 
flood waters, canals and levees. 
 
7.  The Consulates General in Florence and Naples also 
participated in several events.  Palermo fire officials held 
a wreath laying ceremony in honor of the victims of 9/11 and 
officials in the city of Ercolano unveiled a sculpture in 
their honor.  Though no U.S. official was in attendance, the 
famous American poet Amiri Baraka gave a reading of his now- 
infamous screed "Somebody Blew Up America - A Poem about 
September 11" at the prestigious Napolipoesia Festival in 
the outdoor amphitheater of the Parco Camaldoli in Naples. 
The Consulate General will be working with its Spanish 
counterparts on an event to be held September 21 in honor of 
Wells Remy Crowther, an American of Italian descent whose 
story inspired a Spanish painter to create artwork recalling 
the young man's heroism. 
 
8. The Consulate in Florence received five invitations to 
public commemorations of 9/11 throughout the consular 
district (Florence, Bologna, Grosseto, Castiglion Fiorentino 
and Castelnuovo Val di Cecina.)  Two of the five had strong 
political connotations.  An event organized by leftist 
organizations in Florence focused on an anti-war message and 
included only leftist oriented participants critical of the 
U.S. and Italian governments.  The Tuscan edition of 
conservative, pro-government daily Il Giornale carried a 
special section on 9/11 with photographs and interviews with 
prominent local politicians and Florence University 
political scientists.  The 4-page section opened with a full- 
page interview and pictures with the CG. 
 
9.  This cable was coordinated with Consulates General 
Florence, Naples and Milan. 
 
 
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 2005ROME03088 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED