This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003880 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2012 
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR XF IZ MOPS MARR XF IZ IT IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: IRAQ:  MARTINO CAUSES STIR OVER ITALIAN SUPPORT 
FOR U.S. MILITARY INTERVENTION 
 
REF: A) ROME 3760 B) ROME 3795 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING DCM THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER MARTINO CAUSED A 
STIR AMONG ITALIAN POLITICAL LEADERS AND COMMENTATORS BY 
SUGGESTING THAT ITALY WOULD "AUTOMATICALLY" SUPPORT U.S. 
MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAQ.  HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT ITALY 
WOULD ONLY PARTICIPATE IN THE MILITARY EFFORT IF THERE IS 
"PROVEN EVIDENCE" OF IRAQ'S CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE WEAPONS OF 
MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD).  OPPOSITION FORCES REACTED WITH 
OUTRAGE, WHILE OTHER GOI OFFICIALS HASTENED TO TONE DOWN 
MARTINO'S MESSAGE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) IN AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED IN THE AUGUST 8 ISSUE OF 
THE CENTRIST NEWS WEEKLY "PANORAMA," ITALIAN MOD ANTONIO 
MARTINO SAID THAT, AT A RECENT NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS MEETING 
IN BRUSSELS, HE AND HIS EUROPEAN COLLEAGUES DISCUSSED WITH 
SECRETARY RUMSFELD THE PROBABLE EXISTENCE OF WMD PLANTS IN 
 
SIPDIS 
IRAQ.  MARTINO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE "IRRESPONSIBLE" NOT TO 
TAKE ACTION IF THERE IS POSITIVE EVIDENCE THAT SUCH 
PRODUCTION FACILITIES EXIST. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) CAUTIOUS AS USUAL WHEN IT COMES TO COMMITTING 
ITALIAN MILITARY PARTICIPATION, HOWEVER, MARTINO REMARKED 
THAT THE "LITMUS TEST" ON WHETHER OR NOT TO ENGAGE IN 
MILITARY ACTIVITY AGAINST IRAQ IS THE ISSUE OF UN INSPECTORS. 
 IF SADDAM HUSSEIN ALLOWS THE UNCONDITIONAL RETURN OF THE 
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PAGE 03        ROME  03880  01 OF 02  071000Z 
INSPECTORS, HE ARGUED, THERE WILL BE NO NEED FOR MILITARY 
INTERVENTION.  IF, INSTEAD, THE IRAQI LEADER CONTINUES TO 
BLOCK THEIR RETURN, MARTINO INFERRED THAT THIS WOULD BE 
JUSTIFICATION FOR MILITARY ACTION. 
 
¶4.  (U) ACCORDING TO PRESS STATEMENTS, MARTINO BELIEVES THE 
U.S. IS RIGHT IN NOT WANTING TO WAIT INDEFINITELY BEFORE 
STRIKING, GIVEN THE POSSIBLE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL THREAT 
FROM IRAQ.  STILL, HE DOES NOT BELIEVE U.S. ACTION IS 
IMMINENT, SINCE WASHINGTON WILL FIRST WANT TO BUILD THE 
WIDEST POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL COALITION -- POSSIBLY WIDER 
THAN DESERT STORM IN 1991, AND INCLUDING THE RUSSIAN 
FEDERATION.  MARTINO SAID THAT, IF THE U.S. EVENTUALLY 
DECIDES TO ATTACK, ITALY, AS A CLOSE U.S. ALLY, WOULD 
"AUTOMATICALLY" MAKE ITS AIR SPACE AVAILABLE.  THE 
PARTICIPATION OF ITALIAN TROOPS WOULD DEPEND, HOWEVER, "ON 
THE PROVEN EVIDENCE OF IRAQ'S WAR PLANS." 
 
¶5.  (U) RESPONDING TO MARTINO'S STATEMENTS AND RESULTING 
OPPOSITION CRITICISM, ALFREDO MANTICA, MFA UNDER SECRETARY 
FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, AND MARGHERITA BONIVER, MFA UNDER 
SECRETARY FOR ASIA, TOLD THE PRESS THAT MILITARY INTERVENTION 
 
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BY AN INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE WOULD REQUIRE A UN RESOLUTION. 
THEY ALSO SAID ITALY WOULD MAKE ITS DECISION ON WHETHER TO 
PARTICIPATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH ITS EUROPEAN PARTNERS, 
ALTHOUGH BONIVER OPINED THAT ITALY WOULD ULTIMATELY BACK THE 
U.S. IF ASKED BY PRESIDENT BUSH.  ONE RULING COALITION MEMBER 
IN THE SENATE CAUTIONED THAT ANY DECISION INVOLVING AN 
ITALIAN MILITARY COMMITMENT MUST GO BEFORE PARLIAMENT. 
 
¶6.  (U) THEIR STATEMENTS DID LITTLE TO PACIFY THE OPPOSITION, 
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PAGE 04        ROME  03880  01 OF 02  071000Z 
WHICH PROTESTED MARTINO'S "DISCONCERTING" STATEMENTS AND 
"SUBMISSIVE" ATTITUDE TOWARD THE UNITED STATES.  OVER 70 
LEADERS OF THE LEFT AND CENTER-LEFT SIGNED A PETITION 
OPPOSING MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAQ.  MANY COMMENTATORS 
POINT TO THE DANGERS OF AN ATTACK ON IRAQ ON MIDDLE EAST 
STABILITY AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, WHILE OPPOSITION FORCES ARE 
CALLING FOR AN END TO THE UN EMBARGO AGAINST IRAQ AND ARE 
APPEALING TO OTHER LEFTIST FORCES IN EUROPE TO TAKE POLITICAL 
ACTION TO MAKE CLEAR EUROPE'S OPPOSITION TO AN EXTENSION OF 
THE CONFLICT. 
 
¶7.  (U) SOME IN ITALY SPECULATE THAT THE U.S. REQUEST FOR 
MORE ITALIAN TROOPS IN OEF IS AN EFFORT TO FREE UP U.S. 
TROOPS AND THUS A SIGNAL OF U.S. INTENTIONS TO ATTACK IRAQ. 
ALTHOUGH BONIVER CALLED THIS INTERPRETATION A "CREDIBLE 
HYPOTHESIS," MARTINO DENIED IT, SAYING THAT ITALIAN SOLDIERS 
WOULD REPLACE BRITISH, NOT AMERICAN, TROOPS AS PART OF AN 
ON-GOING SIX-MONTH ROTATION. 
 
¶8.  (C) COMMENT. THE GOI UNDER PM BERLUSCONI HAS BEEN A 
STRONG SUPPORTER OF U.S. MILITARY POLICY.  AT THE SAME TIME, 
HOWEVER, IT IS EQUALLY COMMITTED TO A COMMON EUROPEAN DEFENSE 
POLICY AND THEREFORE RELUCTANT TO GUARANTEE ACTIVE MILITARY 
PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ -- IF AND WHEN IT BECOMES NECESSARY -- 
IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EU CONSENSUS.  DESPITE GOI (AND OUR OWN) 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ3486 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  03880  02 OF 02  071000Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  C-00 
      DOTE-00  PERC-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    FAAE-00  FBIE-00 
      VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00 
      MOFM-05  MOF-01   AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02 
      OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00 
      SP-00    SS-00    TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00 
      PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /013W 
                  ------------------D5BBF6  071000Z /38 
R 070957Z AUG 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5307 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES 
AMCONSUL MILAN 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
SECDEF WASHDC 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 003880 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2012 
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR XF IZ MOPS MARR XF IZ IT IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: IRAQ:  MARTINO CAUSES STIR OVER ITALIAN SUPPORT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  03880  02 OF 02  071000Z 
FOR U.S. MILITARY INTERVENTION 
 
ASSURANCES TO THE CONTRARY, THE U.S. REQUEST FOR INCREASED 
ITALIAN TROOP INVOLVEMENT IN OEF HAS FED RAMPANT SPECULATION 
OF AN IMMINENT ATTACK ON IRAQ.  PM BERLUSCONI HAS PLEDGED HIS 
SUPPORT FOR ANY U.S. DECISION ON IRAQ, BUT STRESSED THE 
IMPORTANCE OF CLOSE CONSULTATION AND INTERNATIONAL 
COORDINATION ON SUCH SENSITIVE ISSUES (REF A).  IN THAT 
MEETING, THE AMBASSADOR ASSURED THE PRIME MINISTER THAT SUCH 
CONSULTATIONS WOULD BE FORTHCOMING.  END COMMENT. 
 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002ROME03880 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL