US embassy cable - 03ROME1455

UNCLAS ROME 001455 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SECSTATE FOR IIP/G/EUR (CSIEMONH); IIP/T (JSIEGEL); 
IIP/T/PS (JROSEPLATT, MSCANLIN); EUR/PPD (TPICKREL, 
DWHITMAN); EUR/WE (MTECKACH-BALL, DMENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP PRC 
SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL NOVAK IN 
 
ROME, TRACKER NUMBER 17919 
 
THIS CABLE FULFILLS THE SIMPLIFIED IIP REPORTING 
REQUIREMENTS FOR IIP-FUNDED U.S. SPEAKERS AS OUTLINED IN 
SECSTATE 59878 
 
1. U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL NOVAK (AMERICAN ENTERPRISE 
INSTITUTE) ADDRESSED KEY ITALIAN AND VATICAN AUDIENCES ON 
THE ISSUE OF "IRAQ AND THE JUST WAR THEORY" FEBRUARY 7- 
    10.  THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVE WAS TO CLARIFY THE JUST NATURE 
OF U.S. IRAQ POLICY TO INFLUENTIAL ITALIAN AND VATICAN 
AUDIENCES, INCLUDING ITALIAN CATHOLIC POLITICAL LEADERS 
STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC JUST WAR 
THEORIES. AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAM THESE KEY AUDIENCES 
GAINED GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND DEEPER INSIGHT INTO THE 
MOTIVATIONS BEHIND U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ AND THE MORAL 
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR MILITARY ACTION. THE PROGRAM RECEIVED 
EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE IN INTERNATIONAL, ITALIAN, AND 
VATICAN MEDIA.  THE PROGRAM WAS FUNDED BY IIP AND EMBASSY 
ROME WITH NO NON-USG OR IN-COUNTRY FINANCIAL SUPPORT. 
THE CENTRO STUDI AMERICANI PROVIDED THE VENUE FOR A MAJOR 
PRESS CONFERENCE AND LECTURE. 
 
2. THE PROGRAM, ORGANIZED BY PA ROME AND EMBASSY VATICAN, 
FOCUSED ON AUGUSTINIAN/THOMISTIC JUST WAR THEORY AND ITS 
APPLICATION TO THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH IRAQ.  NOVAK 
LECTURED TO AND HELD SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH ITALIAN 
AND VATICAN OPINION LEADERS AND POLICY MAKERS.  DEFENDING 
THE JUST NATURE OF SUCH A WAR, HE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE 
WITH THE HOLY SEE'S FOREIGN MINISTER, THE, PRESIDENT OF 
THE ITALIAN SENATE, THE STAFF OF THE VATICAN'S COUNCIL ON 
JUSTICE AND PEACE, AND OFFICIALS FROM THE ITALIAN FOREIGN 
MINISTRY AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE.  IN ADDITION, HE 
LECTURED TO AN AUDIENCE OF 150 OPINION LEADERS, 
ACADEMICS, CHURCH LEADERS, AND JOURNALISTS; GAVE A PRESS 
CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 50 JOURNALISTS; APPEARED 
ON A POPULAR ITALIAN TELEVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAM; 
AND WAS INTERVIEWED BY VATICAN RADIO, SEVERAL ITALIAN 
NEWSPAPERS, AND THE BBC.  HIS PROGRAM IN ROME RECEIVED 
EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE. 

3.  NOVAK WAS AN EXCELLENT SPEAKER AND INTERLOCUTOR.  HIS 
EXTENSIVE FAMILIARITY WITH CURRENT U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, 
HIS FLUENCY IN ITALIAN, HIS EXPERT KNOWLEDGE OF ITALY AND 
THE VATICAN, AND HIS WIDE CONTACTS AMONG ITALIAN AND 
VATICAN POLICY MAKERS, OPINION LEADERS, AND 
INTELLIGENTSIA MADE HIM AN ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE 
COMMENTATOR ON U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ.  FROM THE BEGINNING 
OF HIS PROGRAM HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS A 
SPOKESPERSON FOR NEITHER THE U.S. GOVERNMENT NOR THE 
AMERICAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, BUT RATHER AN INDEPENDENT 
SCHOLAR AND WRITER WHO HAD COME TO SHARE HIS VIEWS ABOUT 
U.S. IRAQ POLICY WITH ITALIAN AND VATICAN POLICY MAKERS 
AND OPINION LEADERS AND TO ENTER INTO DIALOGUE WITH THEM. 
HE FOCUSED HIS REMARKS ON THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF U.S. 
IRAQ POLICY AND CAME DOWN STRONGLY ON THE SIDE OF THE 
JUST AND EVEN MORALLY OBLIGATORY CHARACTER OF THAT 
POLICY.  FOR THIS HE WAS FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED AND 
CRITICIZED BY SOME OF HIS INTERLOCUTORS, BUT HE DEFENDED 
HIS VIEWS EFFECTIVELY, COMPELLINGLY, AND GRACIOUSLY.  HIS 
OPINIONS WERE WIDELY REPORTED BY THE ITALIAN MEDIA, AND 
AS OF MARCH 28 HE HAS BEGUN TO WRITE A WEEKLY COLUMN ON 
THE IRAQ WAR IN THE PRESTIGIOUS ITALIAN DAILY "IL SOLE 24- 
ORE." 
 
4. THE QUALITY OF IIP SUPPORT FOR THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL 
PROGRAM WAS OUTSTANDING. IIP'S JODY ROSE PLATT WORKED 
CLOSELY WITH PA ROME AND DR. NOVAK'S OFFICE TO RESOLVE 
VARIOUS TRAVEL AND LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS. SHE DESERVES 
KUDOS FOR ENSURING THAT THE VISIT CAME OFF FLAWLESSLY. 
SEMBLER 

 
NNNN 
	2003ROME01455 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED