US embassy cable - 03ROME1577

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001577 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PMAT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC:KVOLKER, JOINT 
STAFF:SYIKE, OSD/POLICY, USEUCOM, USSTRATCOM, USPACOM, 
USTRANSCOM, USCENTCOM, USCOCOM, USSOUTHCOM, USAID 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01577  01 OF 02  141056Z 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2013 
TAGS: MARR, EAID, MOPS, PREL, PHUM, IT, EAID, MOPS, PREL, PHUM, IT, IZ, IZMARR, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE OUTLINES PROPOSED 
CONTRIBUTIONS 
 
REF: A. ROME 1569 
     B. STATE 93769 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) 
 
1. (U) THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS ACTION REQUESTS. SEE PARA 8. 
 
2. (C)  SUMMARY AND COMMENT:  ECMIN AND ECONOFF MET ON APRIL 
11 WITH ANTONIO BADINI, MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE 
EAST AND COORDINATOR OF ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE.  BADINI WAS 
JOINED BY IRAQ OFFICE DIRECTOR LUIGI MACCOTTA.  AT THE TIME 
OF THE MEETING, A TASK FORCE PROPOSAL, ENDORSED BY FM 
FRATTINI, WAS PENDING APPROVAL BY PM BERLUSCONI AND THE 
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS.  SHORTLY AFTER OUR DISCUSSION, MACCOTTA 
INFORMED US THAT THE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED THE PROPOSAL 
AFFIRMING THE COORDINATING ROLE OF THE MFA ON IRAQ ASSISTANCE 
AS WELL AS ITS THREE-PART PLAN.  THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN, AS 
DESCRIBED BY BADINI ARE:  1) TO FIELD A 1,000 PERSON 
SELF-PROTECTED HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TEAM COMPOSED OF ROUGHLY 
500 MILITARY PERSONNEL (CARABINIERI AND ARMY) AND 500 
CIVILIAN MEDICAL, WATER, SANITATION, CIVIL ENGINEERING, AND 
WMD SPECIALISTS; 2)  TO IDENTIFY A NUMBER OF ITALIAN EXPERTS 
THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE THEIR EXPERTISE IN THE REBUILDING OF 
IRAQI ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROVISION 
OF HEALTH, WATER, SANITATION, ELECTRICITY, AND PERHAPS OTHER 
AREAS (THE MFA ENVISIONS EMBEDDING THESE EXPERTS WITHIN 
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PAGE 03        ROME  01577  01 OF 02  141056Z 
NASCENT IRAQI MINISTRIES);  3) TO PROPOSE SECONDING A 
HIGH-RANKING DIPLOMAT, WITH A GENERAL SERVING AS HIS MILITARY 
AND SECURITY ADVISOR, TO WORK WITH ORHA AND COORDINATE 
OVERALL GOI INVOLVEMENT ON THE GROUND. 
 
3. (C) SUMMARY, COMMENT CONT'D.  THE INTER-MINISTERIAL TASK 
FORCE HAS BEEN WORKING ON ITS PROPOSAL FOR SOME TIME, AND HAD 
NOT RECEIVED REFTEL B'S SPECIFIC REQUEST FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL 
FOR CIVILIANS BEFORE THE PROPOSAL WAS SUBMITTED TO THE 
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS.  WE HAVE EXPLAINED THE COALITION'S 
URGENT NEED FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL (REFTEL A) AND ARE WORKING 
WITH THE GOI TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FIRST PART OF ITALY'S 
OFFER CAN BE TAILORED TO SERVE AS A RAPIDLY DEPLOYABLE, 
SELF-PROTECTING FIELD HOSPITAL.   END SUMMARY. 
 
4. (C) DURING AN APRIL 11 MEETING WITH ECMIN, MINISTER BADINI 
DESCRIBED THE INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE'S THREE-PART PACKAGE, 
WHICH HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE PM AND THE COUNCIL OF 
MINISTERS FOR APPROVAL.  BADINI WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO 
EXPLAIN THAT THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE TASK FORCE'S PACKAGE 
-- A 1,000 PERSON TEAM OF CIVILIAN SPECIALISTS WITH MILITARY 
SUPPORT -- INCLUDES MILITARY PERSONNEL TO SECURE AND 
STABILIZE THE SITUATION SO THAT THE CIVILIAN TEAM CAN CONDUCT 
ITS WORK EFFECTIVELY.   FOR DOMESTIC POLITICAL REASONS,  IT 
WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE MILITARY'S ROLE BE CHARACTERIZED 
NEITHER AS  "PEACEMAKING NOR PEACEKEEPING."   BADINI SAID 
THAT FORMIN FRATTINI HAD ACCEPTED THIS DISTINCTION, AND WAS 
MAKING THE CASE TO PM BERLUSCONI.  BADINI ADDED THAT, IN HIS 
VIEW, IT WOULD BE UNWISE TO WAIT FOR EITHER AN EU, UN, OR 
NATO MANDATE TO ACT GIVEN THE FOOT-DRAGGING OF OTHER MEMBERS. 
 
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PAGE 04        ROME  01577  01 OF 02  141056Z 
5. (C) IN THIS CONTEXT, BADINI WARMLY WELCOMED THE USG 
REQUEST FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL (REF A).  HE NOTED THAT HEALTH 
AND SANITATION WERE AMONG THE CORE COMPETENCIES THAT THE TASK 
FORCE HAD IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO IRAQ. 
MOREOVER, THE APPROPRIATE ELEMENTS NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THE 
REQUEST COULD, HE SAID, BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED FROM WITHIN THE 
1,000 PERSON TEAM PROPOSED IN THE TASK FORCE PACKAGE.  BADINI 
NOTED THAT ITALY'S EXPERIENCE REHABILITATING A GENERAL 
HOSPITAL AND A PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN BAGHDAD AFTER THE 1991 
GULF WAR PROVIDED A GOOD BASE TO PLAN FROM.  BADINI ASSURED 
US THAT THE TASK FORCE WOULD FOCUS IMMEDIATELY UPON THE 
REQUEST. 
 
6. (C) REGARDING THE PROPOSAL TO SECOND A SENIOR ITALIAN 
DIPLOMAT TO ORHA,  BADINI NOTED THAT ITALY'S AMBASSADOR PARTI 
IN KUWAIT, WHO HAS SERVED AS LIAISON WITH ORHA, WOULD NO 
LONGER BE ABLE TO DO SO ONCE ORHA RELOCATES TO BAGHDAD. 
WHILE THE DIPLOMAT AND THE GENERAL WOULD BOTH BE VERY SENIOR, 
BADINI SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE GENERAL REPORT TO AND 
ADVISE THE CIVILIAN DIPLOMATIC OFFICIAL.  BADINI ASKED 
WHETHER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE ITALIANS ON AN 
INTERNATIONAL TEAM INVOLVED IN THE PROVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION 
OF POST-WAR IRAQ, BOTH TO INTERFACE WITH GENERAL GARNER AND, 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4197 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01577  02 OF 02  141056Z 
ACTION SS-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00 
      DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EAP-00   EB-00    EUR-00   FAAE-00 
      FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   NEA-00 
      DCP-01   NSAE-00  PA-00    PM-00    IRM-00   SSO-00   PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01   NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /002W 
                  ------------------555368  141057Z /38 
O 141056Z APR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9242 
INFO AMEMBASSY KUWAIT IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY PRAGUE IMMEDIATE 
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3-CI/ECJ23-H// IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
USTRANSCOM SCOTT AFB IL IMMEDIATE 
USSTRATCOM OFFUTT AFB NE IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001577 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PMAT. PLEASE PASS TO NSC:KVOLKER, JOINT 
STAFF:SYIKE, OSD/POLICY, USEUCOM, USSTRATCOM, USPACOM, 
USTRANSCOM, USCENTCOM, USCOCOM, USSOUTHCOM, USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2013 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01577  02 OF 02  141056Z 
TAGS: MARR, EAID, MOPS, PREL, PHUM, IT, IZ 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: ITALY'S IRAQ TASK FORCE OUTLINES PROPOSED 
CONTRIBUTIONS 
 
AT THE LEVEL OF SPECIALISTS, TO HELP REFORM AN OPERATIONAL 
CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION IN IRAQ. 
 
7. (C) BADINI ALSO EXPLAINED THAT PARLIAMENT WILL NEED TO 
APPROVE A BILL THE TASK FORCE IS DRAFTING WHICH LAYS OUT BOTH 
THE RATIONALE FOR ITALY'S SENDING AN INTEGRATED MILITARY AND 
CIVILIAN EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TEAM TO IRAQ AND 
THE FUNDING REQUEST TO DO SO.  WHILE HE BELIEVES THAT FOR 
POLITICAL REASONS PM BERLUSCONI WILL WANT TO GO THE 
PARLIAMENT FOR APPROVAL OF SUCH A BILL, BADINI CLARIFIED THAT 
IT IS ALSO CONCEIVABLE THE PM WOULD CHOOSE TO SIMPLY 
INFORM/CONSULT THE PARLIAMENT AND INSTEAD FIND THE FUNDING 
THROUGH A REALLOCATION OF THE BUDGET. 
 
8. (C)  ACTION REQUESTS:  POST REQUESTS GUIDANCE ON WHETHER 
THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE GOI TASK FORCE'S PACKAGE MEETS 
COALITION NEEDS FOR A FIELD HOSPITAL.  IN THE EVENT THE GOI 
DOES NOT HAVE A MORE CONVENTIONAL "MILITARY FIELD HOSPITAL" 
AVAILABLE TO DEPLOY IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE ADVISE AS TO WHETHER 
THE GOI SHOULD CONTINUE WITH PLANS TO DEPLOY THE 1,000-PERSON 
INTEGRATED TEAM DESCRIBED IN THE PROPOSAL AS QUICKLY AS 
POSSIBLE.   WE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE ITALIAN 
PACKAGE AS WE GET FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO 
ENCOURAGE THE GOI TO USE ITS LNO IN TAMPA AS A CHANNEL.  IN 
THE MEANTIME, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE GOI  TO 
ENSURE THAT WHAT ITALY OFFERS WILL BE OF USE TO THE 
COALITION.  IN THAT RESPECT, PLEASE PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW 
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WE SHOULD RESPOND TO THE OTHER TWO COMPONENTS OF THE TASK 
FORCE'S PROPOSAL:  ATTACHING A SENIOR DIPLOMAT AND MILITARY 
OFFICER TO ORHA AND DISPATCHING TECHNICAL EXPERTS TO WORK 
WITH NASCENT IRAQI MINISTRIES.  END ACTION REQUESTS. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01577 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL