US embassy cable - 03ROME2148

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, IZ, PGOV, EAID, IZ, IT, ITPREL 
SUBJECT: ITALY'S NEW IRAQ ENVOY 
 
REF: A. ROME 01646 
 
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     B. ROME 01664 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY ECONOMIC MINISTER-COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER, 
REASONS 1.5 B, D. 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY: EMBASSY OFFICERS MET ON MAY 13 WITH 
AMBASSADOR ANTONIO ARMELLINI, WHO WILL BE IN CHARGE OF 
ITALY'S CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL AS SPECIAL ENVOY IN 
IRAQ AND REPRESENTATIVE TO THE INTERIM AUTHORITY (REFS A, B). 
 ARMELLINI RETURNED FROM BAGHDAD LAST WEEK HAVING RECEIVED, 
HE SAID, A CLEAR APPEAL FROM ORHA FOR SWIFT ITALIAN 
MOBILIZATION OF A TEAM OF TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL EXPERTS TO 
INTEGRATE WITH ORHA AND IRAQ'S EMERGING MINISTRIES. 
ARMELLINI PLANS TO TRAVEL ALONE TO WASHINGTON ON MAY 18 TO 
SECURE CLEAR ASSURANCES THAT THE TEAM THAT THE GOI IS 
MOBILIZING MEETS USG NEEDS.  ARMELLINI SAID THAT HIS TEAM OF 
ABOUT 40 PEOPLE COULD BE DISPATCHED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO 
WEEKS.  HE SHARES OUR CONCERN THAT ITALIAN COORDINATION WITH 
CENTCOM IMPROVE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C)  ECMIN BEGAN THE MEETING WITH AMBASSADOR ARMELLINI BY 
STRESSING THE FACT THAT IRAQ REMAINS A MILITARY ZONE, AND, AS 
SUCH, COORDINATION WITH CENTCOM THROUGH THE GOI'S LNO, 
GENERAL SANTINI, REMAINS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.  ECMIN 
DESCRIBED HOW THE EMBASSY'S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SECTIONS 
ARE ARRAYED ON IRAQ ISSUES, AND REVIEWED FOR ARMELLINI 
VARIOUS CONDUITS FOR INFORMATION, INCLUDING WASHINGTON 
BRIEFINGS, THE IMMINENT FORMATION OF THE HIGH LEVEL IRAQ 
RECONSTRUCTION VIRTUAL WORKING GROUP, AND THE PUBLIC 
INFORMATION PACKETS THAT THE EMBASSY HAS PLACED ON ITS WEB 
SITE FOR PROSPECTIVE ITALIAN SUBCONTRACTORS AND DONORS OF 
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HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.  ON THE POLICY SIDE, ECMIN NOTED 
THAT WE COUNTED ON ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR THE LIFTING OF 
SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ AS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE MEDIUM AND 
LONGER-TERM DEVELOPMENT OF THE IRAQI ECONOMY. 
 
3. (C)  ARMELLINI RESPONDED WITH THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION, 
ADDING THAT THE FLOW OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE MFA AND THE 
ITALIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON WAS EXCELLENT.  HE WENT ON TO 
DESCRIBE HIS ROLE AS BEING THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MFA IRAQ 
TASK FORCE ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ, COMMUTING BACK AND FORTH TO 
THE REGION AS NEEDED.  ARMELLINI DESCRIBED AS "UNPRECEDENTED" 
THE IMPORTANCE THAT PM BERLUSCONI HAS GIVEN TO ITALY'S "FULL 
PARTICIPATION" ACROSS THE RANGE OF TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL 
REQUIREMENTS THAT ORHA HAS IDENTIFIED.  HE REPORTED THAT THE 
GOI WAS FINALIZING THE IDENTIFICATION OF A 30-40 PERSON TEAM 
TO SEND TO THE REGION IN THE COMING WEEKS.  HE NOTED THAT THE 
GOI WAS EAGER TO BE PART OF A DEMONSTRABLY SUCCESSFUL, 
COLLECTIVE EFFORT IN IRAQ AND WANTS TO LEVERAGE ITALY'S 
STRONG HISTORY OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE REGION.  THE GOI, 
ARMELLINI ASSURED, WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE LOGISTICAL NEEDS OF 
ITS TEAM. 
 
4. (C)  HAVING WITNESSED OUR SHORT-LIVED NEED FOR ITALY'S 
FIELD HOSPITAL AND OUR RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW COALITION 
LEADERSHIP IN IRAQ, ARMELLINI WAS CONCERNED THAT, JUST AS THE 
GOI BEGINS AN UNPRECEDENTED MOBILIZATION, USG  PRIORITIES MAY 
SHIFT.   HE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENT OF 
AMBASSADOR BREMER AS THE SENIOR COALITION OFFICIAL IN IRAQ 
AND SPECIFICALLY WHETHER HE WOULD BE ARMELLINI'S NEW 
INTERLOCUTOR.  ECMIN UNDERSCORED THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD 
CLEARLY PRONOUNCED AMBASSADOR BREMER'S AUTHORITY IN IRAQ.  HE 
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ALSO AFFIRMED THAT ARMELLINI COULD EXPECT TO ENGAGE WITH 
BREMER AT A POLITICAL LEVEL. 
 
5. (C)  ECMIN ASKED HOW ARMELLINI PLANNED TO ORGANIZE ON THE 
GROUND.  ARMELLINI REPLIED THAT HE WOULD HAVE OVERALL 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WHOLE ITALIAN MISSION IN IRAQ, 
INCLUDING CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL.  GENERAL CABIGIOSU 
(PENDING CONFIRMATION) IS EXPECTED TO ACT AS HIS MILITARY 
ADVISOR.  UNDER ARMELLINI'S LEADERSHIP, A COMMANDER WOULD 
HAVE OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITALIAN TROOPS IN IRAQ AS 
WELL AS MILITARY-TO-MILITARY LIAISON WITH THE BRITISH IN 
BASRA. 
 
6. (C)  ECMIN RETURNED TO THE NEED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION 
WITH CENTCOM, AND ARMELLINI NOTED THAT HE SHARED THE SAME 
CONCERN.  HE POINTED OUT THAT, DESPITE GETTING CLEARANCE FOR 
HIS LAST TRIP TO BAGHDAD, WORD HAD NOT YET REACHED BAGHDAD BY 
THE TIME HE ARRIVED.  ARMELLINI ASKED WHETHER THE PROBLEM WAS 
THE COMPLEX ROUTING OF INFORMATION OR WHETHER ADEQUATE 
COMMUNICATIONS HAD YET TO BE SET UP.  HE NOTED THAT GETTING 
COORDINATION RIGHT WITH CENTCOM WAS A PRIORITY FOR GENERAL 
CABIGIOSU. 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ5355 
 
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ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  SRPP-00  EB-00    VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00 
      SP-00    SSO-00   SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00 
      DRL-01   G-00     SAS-00     /005W 
                  ------------------65B33A  151708Z /45 
O 151601Z MAY 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9917 
INFO AMEMBASSY KUWAIT IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 002148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EAID, IZ, IT 
SUBJECT: ITALY'S NEW IRAQ ENVOY 
 
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PAGE 02        ROME  02148  02 OF 02  151708Z 
7. (C)  COMMENT:  ARMELLINI IS FOCUSED ON HOW TO PUT A TEAM 
TOGETHER THAT MEETS USG NEEDS IN IRAQ, WHILE MAKING THE MOST 
OF ITALY'S COMPARATIVE STRENGTHS.  WE BELIEVE THAT HIS VISIT 
TO WASHINGTON IS WELL-TIMED TO GET THE KIND OF CLEAR GUIDANCE 
THAT HE IS SEEKING.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME02148 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL