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

131551Z Sep 02

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 004483 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR ERU/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2007 
TAGS: PREL PHUM VT UNGA
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S UNGA SPEECH:  HOLY SEE WELCOMES 
EMPHASIS ON UN ROLE, BUT STILL WARY OF MILITARY ACTION 
 
REF: A) STATE 175469 B) VATICAN 4444 C) VATICAN 4398 
 
     D) VATICAN 4388 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. D. BRENT HARDT, REASON E.O. 1295 
8 1.5 (B), (D). 
 
 ¶1. (C)  WITH FM TAURAN OUT OF TOWN, CHARGE DELIVERED REF A 
POINTS ON THE PRESIDENT'S UNGA ADDRESS TO VATICAN DFM 
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CELESTINO MILGIORE, EMPHASIZING THE PRESIDENT'S FOCUS ON THE 
UN'S ROLE IN ADVANCING HUMAN DIGNITY, AND THE CHALLENGE TO 
THAT DIGNITY AND TO THE UN POSED BY SADDAM'S DECADE OF 
DEFIANCE OF UN RESOLUTIONS.  MIGLIORE WELCOMED THE 
PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO WORK WITH THE UN AS WE GO FORWARD. 
HE EXPRESSED SOME DISCOMFORT WITH THE SPEECH'S IMPLICATION 
THAT THE U.S. WOULD ACT WITH OR WITHOUT THE UN.  NOTING THAT 
FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN HAD JUST OUTLINED THE HOLY SEE'S 
POSITION ON CONFLICT IN IRAQ IN A SEPTEMBER 11 INTERVIEW (REF 
B), AND THAT TAURAN WOULD BE CALLING IN THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS 
SEPTEMBER 16 TO OUTLINE FURTHER THE HOLY SEE'S VIEWS, 
MIGLIORE DID NOT PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED REACTION. 
 
¶2. (C)  MIGLIORE DID SAY THAT A RECENT ARTICLE BY UK CARDINAL 
CORMAC MURPHY-O'CONNOR (WHICH CAN BE READ AT: 
HTTP://WWW.CATHOLIC-EW.ORG.UK) WAS BEING WIDELY READ WITHIN 
THE VATICAN, AND CONSIDERED AS A "BALANCED AND WISE" 
PERSPECTIVE.  MIGLIORE SAID THE HOLY SEE SHARES 
MURPHY-O'CONNOR'S VIEW THAT MILITARY ACTION WOULD BE 
DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY IN THE ABSENCE OF MORE CONVINCING 
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS INCLUDING: 
 
-- WHETHER THE PURPOSE OF MILITARY ACTION IS TO NEUTRALIZE A 
THREAT OR EFFECT A CHANGE IN REGIME; 
 
-- WHETHER MILITARY ACTION WILL STABILIZE OR DESTABILIZE THE 
REGION; 
 
-- WHETHER IT WILL DELAY OR ADVANCE THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE 
PROCESS; 
 
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-- WHETHER THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL AND EU WILL ENDORSE IT; 
AND 
 
-- THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE BROADER STRUCTURE OF 
INTERNATIONAL LAW. 
 
IN ADDITION, MIGLIORE ASSERTED THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE MORE 
THINKING ABOUT A POST-SADDAM "END-STATE."  (POST HAS 
PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED MIGLIORE WITH BACKGROUND ON OUR EFFORTS 
WITH IRAQI OPPOSITION GROUPS.)  HE QUERIED WHAT THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY COULD DO TO ENSURE THAT A CONFLICT 
WOULD NOT RESULT IN EVER-GREATER SUFFERING. 
 
¶3. (C)  CHARGE PROVIDED MIGLIORE WITH A COPY OF THE 
BACKGROUND PAPER, "A DECADE OF DECEPTION AND DEFIANCE," 
STRESSING THAT IT LAYS OUT A DETAILED, IMPARTIAL, AND FACTUAL 
CASE ON THE NATURE OF IRAQI DEFIANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS 
AND ITS THREATS TO ITS PEOPLE, THE REGION AND THE WORLD.  HE 
URGED THE HOLY SEE TO REVIEW THIS IN DETAIL AS IT FURTHER 
EVALUATES THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH AND THE WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ. 
 
¶4. (C)  RESPONDING TO CHARGE'S COMMENT THAT THERE HAS BEEN 
MUCH PUBLIC DISCUSSION RECENTLY IN VATICAN CIRCLES OF THE 
TENETS OF JUST WAR, MIGLIORE SAID THE HOLY SEE IS MOVING AWAY 
FROM REFERRING TO "JUST WAR" IN FAVOR OF DISCUSSING "CRITERIA 
FOR THE ETHICAL PROSECUTION OF CONFLICTS AMONG STATES." 
 
¶5.  COMMENT:  MIGLIORE REITERATED HIS VIEW (REF C) THAT THE 
HOLY SEE RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEMS POSED BY SADDAM, AND HE WAS 
CLEARLY GRATIFIED THAT THE U.S. HAD DECIDED TO ENGAGE THROUGH 
THE UNITED NATIONS.  THE DEBATE WITHIN THE HOLY SEE NOW IS 
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WHETHER THE WAY FORWARD OUTLINED BY THE PRESIDENT -- WITH ITS 
CLEAR IMPLICATION OF EVENTUAL MILITARY ACTION -- IS THE ONLY 
WAY FORWARD, OR WHETHER IT CARRIES MORE RISKS THAN THE 
POTENTIAL BENEFITS IT WOULD BRING.  FM TAURAN'S SEPTEMBER 16 
BRIEFING WILL PROVIDE THE HOLY SEE'S INITIAL ANSWER. 
HARDT 
SKODON 
 
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