US embassy cable - 03ROME559

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000559 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2013 
TAGS: PREL, IT, IZ, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: IRAQ/ITALY: GOI'S MEETINGS WITH AND MESSAGE TO 
TAREQ AZIZ 
 
REF: A. MILAN 89 
     B. SECSTATE 36445 
     C. ROME 495 
     D. ROME 489 
     E. VATICAN 483 
     F. ROME 443 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN 
FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: PM BERLUSCONI WILL NOT/NOT MEET TAREQ AZIZ 
DURING HIS TRIP TO ROME.  WHILE NOT CONFIRMED YET, IT IS 
LIKELY FM FRATTINI WILL MEET AZIZ IN ROME FEB. 14.  GOI 
OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THAT THEY WILL GIVE AZIZ A STRONG MESSAGE 
IN PRIVATE AND WILL REITERATE THE SAME MESSAGE PUBLICLY: THE 
GAME IS OVER; SADDAM MUST COOPERATE IMMEDIATELY, ACTIVELY AND 
FULLY IN IRAQ'S DISARMAMENT AND GO INTO EXILE, OR ELSE FACE 
VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) ON FEB. 10, NEA WATCHER DELIVERED REF B DEMARCHE TO 
PAOLO DIONISI, DEPUTY DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR TO PM BERLUSCONI, 
LUIGI MACCOTTA, THE MFA'S OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR IRAQ, AND TO 
CESARE RAGAGLINI, FM FRATTINI'S CHIEF OF STAFF.  DIONISI 
PASSED REFTEL POINTS TO THE PM THE SAME DAY.  BERLUSCONI HAD 
ALREADY DECIDED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MEET WITH TAREQ AZIZ, 
DIONISI TOLD US FEB. 11, AND OUR POINTS CONFIRMED HIS 
POSITION.  THE PM HAS NOT DECIDED YET WHO FROM THE GOI WOULD 
MEET AZIZ, STRESSED DIONISI, BUT IT WAS LIKELY TO BE FM 
FRATTINI, ON FEB. 14 AFTER AZIZ'S AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE (REF 
E.) 
 
3. (C) NOT MEETING AT ALL WITH AZIZ WOULD HURT NOT ONLY THE 
ITALIAN CAUSE BUT POSSIBLY ALSO THE AMERICAN CAUSE, ARGUED 
DIONISI.  IF AZIZ WERE TO MEET ONLY WITH THE POPE AND 
OPPOSITION MEMBERS WHO ARE AGAINST THE WAR, ITALIAN AND 
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION WOULD PERCEIVE HIM AS A "SAINT" 
AND THOSE WHO REFUSED TO MEET HIM, THE GOI IN THIS CASE, AS 
"EVIL," SAID DIONISI.  IT WOULD BE MORE USEFUL TO MEET WITH 
AZIZ, GIVE HIM IN PRIVATE AND THEN REITERATE IN PUBLIC THE 
MESSAGE THAT SADDAM MUST COOPERATE IMMEDIATELY, ACTIVELY, AND 
VOLUNTARILY IN IRAQ'S DISARMAMENT, GO PEACEFULLY INTO EXILE, 
OR BE DISARMED AND REMOVED FROM POWER BY FORCE. 
 
4. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT OTHER MEETINGS WITH AZIZ, DIONISI AND 
LUIGI MACCOTTA SAID THAT ONLY AN AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE ON 
FEB. 14 (REF E) AND A MEETING WITH LOMBARDY PRESIDENT 
FORMIGONI ON FEB. 13 (REF A) HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONFIRMED . 
MACCOTTA ASKED FORMIGONI TO FOLLOW THE GOI'S OFFICIAL FIRM 
POSITION ON IRAQ IN HIS MEETING WITH AZIZ.  DIONISI MENTIONED 
AN UNCONFIRMED RUMOR THAT AZIZ, WHO ARRIVES IN ROME FEB. 13, 
MIGHT STAY IN ROME UNTIL FEB. 17-18 TO MEET UNSG ANNAN WHO 
ARRIVES IN ROME FEB. 17 FOR AN IFAD MEETING.  (NOTE: ANNAN 
WILL HAVE A WORKING LUNCH WITH BERLUSCONI IN ROME FEB. 18, TO 
WHICH AZIZ WILL NOT/NOT BE INVITED EVEN IF HE IS STILL IN 
ROME, ASSURED DIONISI.  END NOTE.)  AZIZ MAY ALSO MEET WITH 
ROME MAYOR VELTRONI FEB. 15, BUT THAT WAS STILL UNCONFIRMED, 
SAID DIONISI. 
 
5. (U) PRESS REPORTS INDICATE THAT AZIZ WILL VISIT ASSISI 
FEB. 15 WHERE HE WILL PRAY, VISIT THE TOMB OF ST. FRANCIS, 
AND LIGHT THE TORCH OF PEACE.  HE IS THEN EXPECTED TO HAVE 
LUNCH AT THE SACRED CONVENT WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS 
FRANCISCAN ORDERS, THE BISHOP AND THE MAYOR OF ASSISI. 
SEMBLER 
 

	2003ROME00559 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL