US embassy cable - 03ROME1173

S E C R E T ROME 001173 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR INR AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IT, IQ 
SUBJECT: GOI WILL DO WHAT IT CAN TO LIMIT IRAQI OFFICIAL 
PRESENCE IN ITALY 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON.  REASON:1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1.  (U)  GUIDANCE REQUEST.  SEE PARA 6. 
 
2.  (S) SUMMARY:  ON MARCH 20, MFA CHIEF OF CABINET CESARE 
RAGAGLINI SAID THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE IRAQI INTEREST 
    SECTION IN ROME IDENTIFIED AS INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS COULD BE 
EXPELLED IMMEDIATELY.  HE WONDERED IF THERE WOULD BE SOME 
UTILITY IN ALLOWING THE CHARGE', WHO THE MFA BELIEVES IS NOT 
WITH THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, TO REMAIN.  RAGAGLINI ALSO 
POINTED OUT THAT IRAQ'S EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE, WHICH THE 
GOI CANNOT LEGALLY CLOSE, WOULD STILL HAVE ACCESS TO BANK 
ACCOUNTS AND OTHER GOI RESOURCES.   END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (S)  DRAWING ON POINTS REFTEL, POLMIN UNDERLINED WITH 
RAGAGLINI THE IMPORTANCE OF LIMITING THE OFFICIAL IRAQI 
PRESENCE IN ITALY.  POLMIN HIGHLIGHTED THE POTENTIAL USE OF 
THE IRAQI INTEREST SECTION (UNDER SUDANESE DIPLOMATIC 
PROTECTION) AS A BASE FOR TERRORIST OPERATIONS, AND THE 
POSSIBILITY THAT OFFICIALS OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT WOULD 
PLUNDER PROPERTY WHICH RIGHTLY BELONGS TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE 
AND DESTROY DIPLOMATIC RECORDS SHOULD IT BECOME APPARENT THAT 
THE REGIME IN BAGHDAD WAS ABOUT TO CRUMBLE. 
 
4.  (S)  RAGAGLINI AGREED THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE IRAQI 
MISSION IDENTIFIED AS INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS COULD BE EXPELLED 
IMMEDIATELY.  WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CHARGE', THAT WOULD 
INCLUDE ALL IRAQI EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE DRIVER.  RAGAGLINI 
WONDERED IF THERE WOULD BE SOME UTILITY IN ALLOWING THE 
CHARGE' TO REMAIN, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE MFA BELIEVES  THAT 
HE IS NOT/NOT AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.  (COMMENT: RAGAGLINI, 
WHO ONCE SERVED AS CHARGE IN BAGHDAD, APPEARS PERSONALLY 
CONVINCED THAT THE CHARGE HERE, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO 
TARIQ AZIZ, IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER).  HE 
ALSO POINTED OUT THAT ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING THE 
CHARGE', COULD REQUEST POLITICAL ASYLUM. RAGAGLINI SAID THAT 
THE FINAL DECISION ON PNG AND INTEREST SECTION CLOSURE WOULD 
    BE TAKEN BY FM FRATTINI, WHO IS CURRENTLY IN BRUSSELS WITH 
THE PM FOR THE EU COUNCIL. 
 
5.  (S)  THE OTHER COMPLICATING FACTOR IS THE IRAQI EMBASSY 
TO THE HOLY SEE, OVER WHICH THE GOI HAS LITTLE OR NO CONTROL. 
 THE GOI WOULD DO WHAT IT COULD, PROMISED RAGAGLINI, BUT THE 
PRESENCE IN THE VATICAN MEANS THAT AS FAR AS ITALY IS 
CONCERNED, CLOSING THE INTEREST SECTION IN ROME WOULD HAVE 
LITTLE OR NO PRACTICAL EFFECT ON THE GOALS SPELLED OUT IN 
REFTEL POINTS.  THE EMBASSY TO THE VATICAN, WHICH IS 
CO-LOCATED WITH THE BILATERAL DIPLOMATS, WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO 
BANK ACCOUNTS AND OTHER RESOURCES, UNLESS THE GOI COULD PROVE 
THAT THEY WERE TO BE USED FOR TERRORIST OR OTHER ILLEGAL 
ACTIVITIES.   RAGAGLINI WILL ASK ITALIAN INTELLIGENCE 
SERVICES TO LOOK INTO THE NATURE OF AND AMOUNTS IN THESE 
ACCOUNTS.  THE ONE BENEFIT FROM THE EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE 
REMAINING OPEN IS THAT IT COULD TAKE CARE OF THE CONSULAR 
NEEDS OF IRAQI NATIONALS IN ITALY. 
 
6. (S) FOR DEPARTMENT: WE NOTE THAT EMBASSY VATICAN WAS NOT 
REQUESTED TO UNDERTAKE REFTEL DEMARCHE.  EMBASSY VATICAN 
BELIEVES THE HOLY SEE WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO CLOSE THE IRAQI 
MISSION, GIVEN THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THEIR OWN MISSION 
IN BAGHDAD AND THEIR FEAR OF REPRISALS AGAINST CHALDEAN 
CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ.  IN LIGHT OF BOTH THE COMPLICATIONS NOTED 
ABOVE AND THE LIKELY HOLY SEE ATTITUDE, WE WOULD ASK THE 
DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW WHETHER AN APPROACH TO THE HOLY SEE TO 
CLOSE THE IRAQI EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE WOULD BE ADVISABLE. 
 
7.  (U)  THIS CABLE WAS CLEARED BY BOTH EMBASSY ROME AND 
EMBASSY VATICAN 

 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01173 - Classification: SECRET