US embassy cable - 03ROME1625

S E C R E T ROME 001625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013 
TAGS: ETTC, EU, IT, LY, PREL, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALIAN REQUEST FOR EU EXCEPTION TO LIBYA ARMS 
EMBARGO 
 
REF: TEKACH-KILNER EMAIL 4/11/03 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC MINISTER-COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5 
 (B) (D) 
 
1. (SBU) ON THE BASIS OF REF EMAIL, ECMIN RAISED RECENT 
REPORTS THAT THE GOI HAD ASKED THE EU TO RELAX THE ARMS 
EMBARGO AGAINST LIBYA DURING AN APRIL 11 MEETING WITH MFA 
DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE EAST ANTONIO BADINI. 
 
2. (C) BADINI CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS CORRECT, EXPLAINING 
THAT A FEW WEEKS AGO THE GOI HAD INITIATED AN EFFORT TO GAIN 
EU AGREEMENT TO REVIEW THE ARMS EMBARGO LIST.  IF THIS 
AGREEMENT WERE OBTAINED, BADINI SAID THE GOI'S OBJECTIVE 
WOULD BE TO ELIMINATE CERTAIN ITEMS FROM THE "OUTDATED" 
EMBARGO LIST, SUCH AS PATROL BOATS, WHICH "ARE CLEARLY NOT 
EVEN DUAL USE."  HE FURTHER CONFIRMED THAT WHAT IS DRIVING 
ITALIAN ACTIONS IS A STRONG DESIRE TO HELP LIBYA PATROL ITS 
COASTLINE MORE EFFECTIVELY TO STEM THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL 
IMMIGRANTS FROM AFRICA.  THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM, HE 
STRESSED, IS AN "IMMEDIATE THREAT" WHICH THE GOI NEEDS TO 
ADDRESS URGENTLY.  BADINI ESTIMATED THAT A FINAL EU DECISION 
ON THE ITALIAN REQUEST WOULD TAKE 3-4 MONTHS. 
 
3.(S) ECMIN REPLIED THAT, WHILE THE U.S. UNDERSTOOD THE 
SEVERITY OF ITALY'S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM, WE STRONGLY 
OPPOSED ANY RELAXATION OF THE ARMS EMBARGO UNTIL LIBYA HAD 
DEMONSTRATED COMPLETE ABANDONMENT OF TERRORISM.  ECMIN 
FURTHER TOOK STRONG EXCEPTION TO BADINI'S CHARACTERIZATION OF 
PATROL BOATS AS "NOT DUAL USE," REMINDING THE DG THAT 
    SECRETARY POWELL FELT SO STRONGLY ABOUT THE RECENT CASE OF 
ITALIAN FAST BOATS FOR IRAN THAT HE HAD RAISED THE ISSUE 
DIRECTLY WITH FM FRATTINI.  THE SECRETARY HAS BEEN 
APPRECIATIVE OF ITALIAN ACTIONS TO STOP THAT DELIVERY, EVEN 
WRITING FRATTINI TO THANK HIM.  IT WOULD BE A SERIOUS MISTAKE 
TO HAVE TO RETRACE THE SAME PATH AGAIN WITH RESPECT TO LIBYA. 
 FINALLY, ECMIN NOTED PRESS REPORTS THAT VERY DAY OF IRANIAN 
PATROL BOATS HARASSING U.S. WARSHIPS IN THE PERSIAN GULF. 
 
4.(S) BADINI ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE IRAN 
FAST-BOATS CASE, BUT TRIED TO ARGUE THAT "LIBYA IS NOT IRAN." 
 HE MAINTAINED THAT LIBYA HAD TAKEN "VERY LARGE, IMPORTANT 
STEPS TO FIGHT TERRORISM."  BADINI ADDED THAT HE AND OTHERS 
WOULD BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS "ANY EVIDENCE YOU HAVE 
TO THE CONTRARY."  IF THE EU APPROVED THE REVIEW OF THE 
EMBARGO LIST, THE GOI WOULD ALSO BE WILLING TO CONSULT WITH 
THE U.S. ON TECHNICAL CONCERNS ABOUT PROPOSED DELETIONS FROM 
THE LIST. ECMIN REITERATED THAT THE U.S. DID NOT SHARE 
ITALY'S ANALYSIS, AND THAT WE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY WISH TO 
DISCUSS FURTHER THE GOI'S EFFORT TO REVIEW THE LIBYA ARMS 
EMBARGO. 
 
5. (C) ON APRIL 15 ECONOFFS RAISED THE PROPOSED EXPORT TO 
LIBYA WITH GIANPAOLO SCARANTE, DEPUTY DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR TO 
PM BERLUSCONI.  SCARANTE TOLD US THAT BADINI ALREADY HAD 
RELAYED TO HIM U.S. CONCERNS, AND HAD ALSO TOLD HIM THAT THE 
GOI DID NOT EXPECT TO RECEIVE EU SUPPORT FOR THE GOI 
PROPOSAL. (NOTE - IN THE PROVISIONAL READOUT OF THE APRIL 14 
GAERC MEETING, FORWARDED TO US BY USEU, THE COUNCIL CALLED 
FOR THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION 
"TO EXAMINE THE SITUATION SO AS TO ENABLE THE COUNCIL TO 
    EVALUATE HOW THE EU MIGHT COOPERATE SO AS TO ENHANCE LIBYA'S 
CAPACITY TO FIGHT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION." THERE IS NO MENTION 
OF THE EU LOOSENING ITS ARMS EMBARGO, WHICH IT EXPLICITLY 
STATES "REMAINS IN PLACE.") 
 
6. (C) ACTING ECMIN AND ECONOFF FURTHER RAISED OUR CONCERNS 
APRIL 15 WITH NEWLY ARRIVED MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR ECONOMIC 
COOPERATION GIANDOMENICO MAGLIANO. WHILE WE ACKNOWLEDGED 
ITALY'S NEED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, 
WE WISHED TO MAKE THE GOI AWARE OF OUR OPPOSITION TO THE 
EXPORT OF ANY ITEMS WHICH COULD SUPPORT LIBYAN TERRORIST 
ACTIVITY. THOUGH APPARENTLY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE, HE DID 
NOTE PM BERLUSCONI'S PLEDGE TO THE LIBYANS DURING A VISIT IN 
OCTOBER 2002 TO EXAMINE COOPERATION TO FIGHT ILLEGAL 
IMMIGRATION.  (AFTER A MEETING BETWEEN FM FRANCO FRATTINI AND 
LIBYAN FM ABD AL-RAHMAN MOHAMMAD SHALGAM IN FEBRUARY 2003, 
THE MFA ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT SAYS, IN PART, "ITALY IS 
SEEKING ALSO TO INVOLVE THE EUROPEAN UNION IN SUPPORT OF 
LIBYA'S PROGRAM DESIGNED TO COMBAT" ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.)  WE 
TOLD MAGLIANO THAT THE U.S. WOULD CONTINUE TO OPPOSE ANY 
FURTHER EFFORTS TO LOOSEN THE EU ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST LIBYA. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01625 - Classification: SECRET