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 SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000810 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2013 
TAGS: MOPS MARR MARR IT ITMOPS FORCES IN ITALY IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ITALY HAS HANDLE ON TRAINSTOPPING 
 
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PAGE 02        ROME  00810  01 OF 02  261816Z 
REF: A. MILAN 0133 
     ¶B. ROME 5358 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL-MIN COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND 
 (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY.  THE GOI, WORKING WITH THE U.S. MILITARY AND 
THE EMBASSY, HAS PREVENTED ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS FROM STOPPING 
TRAINS MOVING U.S. MILITARY EQUIPMENT FROM THE SOUTHERN 
EUROPEAN TASK FORCE (SETAF) TO CAMP DARBY.  PROTEST ACTIVITY 
IS SPREADING, BUT THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR (MOI) HAS 
IMPLEMENTED A GOOD SECURITY PLAN TO ENSURE THE SAFE PASSAGE 
OF ONE REMAINING TRAIN, SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT CAMP DARBY ON 
FEBRUARY 27.  THE GOI HAS MADE CLEAR ITS INTENT TO DEPLOY ALL 
MEANS NECESSARY--INCLUDING THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST THOSE 
BREAKING THE LAW--TO COUNTER THE "TRAINSTOPPING" ACTIVISTS. 
IN THE EVENT THREATENED DOCKWORKER STRIKES MATERIALIZE AT 
LIVORNO, A COMMERCIAL PORT NEAR DARBY, U.S. MILITARY 
OFFICIALS BELIEVE THEY SHOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH EVENTUAL 
LOADING OF EQUIPMENT ON SHIPS BOUND FOR SW ASIA.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C)  PROTESTS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ITALY (REF A) 
TARGETING ITALIAN CIVILIAN TRAINS MOVING U.S. MILITARY 
EQUIPMENT FROM THE U.S. ARMY'S SOUTHERN EUROPEAN TASK FORCE 
(SETAF) IN VICENZA TO CAMP DARBY (LIVORNO) HAVE DISRUPTED, 
BUT NOT STOPPED DELIVERIES.  SETAF HAS STRICTLY FOLLOWED 
NOTIFICATION CHAINS AND IS WORKING INTENSIVELY WITH LAW 
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO ENSURE SAFE AND TIMELY MOVEMENT OF 
THE TRAINS, WHICH ARE TRAVELING WITH U.S. SERVICEMEN AND 
ITALIAN CARABINIERI ABOARD.  ODC ROME IS COORDINATING CLOSELY 
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PAGE 03        ROME  00810  01 OF 02  261816Z 
WITH THE MOI ON STRATEGY. 
 
¶3.  (C) THE MOI'S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SECURITY HAS SET UP A 
CRISIS CENTER TO MONITOR EVENTS AND WORK TACTICS TOGETHER 
WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NATIONAL RAILROAD (FERROVIE DI 
STATO).  A SYSTEM OF COUNTERMEASURES HAS BEEN ACTIVATED WHICH 
INCLUDES HEAVY SURVEILLANCE OF THE PROTESTER'S 
COMMUNICATIONS, DEPLOYMENT OF HUNDREDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICERS AT KEY POINTS ALONG TRAIN ROUTES, AND MOVING 
EQUIPMENT BY NIGHT.  THE GOI, BY PLAYING A CAT AND MOUSE GAME 
WITH THE TRAINS--OFTEN SHIFTING ROUTES ON SHORT NOTICE--HAS 
BEEN ABLE KEEP THE PROTESTERS OFF BALANCE. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) POLICE OUTFITTED WITH ANTI-RIOT GEAR HAVE REMOVED 
ACTIVISTS FROM THE TRACKS, BUT VIOLENT CLASHES WITH 
PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.  INTERIOR MINISTER PISANU SAID 
ON FEBRUARY 25 THAT THE GOI IS FOCUSING ON PREVENTIVE 
MEASURES, BUT IS WILLING TO USE THE REPRESSIVE POWERS OF THE 
STATE TO COMBAT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, IF NECESSARY.  ACTIVISTS 
BLOCKING CIVILIAN TRAIN LINES ARE SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE 
FINES OF UP TO 10,000 EUROS, BUT COULD ALSO BE ACCUSED OF 
"PROHIBITING A PUBLIC SERVICE," WHICH IS PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 
ONE YEAR IN PRISON.  BLOCKING THE MOVEMENT OF A "MILITARY 
TRAIN" IS A FELONY FOR WHICH A PERPETRATOR, IF FOUND GUILTY, 
WOULD FACE A MINIMUM OF EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON.  DURING THE 
"TRAINSTOPPINGS" THAT BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, NO ACTIVIST HAS 
YET BEEN CHARGED WITH COMMITTING AN ILLEGAL ACT. 
 
¶5.  (C)  ON FEBRUARY 25, SETAF, AFTER CONSULTING WITH LOCAL 
LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES, DECIDED TO DELAY THE LOADING OF 
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PAGE 04        ROME  00810  01 OF 02  261816Z 
TWO TRAINS THAT HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR THE MORNING OF 
FEBRUARY 26.  ODC ROME SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED MOI ABOUT THE 
DELAY.  SETAF MADE THE DECISION AFTER BEING APPRISED THAT A 
LARGE DEMONSTRATION AT THE GRISIGNANO DI ZOCCO STATION (NEAR 
VICENZA) WAS LIKELY AT THE SAME TIME LOADING WAS TO HAVE 
BEGUN (NOTE: THE DEMONSTRATION CONSISTING OF SOME TWO-HUNDRED 
ACTIVISTS UNFOLDED AS EXPECTED).  MOREOVER, A "NATIONAL DAY 
OF ACTION" TO INCLUDE WIDESPREAD SIT-INS ON TRACKS THROUGHOUT 
NORTHERN ITALY IS BEING STAGED WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 BY THE 
SOCIAL FORUM, A COALITION OF "NO GLOBAL" GROUPS, AND THE 
"DISOBEDIENTS" (REF B).  THE TWO TRAINS WILL NOW BE MERGED 
INTO ONE LONGER TRAIN AND LOADED AT 2100 ON FEBRUARY 26.  ITS 
ARRIVAL AT CAMP DARBY ON FEBRUARY 27 WOULD COMPLETE THE 
CURRENT PRE-POSITIONING OF EQUIPMENT. 
¶6.  (C) NO DATE HAS BEEN SET YET FOR LOADING OF THE 
PRE-POSITIONED EQUIPMENT ONTO SHIPS FOR ONWARD TRANSPORT TO 
SW ASIA.  POSSIBLE DOCKWORKER STRIKES BY ITALY'S LARGEST 
TRADE UNION (CGIL), WHICH DOMINATES ITS COMPETITION IN THE 
SECTOR, SHOULD NOT POSE A PROBLEM AS ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF VESSELS 
WILL BE USED TO LOAD THE EQUIPMENT AT THE PORT OF LIVORNO, 
REQUIRING ONLY MINIMAL LONGSHOREMAN-TYPE ASSISTANCE. 
NEVERTHELESS, WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO CLARIFY WITH UNION 
OFFICIALS WHETHER THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO ACTIVELY PREVENT 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0767 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  00810  02 OF 02  261816Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DOTE-00  SRPP-00 
      DS-00    EB-00    FAAE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01 
      L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  OMB-01   PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SP-00    IRM-00   SSO-00   SS-00 
      TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01 
      G-00     SAS-00     /004W 
                  ------------------3BD9A5  261816Z /38 
O 261723Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8474 
INFO AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE 
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
CDR USASETAF VICENZA IT IMMEDIATE 
CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000810 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2013 
TAGS: MOPS MARR MARR IT ITMOPS FORCES IN ITALY IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF ITALY HAS HANDLE ON TRAINSTOPPING 
 
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PAGE 02        ROME  00810  02 OF 02  261816Z 
LOADING OPERATIONS OR SIMPLY STRIKE TO AVOID PARTICIPATING. 
 
7  (SBU) ALSO ON FEBRUARY 26, FIVE LEFT-WING PARLIAMENTARIANS 
CONDUCTED A "PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATION" OF CAMP DARBY, 
PERMITTED BY ITALIAN LAW.  THE PARLIAMENTARIANS, WHO HAVE THE 
LEGAL RIGHT TO BRING INVITED GUESTS, WERE ACCOMPANIED BY 
SOCIAL FORUM LEADER VITTORIO AGNOLETTO, A JOURNALIST 
AFFILIATED WITH THE HARD-LEFT COMMUNIST RENEWAL PARTY, AND AN 
ASSISTANT TO A GREEN PARTY MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES. 
THE GROUP WAS GIVEN A BRIEF TOUR OF THE BASE BY THE ITALIAN 
BASE COMMANDER, COLONEL VENUTI, WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY U.S. 
ARMY COLONEL CARROLL, THE SETAF-BASED AREA SUPPORT GROUP 
COMMANDER. 
 
¶8.  (C)  COMMENT.  THE GOI HAS BEEN ABLE TO OVERCOME AN 
INITIAL HICCUP IN ITS INTERAGENCY PROCESS (NOTE: CGIL 
SECRETARY GENERAL EPIFANI WAS THE FIRST TO INFORM THE PRIME 
 
SIPDIS 
MINISTER'S OFFICE ABOUT THE PROTESTS THAT BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 
21) AND IS RESPONDING ABLY TO COUNTER THE TRAINSTOPPERS. 
SETAF REPORTS THAT THEY ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE COOPERATION 
THEY HAVE RECEIVED FROM ITALIAN AUTHORITIES AND THE 
PROFESSIONALISM OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS CHARGED WITH 
ENSURING THE SAFE PASSAGE OF TRAINS TO CAMP DARBY.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
SEMBLER 
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 2003ROME00810 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL