US embassy cable - 03ROME1731

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001731 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2013 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, EAID, IT, MOPS, PREL, EAID, IT, IZ, IZMARR, IRAQI FREEDOM 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: MINDEF MARTINO ON ITALIAN PLANS FOR FIELD 
HOSPITAL, PHASE IV 
 
REF: A. ROME 1701 
     B. ROME 1679 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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     C. ROME 1618 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY.  MINDEF MARTINO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR ON APRIL 
22 THAT ITALY WAS STILL LOOKING TO DEPLOY A FIELD HOSPITAL IN 
BAGHDAD.  IT WOULD PROVIDE INTERNAL SECURITY, BUT HOPED THE 
U.S. COULD ASSIST WITH PROTECTING THE PERIMETER.  THE GOI IS 
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE UK TO STAND UP AN ITALIAN ARMY 
BRIGADE-SIZE FORCE IN THE BRITISH PHASE IV SECTOR.  SOME 
400-500 CARABINIERI WILL ALSO BE DISPATCHED TO WORK ON 
STABILIZATION TASKS NEAR BASRA.  THE AMBASSADOR URGED MARTINO 
TO COORDINATE ALL OPERATIONAL DETAILS--HUMANITARIAN AND 
MILITARY--WITH CENTCOM VIA THE ITALIAN LNO.  MARTINO ASSURED 
THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE LNO WOULD BE EMPOWERED TO ENGAGE 
CENTCOM PLANNERS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) MINDEF MARTINO REVIEWED ITALIAN PLANNING FOR LOCATING 
A FIELD HOSPITAL AND PHASE IV DEPLOYMENTS DURING AN APRIL 22 
MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR.  MARTINO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY 
DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR FRANCESCO TRUPIANO, WHO ELABORATED ON GOI 
THINKING IN A FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION WITH POLOFF. 
 
3.  (C) THE AMBASSADOR THANKED THE MINISTER FOR ITALY'S 
WELCOME EFFORTS TO ASSIST WITH RECONSTRUCTION IN IRAQ, AND 
SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE GOI'S INTEREST IN DEPLOYING A FIELD 
HOSPITAL TO BAGHDAD (REF A).  MARTINO NOTED THAT FM FRATTINI 
WANTED THE HOSPITAL SITUATED IN THE IRAQI CAPITAL, ADDING 
THAT HE HAD RECENTLY SPOKEN WITH THE ITALIAN CHOD, ROLANDO 
MOSCA MOSCHINI, WHO RECOMMENDED DEPLOYMENT WITH EXTERNAL 
PERIMETER SECURITY PROVIDED BY THE U.S. MILITARY.  THE MOD IS 
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PREPARED TO BUNDLE SOME 30 CARABINIERI INTO THE PACKAGE TO 
HANDLE "INTERNAL" SECURITY.  (NOTE: EMBASSY ECMIN COUNSELOR 
RAISED THE SECURITY ISSUE DURING AN APRIL 23 MEETING WITH THE 
GOI'S IRAQ TASK FORCE DEPUTY DIRECTOR LUIGI MACCOTTA, 
PRESSING THE POINT THAT ITALY NEEDED TO MAKE SURE ITS 
HOSPITAL WAS SELF-PROTECTING.  MACCOTTA SAID HE CLEARLY 
UNDERSTOOD ITALY NEEDED TO PROVIDE BOTH INTERNAL AND 
PERIMETER SECURITY FOR THE FACILITY.  NEVERTHELESS, THE MFA 
HOPED THE HOSPITAL COULD HAVE SOME CONNECTION TO U.S. 
MILITARY FORCES OPERATING IN THE VICINITY, I.E. THAT U.S. 
FORCES WOULD BE AWARE OF ITS PRESENCE AND GENERALLY KEEP AN 
EYE OUT FOR THREATS TO ITALIAN PERSONNEL/EQUIPMENT. END NOTE) 
 
4.  (C) AMBASSADOR SEMBLER URGED MARTINO TO COORDINATE ALL 
ITALIAN HUMANITARIAN AND MILITARY ASSISTANCE THROUGH CENTCOM, 
INCLUDING ANY SECURITY-RELATED REQUESTS.  THE EMBASSY'S 
UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT ITALY'S LNO, GENERAL SANTINI, HAD BEEN 
EMPOWERED TO ENGAGE IN "TWO-WAY CONVERSATIONS" IN TAMPA. 
MARTINO RESPONDED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE SANTINI HAD BEEN SO 
EMPOWERED, BUT, RETURNING TO THE POINT LATER IN THE 
DISCUSSION, ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THE LNO WOULD HAVE THE 
NECESSARY AUTHORITY TO WORK WITH CENTCOM PLANNERS. 
 
5.  (C) MARTINO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ITALY IS COOPERATING 
CLOSELY WITH THE UK ON DEPLOYING AN ITALIAN ARMY (ITA) 
BRIGADE-SIZE FORCE IN THE BRITISH PHASE IV SECTOR AROUND 
BASRA (REF B).  OPERATING UNDER UK COMMAND AUTHORITY WOULD 
NOT BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ITA HAS A GREAT DEAL OF 
EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ITS UK COUNTERPART.  TRUPIANO 
CONFIRMED THAT A BRITISH MILITARY PLANNING TEAM WOULD MEET 
WITH ITALIAN DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF (IDGS) OFFICERS ON APRIL 
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23 TO IRON OUT DETAILS. 
 
6.  (C) ITALY IS ALSO INTERESTED IN DEPLOYING A 400-500 MAN 
CARABINIERI CONTINGENT TO ASSIST WITH STABILIZATION EFFORTS. 
THE IDGS IS INSISTING THAT ITALY'S MILITARY FORCE PACKAGE BE 
SELF-CONTAINED; THEREFORE, THE CARABINIERI UNITS WILL MOST 
LIKELY DEPLOY TOGETHER WITH THE ARMY IN THE UK SECTOR. 
 
7.  (C) ASKED WHETHER THE GOI HAD RECEIVED SUFFICIENT 
AUTHORITY FROM PARLIAMENT TO DEPLOY MILITARY FORCES (REF C), 
MARTINO SAID APPROVAL TO DEPLOY UP TO 3000 TROOPS IN SUPPORT 
OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE EFFORTS HAD BEEN GRANTED. (NOTE: 
THE GOI IS ACTUALLY PLANNING TO PLACE SOME 1700-2000 BOOTS ON 
THE GROUND. END NOTE)  HOWEVER, HE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK 
BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE TO DEFINE THE GOVERNMENT'S SPECIFIC 
PHASE IV PLANS.  TRUPIANO LATER CLARIFIED THAT THE GOI WILL 
DEFINITELY NEED PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL FOR THE BRIGADE AND 
THE MAIN CARABINIERI DEPLOYMENT, IF NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE 
SECURITY FORCE ACCOMPANYING THE FIELD HOSPITAL.  HE 
UNDERSCORED THAT BOTH LEGAL AND FINANCIAL AUTHORIZATION WOULD 
BE REQUIRED, BUT THOUGHT THIS WOULD NOT BE PROBLEMATIC. 
MARTINO WOULD PROBABLY GO BEFORE PARLIAMENT TO PRESENT THE 
GOI'S PLANS IN EARLY MAY. 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4556 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01731  02 OF 02  231652Z 
ACTION NEA-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DOEE-00 
      DOTE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EAP-00   EB-00    EUR-00   FAAE-00 
      FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00 
      VCE-00   MFLO-03  AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00 
      TRSE-00  USIE-00  R-00     PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01 
      G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /007W 
                  ------------------5A0985  231653Z /38 
O 231648Z APR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9386 
INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY WARSAW IMMEDIATE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE 
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9387 
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001731 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2013 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, EAID, IT, IZ 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: MINDEF MARTINO ON ITALIAN PLANS FOR FIELD 
HOSPITAL, PHASE IV 
 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01731  02 OF 02  231652Z 
 
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 2003ROME01731 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL