US embassy cable - 03ROME1887

S E C R E T ROME 001887 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR PM/ISO, PM/PMAT, NEA/ENA, AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, MARR, PBTS, IT, AG, ML, TS, U.S FORCES IN ITALY, NATO 
SUBJECT: ITALY WILL APPROVE CONSENSUAL SRO FOR ALGERIA AND 
MALI 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 105585 
     B. BAMAKO 0565 
     C. ALGIERS 992 
     D. TUNIS 1064 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POLITICAL-MINISTER COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS 
               FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (S) ON APRIL 29, REF A POINTS WERE CONVEYED BY ROME ODC 
CHIEF TO VCHOD GENERAL CAMPORINI AND, SEPARATELY, BY POLOFF 
TO MFA ACTING NATO OFFICE DIRECTOR CARLO LO CASCIO. 
CAMPORINI SAID THAT ITALY WOULD SUPPORT THE FLIGHTS, AS WELL 
AS ANY OTHER U.S. NON-CLANDESTINE USE OF SIGONELLA, AS LONG 
AS THE GOVERNMENTS CITED IN REFTEL APPROVED.  CAMPORINI WENT 
ON TO SAY THAT HE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE "NORMAL OPERATIONS" 
AND DID NOT SEE ANY NEED FOR FURTHER PAPERWORK.  THE DETAILS 
COULD BE WORKED IN MIL-TO-MIL CHANNELS.  LO CASCIO TOLD 
POLOFF THAT HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY RAISE THE SRO ISSUE WITH THE 
DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR AND THAT THE MFA WOULD COORDINATE 
WITH THE MOD.  HE ASKED THAT WE LET THE MFA KNOW THE RESPONSE 
OF MALI, ALGERIA, AND TUNISIA TO OUR REQUEST. 

3.  (S) DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR TO THE MINDEF FRANCESCO TRUPIANO, 
WITH WHOM WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE THE POINTS ON MAY 2, TOLD US 
THAT HE WOULD ENSURE THAT MINISTER MARTINO WAS AWARE OF OUR 
REQUEST, BUT THAT CAMPORINI WAS THE RIGHT CHANNEL FOR WORKING 
THE ISSUE.  TRUPIANO ALSO SAID THAT HE WOULD APPRECIATE 
KNOWING THE RESPONSE OF THE THREE AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS. 
 
2.  (S) ACTION REQUEST: ITALY WILL ALLOW SRO FLIGHTS FROM 
SIGONELLA PROVIDED THEY ARE CONSENSUAL.  EMBASSY UNDERSTANDS 
PER REFS B AND C THAT MALI AND ALGERIA HAVE APPROVED THE 
FLIGHTS, AND PER REF D, THAT TUNISIA IS CONSIDERING OUR 
REQUEST FOR USE OF ITS AIRSPACE ON AN URGENT BASIS.  WE WOULD 
APPRECIATE WASHINGTON'S CONCURRENCE TO SHARE THE ANSWERS TO 
REF A DEMARCHE WITH THE GOI.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01887 - Classification: SECRET