US embassy cable - 03ROME1054

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001054 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2013 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, UNSC 
SUBJECT: GOI VIEWS ON IRAQ AND THE TRANSATLANTIC 
RELATIONSHIP 
 
REF: STATE 63629 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM E. SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY.  MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR MULTILATERAL 
AFFAIRS GIANCARLO ARAGONA TOLD DCM ON MARCH 11 THAT THE GOI 
HAD NOT CONSIDERED AN INTERVENTION AND WOULD NOT DEPART FROM 
THE COMMON EU POSITION ON IRAQ AT THE UNSC.  HE THEN RAISED 
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THE NECESSITY OF REPAIRING DAMAGE TO THE TRANS-ATLANTIC 
RELATIONSHIP STEMMING FROM DISAGREEMENTS OVER IRAQ.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) DURING MARCH 11 CALL RUNNING A RANGE OF ISSUES (SEE 
SEPTEL), THE DCM ASKED ARAGONA IF ITALY WOULD MAKE AN 
INDIVIDUAL STATEMENT ON THE US/UK/SPANISH IRAQ RESOLUTION AT 
THE UNSC.  ARAGONA INDICATED THE GOI HAD NOT CONSIDERED AN 
INTERVENTION SINCE THE EU, DESPITE ITS DIVISIONS, COULD AT 
LEAST ENUNCIATE THE COMMON PLATFORM ON IRAQ IT HAD AGREED 
FEBRUARY 17.  (NOTE: ARAGONA WAS ONE OF THE KEY DRAFTERS OF 
THAT COMPROMISE DOCUMENT).  HE ASSURED US THAT THE EU 
PRESIDENCY STATEMENT WOULD NOT STRAY FROM THAT DOCUMENT. 
 
3.  (C) ARAGONA SAID THAT THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE AMONG EU 
GOVERNMENTS ON HOW BEST TO DEAL WITH THE THREAT OF SADDAM 
HUSSEIN'S WMD WAS THE LENGTH OF TIME INSPECTORS SHOULD HAVE 
TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK.  THE GOI REALIZES INSPECTIONS CANNOT 
BE ALLOWED TO DRAG ON INDEFINITELY WITHOUT PUTTING THE 
CREDIBILITY OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL AT RISK.  RESPONDING TO 
AN INQUIRY FROM THE DCM QUESTIONING FRANCE'S OVERALL 
MOTIVATION, ARAGONA REPLIED THE GOF APPEARS TO HAVE AN ISSUE 
WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH INTERNATIONAL CRISES ARE MANAGED, 
AND ACKNOWLEDGED HE WAS UNSURE OF THEIR OVERALL THINKING. 
THERE IS A CLEAR DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EUROPE OVER 
THE IMMEDIACY OF THE THREAT FROM IRAQ, STEMMING PRIMARILY, IN 
HIS MIND, FROM THE REALITY OF SEPTEMBER 11TH TO AMERICANS, 
THAT POSES A THREAT TO THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP. 
 
4.  (C) REFERRING BACK TO HIS RECENT MEETING WITH U/S 
GROSSMAN IN PARIS, ARAGONA SUGGESTED SOME KIND OF JOINT 
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INITIATIVE GOING FORWARD, A POST IRAQ-CONFLICT UNDERTAKING 
DEMONSTRATING THE WESTERN ALLIANCE HAS TURNED THE PAGE ON ITS 
RECENT DISAGREEMENTS.  WHATEVER THE INITIATIVE, IT SHOULD BE 
GRAND--NOT MERELY SEMINARS OR WORKSHOPS--AND CLEARLY 
DEMONSTRATE A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. 
ACCORDING TO ARAGONA, THE GOI CONSIDERS CONCRETE MEASURES TO 
STRENGTHEN THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP A HIGH PRIORITY 
FOR THE UPCOMING ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY.  ITALY AND THE US 
NEED TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC SUBJECT AREA IN WHICH TO MAKE 
SUCH A BREAKTHROUGH, PRIOR TO ITALY'S ASSUMPTION OF THE 
PRESIDENCY. 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01054 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL