US embassy cable - 05ROME3998

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 003998 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2015 
TAGS: KOLY, PTER, OVIP, IT, ITALIAN POLITICS 
SUBJECT: ADVISOR ON HOMELAND SECURITY TOWNSEND'S VISIT TO 
ROME 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Spogli for reasons 1.4(b)(d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary.  During a series of meetings with law 
enforcement and intelligence officials, Advisor to the 
President for Homeland Security Townsend delivered a 
consistent message on security for the 2006 Winter Olympics 
in Turin.  We respect Italian capabilities and appreciate the 
cooperation we have received so far, but we need increased 
transparency about the details to deconflict our contingency 
planning.  Both Interior Minister Pisanu and Chief of Police 
DeGennaro agreed to share additional information.  See septel 
for a specific list of information requests we will present 
to the Ministry of Interior.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  Advisor to the President for Homeland Security Fran 
Townsend visited Rome November 28-29 to discuss security 
preparations for the Olympics and U.S.-Italian cooperation on 
counterterrorism and terrorist finance.  After a briefing by 
the U.S. Olympic Security Coordinator (OSC) Dan Weber, she 
met with Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu, Chief of Police 
Gianni DeGennaro and SISMI (CIA equivalent) Chief Nicolo 
Pollari.  She had a lunch focused on terrorist finance issues 
with representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, 
Economy, Interior and the Bank of Italy.  Dinner included 
DeGennaro and U/S for Culture and Sport in charge of the 
Olympics Mario Pescante.  Townsend was accompanied by 
assistants Brian Murphy, Nicole Shampain and Rick Stroyan. 
 
Olympic Security Plans 
---------------------- 
 
3.  (C)  On November 28, Ambassador and DCM met with Chief of 
Police DeGennaro who delivered, as requested by the Embassy, 
a detailed plan for Italian operational security at the Turin 
Olympics.  DeGennaro told the Ambassador this document 
represented the extent of Italian planning at this point; the 
plan would be upgraded in December.  The document includes 
information on: overall numbers of police forces to be 
deployed; a review of transportation routes, checkpoints and 
athlete shuttle services for Turin and the mountain venues; 
border, airspace airport and railroad controls; the three 
level security perimeter plan; areas to be patrolled in 
Turin; personnel screening; and the organizational structure 
for security and crisis management. The plan does not contain 
information about proposed evacuation plans/routes or 
emergency CBN response plans. 
 
4.  (C)  OSC Weber, FBI Olympic Coordinator Ray Mey and RSO 
Rolph-O'Donnell briefed Townsend on the latest Italian plan. 
Weber also reviewed the DSS plan for supporting Italian 
security preparations and the timeline for operations at the 
U.S. Olympic Office in Turin.  Rolph-O'Donnell briefed on the 
status of consultations with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) 
which is tasked with planning and executing security 
operations for the Games.  Weber said the problem was not a 
lack of confidence in Italian capabilities but a lack of 
transparency in sharing plans with us. Cooperation continues 
to be excellent at the working level and the MOI has agreed 
to include agents in its quota of accredited security 
personnel.  But we need more details to assist U.S. sponsors 
and adequately protect American citizens and VIPs in the 
event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.  USOC seemed 
pleased with USG cooperation and has made specific requests 
of the MOI relating to road closures, pedestrian access, 
security for the package of ice hockey and curling teams to 
and from venues, and the emergency action/evacuation plan. 
 
Chief of Police Promises Contingency Plans 
------------------------------------------ 
 
5.  (C)  In a meeting at MOI which included Deputy Chief 
Manganelli, Prefect for Counterterrorism DeStefano, Prefect 
for Public Order/Olympics Tagliente and Turin Questore Dr. 
Polli, Police Chief DeGennaro stressed the excellent and 
long-term U.S.-GOI working relationship.  Manganelli reviewed 
the Italian security plan (para 3); DeGennaro promised the 
MOI would add more details in December.  Townsend noted the 
professionalism of the MOI and their success at controlling 
security at Pope John Paul's funeral, the G-8 Summit and 
World Cup games.  However, U.S. sponsors are increasingly 
anxious about security preparations for the athletes and 
their own workers, and they are asking us for details about 
the Italian security plans and what assistance the USG will 
be able to offer.  We also needed to ensure adequate security 
for the U.S.VIP delegation.  We appreciate cooperation to 
date, but now we need detail, especially with regard to 
evacuation and contingency planning for CBN and other 
catastrophic events.  We respect Italian capabilities, but we 
need to understand Italian plans so that we can make our own 
contingency plans that complement the Italian ones.  On CBN, 
we may be able to offer assistance in these specialty areas. 
 
6.  (C)  DeGennaro insisted that the MOI has been sharing 
information, citing the invitation for the DCM and RSO to 
watch from Rome the attack exercise conducted in Turin.  He 
then reviewed the Italian perception of the main threats to 
the Games, which fall into two categories.  The anarchists 
and non-globals present the biggest real risk, but they are 
well-known and monitored by the GOI.  They have the power to 
create an incident, but mostly limit themselves to letter 
bombs and firecrackers. Terrorists do pose a real threat, 
especially in light of continued web-based threats to Italy, 
but these threats remain general, not specific. 
 
7.  (C)  DeGennaro said that Italy has a national plan for 
dealing with CBN crises; they have conducted drills and 
tested equipment and chains of command for implementing the 
plan.  The plan includes information on fire, medical, hazmat 
response and evacuations.  MOI is responsible for 
implementing the national plan, which would be applied to 
Turin as needed; however, MOI will have specific evacuation 
plans for the Olympics.  These plans are confidential, but he 
said the MOI would share them if the U.S. needed to see them. 
Townsend thanked DeGennaro for this offer, repeating that our 
goal was to deconflict our contingency planning with the MOI. 
 
Pisanu: Focused on Threat Assessment 
------------------------------------ 
 
8.  (C)  In the meeting with Interior Minister Pisanu, 
Townsend delivered the same points:  we know there is no 
specific threat against the Games and we appreciate 
cooperation to date, but we now need additional details to 
ensure that we deconflict our contingency planning.  After 
Hurricane Katrina, we were made particularly aware of the 
need to plan for the unexpected.  Pisanu, briefed by 
DeGennaro on the previous meeting, agreed they would share 
information on contingency planning.  He noted that, with the 
growing threats to Italy from Al Qaeda and Al Zahawiri, our 
cooperation was more important than ever.  He praised 
intelligence cooperation and said that Italy greatly values 
U.S. threat analyses.  Given the level of web and other 
threats, however, we needed to separate "the noise of thunder 
from the reality of lightning strikes." 
 
9.  (C) Responding to a question, Townsend said that the 
media campaign by Al Qaeda against U.S. allies was a cheap 
and easy way for a weakened organization to maximize its 
ability to influence events.  In cases like Spain, they 
targeted a weak country and were successful.  She agreed that 
we need to carefully analyze the threats and ensure that we 
spending our resources where they are needed.  Both agreed 
that the messages from Al Zahawiri and Zarkawi were often 
followed by real actions and should be taken seriously. 
Townsend noted that we had carefully analyzed and made public 
a letter between Al Zahawiri and Zarkawi to expose their 
philosophical differences and hopefully destroy them. 
 
10.  (C)  Noting the role of a hearts and minds campaign in 
the long-term war on terrorism, Townsend asked Pisanu to 
explain his Muslim outreach campaign.  Pisanu described it as 
an effort to build a dialogue with Muslims who were primarily 
first generation immigrants seeking jobs in Italy.  Only 5% 
attend mosque and are exposed to extremist preaching; the 
goal was to reach out to the other 95% and convince them they 
can be part of Italy. Pisanu plans to launch this week a 
Muslim Advisory Council made up of 18 immigrants from 
different national communities who have denounced terrorism 
and violence.  The Council will provide the MOI with advice 
on how to promote integration, "not just assimilation." 
Pisanu's goal is to create an Italian Islam of people who 
speak Italian and respect Italian laws and are integrated 
into an accepting society. 
 
11.  (C)  Pisanu commented on his consultations with his 
Saudi, Yemeni and Libyan counterparts and said that many 
Muslim countries now threatened with terrorism can be our 
allies.  Townsend agreed, explaining that her own 
consultations with the Saudis have yielded surprising 
successes because we recognize a common threat.  She said 
Pisanu's vision for an Italian Islam was powerful but would 
require significant patience.  Pisanu responded by quoting 
20th century Italian leader Alcide de Gaspari who said that 
politics was patience. 
 
12.  (U)  This cable was cleared by Fran Townsend. 
 
SPOGLI