Disclaimer: This site has been first put up 15 years ago. Since then I would probably do a couple things differently, but because I've noticed this site had been linked from news outlets, PhD theses and peer rewieved papers and because I really hate the concept of "digital dark age" I've decided to put it back up. There's no chance it can produce any harm now.
| Identifier: | 03ROME1524 |
|---|---|
| Wikileaks: | View 03ROME1524 at Wikileaks.org |
| Origin: | Embassy Rome |
| Created: | 2003-04-09 16:41:00 |
| Classification: | CONFIDENTIAL |
| Tags: | PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM |
| Redacted: | This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks. |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001524
SIPDIS
FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PGOV, IZ, MOPS, PGOV, IZ, MOPS, PGOV, IZ, IT, ITPREL, ITPREL, IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 01524 01 OF 03 091639Z
REF: ROME 1506
CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B)
AND (D).
1. (SBU) EARLY ON APRIL 9 MFA SECRETARY GENERAL'S CHIEF OF
STAFF, ANTONIO ZANARDI LANDI, SPOKE TO DCM TO FOLLOW UP
PREVIOUS EVENING'S APPROACH RE SAFETY OF ITALIAN JOURNALISTS
IN BAGHDAD (REFTEL). DCM ADVISED THAT WE HAD PASSED ON GOI
CONCERNS TO DEPARTMENT AND TO CENTCOM, AND REAFFIRMED THAT
U.S. FORCES WERE DOING ALL THEY COULD TO AVOID CIVILIAN
CASUALTIES. DRAWING ON BACKGROUND RECEIVED FROM TASK FORCE,
DCM ALSO TOLD ZANARDI LANDI THAT THE SITUATION IN BAGHDAD WAS
VERY FLUID AS OF DAYBREAK IN IRAQ, AND IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS
FOR ALL CONCERNED FOR U.S. FORCES TO TRY AND EVACUATE
JOURNALISTS FROM THE PALESTINE OR SHERATON HOTELS. THAT
SAID, THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND WAS CHANGING RAPIDLY TODAY
AND CENTCOM WOULD ADJUST AS THE ENVIRONMENT EVOLVED.
2. (C) ZANARDI LANDI SAID THAT GOI HAD MANAGED TO REACH THE
ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD AND HAD ASKED THEIR
INTENTIONS, AS REQUESTED BY DCM. THE SEVEN WHO HAD BEEN
ARRESTED BY IRAQI OFFICIALS AND DETAINED IN THE PALESTINE
HOTEL ADVISED THAT IRAQI AUTHORITIES HAD PROMISED TO RETURN
THEIR PASSPORTS AND RELEASE THEM ON APRIL 9, AND ONCE THAT
HAPPENED THEY WISHED TO DEPART BAGHDAD. THE OTHER THIRTEEN
ITALIAN MEDIA REPS AT THE PALESTINE AND SHERATON HOTELS
PLANNED TO STAY TO COVER THE BATTLE. DCM ASKED ZANARDI LANDI
FOR NAMES AND MEDIA AFFILIATIONS OF THE SEVEN WHO HAD BEEN
ARRESTED AND ALSO FOR THE OTHER ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ROME 01524 01 OF 03 091639Z
BAGHDAD, WHICH HE AGREED TO PROVIDE.
3. (C) LATER IN THE DAY, WHILE ACCOMPANYING U/S BOLTON TO A
CALL ON MFA SECGEN BALDOCCI, DCM ASKED BALDOCCI FOR AN UPDATE
ON THE JOURNALISTS. BALDOCCI SAID THE IRAQIS HAD RETURNED
PASSPORTS TO THE SEVEN ARRESTEES, AS PROMISED, AND INDICATED
THEY WERE FREE TO LEAVE. GIVEN THE DAY'S FAST-MOVING EVENTS,
HOWEVER, THEY HAD DECIDED TO FOLLOW THEIR JOURNALISTIC
INSTINCTS AND REMAIN IN BAGHDAD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, EMBASSY
ODC CHIEF RECEIVED A CALL FROM GOI MILITARY CONTACTS TO SAY
THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO PURSUE THE PREVIOUS DAY'S REQUEST
FOR DATA ON THE FEASIBILITY OF AN IAF C-130J LANDING AT
BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL TO EVACUATE THE JOURNALISTS.
4. (C) WHILE THE ABOVE CONVERSATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE,
ZANARDI LANDI FAXED US THE DETAILS OF ALL ITALIAN JOURNALISTS
CURRENTLY IN IRAQ. ALTHOUGH THE ITALIANS DESIRE TO ESCAPE
THE FIGHTING IN BAGHDAD HAS APPARENTLY BEEN OVERTAKEN BY THE
DAY'S EVENTS, WE REPEAT BELOW THEIR IDENTIFYING DETAILS AS
GIVEN US BY ZANARDI LANDI IN CASE THEY MAY BE OF ANY USE TO
CENTCOM:
JOURNALISTS DETAINED BY THE IRAQI AUTHORITIES:
FRANCESCO BATTISTINI
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
HOTEL PALESTINE
EZIO PASERO
MESSAGGERO
HOTEL PALESTINE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ROME 01524 01 OF 03 091639Z
LORENZO BIANCHI
LA NAZIONE -- IL RESTO DEL CARLINO -- IL GIORNO
HOTEL PALESTINE
IL GIORNALE
LUCIANO GULLI
HOTEL PALESTINE
IL MATTINO
VITTORIO DELL'UVA
HOTEL PALESTINE
L'UNITA'
ANTONIO FONTANA
HOTEL PALESTINE
IL SOLE 24 ORE
LEONARDO MAISANO
HOTEL PALESTINE
OTHER JOURNALISTS AT THE PALESTINE HOTEL:
FERDINANDO PELLEGRINI
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ1303
PAGE 01 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z
ACTION EUR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
OMB-02 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00
PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /005W
------------------5315C2 091640Z /38
O 091641Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9184
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 001524
SIPDIS
FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PGOV, IZ, IT
SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z
RAI
GIOVANNA BOTTERI
GUIDO CRAVERO
RAI
LILLI GRUBER
ENRICO BELLANO
RAI
LORENZO CREMONESI
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
GIOVANNI PORZIO
PANORAMA
ANNA MIGOTTO
ANTONIO SANTILLO
RETE 4
GABRIELLA SIMONI
ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO)
STEFANO BETTOZZI (OPERATOR)
ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO)
ROBERTO DE AMICIS
LA 7
CLAUDIO MONICI
AVVENIRE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z
FRANCO ERNESTO PAGETTI
ESPRESSO
PIETRO GIGLI
FREELANCE
OTHER JOURNALISTS AT THE SHERATON HOTEL:
MASSIMO NAVA
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
GIUSEPPE ZACCARIA
LA STAMPA (TEMPORARILY C/O ITALIAN INTERESTS SECTION)
ALBERTO NEGRI
IL SOLE 24 ORE
VALERIO PELLIZZARI
MESSAGGERO
RENATO CAPRILE
BERNARDO VALLI
LA REPUBBLICA
GIULIANA SGRENA
IL MANIFESTO
FABIO M. ANGELICCHIO
EUROPA -- LIBERO-- TEMPO
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04 ROME 01524 02 OF 03 091640Z
JOURNALISTS IN ERBIL:
DUILIO GIAMMARIA
STEFANO DI BLASI
FRANCESO VITALE
GIUSEPPE MENNELLA
ROBERTO TAGLIALEGNA
LUIGI GIUDICI
RAI
ANDREA NICASTRO
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
FRANCESCO RUGGERI
LIBERO
JOURNALISTS "EMBEDDED" IN COALITION FORCES:
MONICA MAGGIONI
SILVIO GIULIETTI
FRANCO DI MARE
GIUSEPPE DI MATTEO
GIANFRANCO BOTTA
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL PTQ1305
PAGE 01 ROME 01524 03 OF 03 091640Z
ACTION EUR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DOTE-00
SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
OMB-02 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00
SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00
PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /005W
------------------5315CB 091640Z /38
O 091641Z APR 03
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9185
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 001524
SIPDIS
FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PGOV, IZ, IT
SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 ROME 01524 03 OF 03 091640Z
GIUSEPPE BONAVOLONTA'
RAI
FAUSTO BILOSLAVO
IL FOGLIO
ELISABETTA PIQUE'
LA NACION
LUCA TIENGO
GRANATA PRESS
ELIO COLAVOLPE
FREELANCE
ALESSIO VINCI
CNN
ANGELO MACCHIAVELLO
SALVATORE LA BARBERA
ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO)
RENZO CIANFANELLIL
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
PAOLO PELLEGRIN
NEWSWEEK
SEMBLER
CONFIDENTIAL
>
2003ROME01524 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Latest source of this page is cablebrowser-2, released 2011-10-04