US embassy cable - 03ROME657

UNCLAS ROME 000657 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, IT, IZ, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME - FINAL REPORT 
 
REF: A. MILAN 105 
     B. ROME 619 
     C. ROME 559 
     D. MILAN 89 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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     E. SECSTATE 36445 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: TAREQ AZIZ'S VISIT TO ROME DID LITTLE TO 
CHANGE THE GOI'S FIRM STAND ON IRAQ.  AS REQUESTED IN REF E, 
PM BERLUSCONI DID NOT MEET AZIZ.  FM FRATTINI SENT A TOUGH 
MESSAGE TO AZIZ IN PERSON AND IN PUBLIC ON IRAQ'S NEED TO 
COOPERATE IMMEDIATELY, FULLY, AND ACTIVELY WITH THE UN 
WEAPONS INSPECTORS AND TO SHOW "DEFINITIVE PROOF OF THE 
DISARMAMENT REQUESTED BY THE UN."  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) FM FRATTINI MET IRAQ'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TAREQ 
AZIZ IN ROME FEB. 14.  THE MFA, WHICH UNDERSCORED THE FACT 
THAT AZIZ WAS NOT INVITED TO ROME BY THE GOI BUT BY THE BEATO 
ANGELICO FOUNDATION (A FRANCISCAN ORDER), ISSUED THE 
FOLLOWING TOUGH-WORDED STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE MEETING. 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
"DEPUTY PM AZIZ, WHO REQUESTED THE MEETING, WAS REMINDED BY 
FM FRATTINI THAT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ARE A SERIOUS 
THREAT TO THE PEACE AND SECURITY OF THE WORLD.  ITALY 
SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO MAINTAIN 
PEACE AND SECURITY.  FM FRATTINI UNDERLINED THE FACT THAT THE 
TOTAL AND EFFECTIVE DISARMAMENT OF THE IRAQI ARSENAL OF 
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN 
ITALY'S STANCE WITH REGARD TO IRAQ, WHICH FOR MANY YEARS HAS 
DEFAULTED ON THE OBLIGATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED 
NATIONS FOLLOWING THE INVASION OF KUWAIT.  IN ACCORDANCE WITH 
UN RESOLUTION 1441 AND IN HARMONY WITH THE OTHER MEMBER 
STATES OF THE EU, ITALY URGES THE IRAQI AUTHORITIES TO 
ACTIVELY PROVIDE THE UN INSPECTORS WITH THE DEFINITIVE PROOF 
OF THE DISARMAMENT REQUESTED BY THE UN.  TIME IS RUNNING OUT 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  00657  181609Z 
FOR IRAQ TO MAKE UP FOR ITS SHORTCOMINGS AND FAILURE TO 
PURSUE THE PEACEFUL SOLUTION WHICH ITALY DESIRES.  THE IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT NOW HAS THE CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY OF OFFERING THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ALL DUE COOPERATION."  END TEXT. 
 
3. (SBU) NOT ONLY BERLUSCONI'S COALITION GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO 
ROME'S MAYOR VELTRONI, A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSITION, HAD TOUGH 
WORDS FOR AZIZ.  VELTRONI CANCELED HIS FEB. 16 MEETING WITH 
AZIZ AFTER AZIZ REFUSED TO ANSWER A QUESTION BY AN ISRAELI 
CORRESPONDENT IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FEB. 14.  VELTRONI SAID 
THAT ROME IS A CITY WHERE THERE IS "ABSOLUTE RESPECT FOR 
DIALOGUE AND CIVIL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS."  HE ADDED: "YOUR 
COUNTRY, MR. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, MUST COMPLY WITH ALL THE 
UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND MUST COOPERATE FULLY WITH 
THE INSPECTORS.  IN ADDITION, IT MUST FIND THE PATH OF 
RESPECT OF THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE AND OF DEMOCRACY." 
INFORMAL READ-OUTS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER OPPOSITION MEETINGS 
WITH AZIZ SUGGESTED THAT OTHERS OF HIS CENTER-LEFT 
INTERLOCUTORS ALSO UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR IRAQ TO COMPLY 
FULLY WITH UNSCR 1441. 
 
4. (SBU) EMBASSY PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO CHARLES FORREST IN 
ARRANGING FOR MEETINGS WITH ITALIAN JOURNALISTS AND 
POLITICIANS DURING AZIZ'S TRIP TO ROME.  (NOTE: FORREST, AN 
AMCIT AND A FORMER FSO, IS THE CEO OF INDICT, A LONDON-BASED 
NGO THAT WORKS ON BRINGING SADDAM HUSSEIN AND TOP REGIME 
OFFICIALS TO JUSTICE.  END NOTE.)  FORREST MET WITH SENATE 
PRESIDENT PERA FEB. 14 AND PROVIDED EVIDENCE TO HIM SHOWING 
THAT HUSSEIN AND HIS REGIME, INCLUDING AZIZ, HAVE COMMITTED 
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.  IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING HIS 
MEETING WITH FORREST, PERA TOLD JOURNALISTS: "FORREST GAVE ME 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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DOCUMENTS CONTAINING SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE IRAQI 
REGIME: CRIMES COMMITTED WITH CHEMICAL WEAPONS, HOMICIDES, 
AND TORTURE.  AND IN ALL OF THIS DEPUTY PM TAREQ AZIZ SEEMS 
TO BE INVOLVED AS WELL."  ON FEB. 14, FORREST AND HIS ITALIAN 
ATTORNEY, FABIO GALIANI, FILED A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST 
AZIZ FOR GENOCIDE, WAR CRIMES, AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, 
BASED ON ARTICLE 10 OF THE ITALIAN PENAL CODE, TO THE PUBLIC 
PROSECUTOR OF ROME, AND ASKED FOR AZIZ TO BE ARRESTED WHILE 
IN ROME.  THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.  AZIZ LEFT ROME FEB. 17 TO 
RETURN TO BAGHDAD. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2003ROME00657 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED