US embassy cable - 03ROME763

UNCLAS ROME 000763 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, IT, UK, IZ, IRAQI FREEDOM, NATO 
SUBJECT: BERLUSCONI-BLAIR ROME MEETING: SADDAM MUST DISARM, 
HOPEFULLY PEACEFULLY 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: THE BERLUSCONI-BLAIR MEETING IN ROME FEB. 21 
TOUCHED ON "THE EUROPE OF THE FUTURE," DEFENSE AND SECURITY, 
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BUT FOCUSED ON THE CRISES IN THE MIDDLE EAST: MOSTLY IRAQ BUT 
ALSO THE ISRAELI/PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.  BOTH PRIME MINISTERS 
AGREED ON THE NEED TO UPHOLD UNSC RESOLUTION 1441 AND DISARM 
SADDAM, HOPEFULLY PEACEFULLY. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) IN A BRIEF READ-OUT FROM PAOLO DIONISI, PM 
BERLUSCONI'S DEPUTY DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR,    DIONISI CONFIRMED 
THE ACCURACY OF MEDIA REPORTS AND THE FACT THAT THE TWO PRIME 
MINISTERS FOCUSED MOSTLY ON IRAQ IN THEIR FEB. 21 MEETING IN 
ROME.  IN A PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH 
BLAIR, BERLUSCONI SAID: 
-- "THE OBJECTIVE IS TO HAVE SADDAM HUSSEIN DISARM IN 
PEACE... (BUT) A POSSIBLE ATTACK WOULD NOT BE AGAINST A 
COUNTRY, A PEOPLE, IT WOULD BE AGAINST A DICTATOR, A REGIME 
THAT ...USES PRISONS, TERROR, AND DEATH FOR ITS OWN DEFENSE." 
 
-- "STRONG DIPLOMATIC-MILITARY PRESSURE ON IRAQ CAN LEAD TO 
PEACE.  THE U.S. IS NOT SAYING 'WE ATTACK TOMORROW,' IT IS 
SAYING: 'IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR, AND THIS IS WHAT 
BUSH SAID, AND THIS IS WHAT BLAIR AND I SAID TODAY, AND EVEN 
THE EU COUNCIL." 
-- "NO WESTERN DEMOCRACY THINKS DIFFERENTLY THAN WHAT IS 
WRITTEN IN RESOLUTION 1441 AND IN THE JOINT EU DOCUMENT.  ALL 
WESTERN DEMOCRACIES BELIEVE IRAQ'S DISARMAMENT TO BE 
NECESSARY AND ALL HOPE THAT IT CAN OCCUR IN PEACE." 
 
3. (U) AT THE SAME PRESS CONFERENCE, BLAIR SAID: 
-- "WE HOPE THAT THE IRAQI ISSUE CAN BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY, 
BUT WE ARE DETERMINED TO OBTAIN COMPLIANCE OF RESOLUTION 1441 
IN EVERY WAY." 
-- "SADDAM DISARMS ONLY IF HE GETS THE INTERNATIONAL 
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COMMUNITY'S MESSAGE, WHICH IS THIS: DISARM PEACEFULLY OR IT 
WILL BE US WHO WILL DISARM YOU." 
-- "WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR SADDAM TO DISARM, WE COULD HAVE 
ATTACKED LAST SUMMER, BUT U.S. PRESIDENT BUSH DECIDED TO 
WAIT.  I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THOSE WHO DON'T WANT WAR.  THAT'S 
WHY WE GAVE SADDAM EVERY POSSIBILITY TO DISARM." 
-- "IS THERE SOMEONE WHO REALLY BELIEVES SADDAM IS 
COOPERATING?  WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AN UPCOMING CONFLICT, US 
WHO DID EVERYTHING TO AVOID IT, OR HIM?" 
 
4. (U) PALAZZO CHIGI, THE PM'S OFFICE, ISSUED THE FOLLOWING 
COMMUNIQU FOLLOWING THE MEETING. 
"BASED ON THE RECENT POSITIVE CONCLUSIONS OF THE 
EXTRAORDINARY EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON IRAQ, THE TWO PRIME 
MINISTERS REITERATED THEIR COMMON POSITION ON IRAQ.  THEY 
DISCUSSED RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE UN AND NEXT STEPS, 
PARTICULARLY ON A SECOND RESOLUTION. 
ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE, THE PRIME MINISTERS AGREED ON THE URGENT 
NEED FOR PUBLICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE QUARTET 
ROADMAP; FOR STEPS TO END THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE; AND FOR A 
FREEZE ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT BUILDING, TO PRESERVE THE 
PHYSICAL BASIS FOR A TWO-STATE SOLUTION." 
 
5. (U) BLAIR ALSO MET FEB. 21 WITH TWO LEADERS OF THE ITALIAN 
OPPOSITION: FRANCESCO RUTELLI, CENTER-LEFT OLIVE TREE LEADER 
AND PRESIDENT OF THE DAISY MOVEMENT, AND MASSIMO D'ALEMA, 
PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATS OF THE LEFT.  RUTELLI STRESSED 
THAT THE "TRIUMPH OF THE UN WOULD BE A POLITICAL VICTORY FOR 
THE AMERICANS AND THE BRITISH, WHO HAVE SHOWN THEY WANT TO 
USE THEIR ENERGIES TO PUSH FOR DISARMAMENT IN IRAQ."  D'ALEMA 
REITERATED THE NEED TO EXHAUST "EVERY EFFORT FOR A PEACEFUL 
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SOLUTION TO THIS CRISIS," AND PRAISED BLAIR'S COMMITMENT TO 
SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO THE "TRAGEDY IN THE MIDDLE EAST." 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2003ROME00763 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED