US embassy cable - 03ROME572

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000572 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2013 
TAGS: MOPS, MARR, PREL, IT, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: ITALY READY TO SEND LNO AS COORDINATOR 
 
REF: SECDEF MSG 100823Z FEB 03 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) 
 
1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST.  SEE PARAGRAPH 4. 
 
2. (C)  IN A FEBRUARY 12 MEETING, THE AMBASSADOR URGED 
ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER MARTINO TO SEND A LIAISON OFFICER 
FOR IRAQ TO TAMPA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PER OUR REPEATED 
REQUESTS.  MARTINO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE IS EAGER TO 
SEND AN OFFICER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CENTCOM PLANNING 
ACTIVITIES BUT SAID HE NEEDS AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION HE 
RAISED WITH SECRETARY RUMSFELD ON FEBRUARY 7 (REFTEL).  SINCE 
HE WILL HAVE TO INFORM PARLIAMENT THAT AN LNO FOR IRAQ HAS 
BEEN DISPATCHED, HE NEEDS TO KNOW IF HE CAN DESCRIBE THE 
LNO'S FUNCTION AS THAT OF COORDINATING DECISIONS ALREADY 
APPROVED BY THE GOI, MARTINO EXPLAINED. 
 
3. (C)  THE AMBASSADOR AND POL MINISTER COUNSELOR AGREED THAT 
THIS SEEMED A GOOD APPROACH, ALTHOUGH IT LEFT OPEN THE 
POSSIBILITY THAT GERMANY, WHICH IS ALSO FACILITATING 
OVERFLIGHT AND TRANSIT REQUESTS, WOULD ASK FOR A SIMILAR 
ARRANGEMENT AT CENTCOM.  MARTINO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT IF 
THE USG ACCEPTED THIS APPROACH, THE ITALIAN LNO COULD BE ON 
HIS WAY TO TAMPA BY FRIDAY. 
 
4. (C) ACTION REQUEST. THE AMBASSADOR TOLD MARTINO HE WOULD 
HAVE A RESPONSE BY THE NEXT MORNING.  EMBASSY REQUESTS 
WASHINGTON CONFIRMATION THAT WE CAN NOTIFY MARTINO AT OOB 
(ROME TIME) ON FEBRUARY 13 THAT THE USG HAS NO OBJECTION IF 
MARTINO INFORMS PARLIAMENT THAT AN LNO HAS BEEN DISPATCHED TO 
CENTCOM TO COORDINATE DECISIONS THE GOI HAS ALREADY APPROVED 
RELATING TO IRAQ CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
SEMBLER 

 2003ROME00572 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL