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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
03ROME1524	2003-04-09 16:41	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Rome

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 03 ROME 001524 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013 
TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01524  01 OF 03  091639Z 
 
REF: ROME 1506 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) 
AND (D). 
 
¶1. (SBU) EARLY ON APRIL 9 MFA SECRETARY GENERAL'S CHIEF OF 
STAFF, ANTONIO ZANARDI LANDI, SPOKE TO DCM TO FOLLOW UP 
PREVIOUS EVENING'S APPROACH RE SAFETY OF ITALIAN JOURNALISTS 
IN BAGHDAD (REFTEL).  DCM ADVISED THAT WE HAD PASSED ON GOI 
CONCERNS TO DEPARTMENT AND TO CENTCOM, AND REAFFIRMED THAT 
U.S. FORCES WERE DOING ALL THEY COULD TO AVOID CIVILIAN 
CASUALTIES.  DRAWING ON BACKGROUND RECEIVED FROM TASK FORCE, 
DCM ALSO TOLD ZANARDI LANDI THAT THE SITUATION IN BAGHDAD WAS 
VERY FLUID AS OF DAYBREAK IN IRAQ, AND IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS 
FOR ALL CONCERNED FOR U.S. FORCES TO TRY AND EVACUATE 
JOURNALISTS FROM THE PALESTINE OR SHERATON HOTELS.  THAT 
SAID, THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND WAS CHANGING RAPIDLY TODAY 
AND CENTCOM WOULD ADJUST AS THE ENVIRONMENT EVOLVED. 
 
¶2. (C) ZANARDI LANDI SAID THAT GOI HAD MANAGED TO REACH THE 
ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD AND HAD ASKED THEIR 
INTENTIONS, AS REQUESTED BY DCM.  THE SEVEN WHO HAD BEEN 
ARRESTED BY IRAQI OFFICIALS AND DETAINED IN THE PALESTINE 
HOTEL ADVISED THAT IRAQI AUTHORITIES HAD PROMISED TO RETURN 
THEIR PASSPORTS AND RELEASE THEM ON APRIL 9, AND ONCE THAT 
HAPPENED THEY WISHED TO DEPART BAGHDAD.  THE OTHER THIRTEEN 
ITALIAN MEDIA REPS AT THE PALESTINE AND SHERATON HOTELS 
PLANNED TO STAY TO COVER THE BATTLE.  DCM ASKED ZANARDI LANDI 
FOR NAMES AND MEDIA AFFILIATIONS OF THE SEVEN WHO HAD BEEN 
ARRESTED AND ALSO FOR THE OTHER ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01524  01 OF 03  091639Z 
BAGHDAD, WHICH HE AGREED TO PROVIDE. 
 
¶3. (C) LATER IN THE DAY, WHILE ACCOMPANYING U/S BOLTON TO A 
CALL ON MFA SECGEN BALDOCCI, DCM ASKED BALDOCCI FOR AN UPDATE 
ON THE JOURNALISTS.  BALDOCCI SAID THE IRAQIS HAD RETURNED 
PASSPORTS TO THE SEVEN ARRESTEES, AS PROMISED, AND INDICATED 
THEY WERE FREE TO LEAVE.  GIVEN THE DAY'S FAST-MOVING EVENTS, 
HOWEVER, THEY HAD DECIDED TO FOLLOW THEIR JOURNALISTIC 
INSTINCTS AND REMAIN IN BAGHDAD.  SHORTLY THEREAFTER, EMBASSY 
ODC CHIEF RECEIVED A CALL FROM GOI MILITARY CONTACTS TO SAY 
THAT THERE WAS NO NEED TO PURSUE THE PREVIOUS DAY'S REQUEST 
FOR DATA ON THE FEASIBILITY OF AN IAF C-130J LANDING AT 
BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL TO EVACUATE THE JOURNALISTS. 
 
¶4. (C) WHILE THE ABOVE CONVERSATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE, 
ZANARDI LANDI FAXED US THE DETAILS OF ALL ITALIAN JOURNALISTS 
CURRENTLY IN IRAQ.  ALTHOUGH THE ITALIANS DESIRE TO ESCAPE 
THE FIGHTING IN BAGHDAD HAS APPARENTLY BEEN OVERTAKEN BY THE 
DAY'S EVENTS, WE REPEAT BELOW THEIR IDENTIFYING DETAILS AS 
GIVEN US BY ZANARDI LANDI IN CASE THEY MAY BE OF ANY USE TO 
CENTCOM: 
 
JOURNALISTS DETAINED BY THE IRAQI AUTHORITIES: 
 
FRANCESCO BATTISTINI 
CORRIERE DELLA SERA 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
 
EZIO PASERO 
MESSAGGERO 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01524  01 OF 03  091639Z 
 
LORENZO BIANCHI 
LA NAZIONE -- IL RESTO DEL CARLINO -- IL GIORNO 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
 
IL GIORNALE 
LUCIANO GULLI 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
 
IL MATTINO 
VITTORIO DELL'UVA 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
 
L'UNITA' 
ANTONIO FONTANA 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
 
IL SOLE 24 ORE 
LEONARDO MAISANO 
HOTEL PALESTINE 
 
OTHER JOURNALISTS AT THE PALESTINE HOTEL: 
 
FERDINANDO PELLEGRINI 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1303 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01524  02 OF 03  091640Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DOTE-00 
      SRPP-00  DS-00    EAP-00   EB-00    FAAE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00  NSCE-00 
      OMB-02   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00 
      SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00 
      PRM-00   DRL-01   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /005W 
                  ------------------5315C2  091640Z /38 
O 091641Z APR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9184 
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 001524 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013 
TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01524  02 OF 03  091640Z 
RAI 
 
GIOVANNA BOTTERI 
GUIDO CRAVERO 
RAI 
 
LILLI GRUBER 
ENRICO BELLANO 
RAI 
 
LORENZO CREMONESI 
CORRIERE DELLA SERA 
 
GIOVANNI PORZIO 
PANORAMA 
 
ANNA MIGOTTO 
ANTONIO SANTILLO 
RETE 4 
 
GABRIELLA SIMONI 
ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO) 
 
STEFANO BETTOZZI (OPERATOR) 
ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO) 
 
ROBERTO DE AMICIS 
LA 7 
 
CLAUDIO MONICI 
AVVENIRE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  01524  02 OF 03  091640Z 
 
FRANCO ERNESTO PAGETTI 
ESPRESSO 
 
PIETRO GIGLI 
FREELANCE 
 
OTHER JOURNALISTS AT THE SHERATON HOTEL: 
 
MASSIMO NAVA 
CORRIERE DELLA SERA 
 
GIUSEPPE ZACCARIA 
LA STAMPA (TEMPORARILY C/O ITALIAN INTERESTS SECTION) 
 
ALBERTO NEGRI 
IL SOLE 24 ORE 
 
VALERIO PELLIZZARI 
MESSAGGERO 
 
RENATO CAPRILE 
BERNARDO VALLI 
LA REPUBBLICA 
 
GIULIANA SGRENA 
IL MANIFESTO 
 
FABIO M. ANGELICCHIO 
EUROPA -- LIBERO-- TEMPO 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  01524  02 OF 03  091640Z 
JOURNALISTS IN ERBIL: 
 
DUILIO GIAMMARIA 
STEFANO DI BLASI 
FRANCESO VITALE 
GIUSEPPE MENNELLA 
ROBERTO TAGLIALEGNA 
LUIGI GIUDICI 
RAI 
 
ANDREA NICASTRO 
CORRIERE DELLA SERA 
 
FRANCESCO RUGGERI 
LIBERO 
 
JOURNALISTS "EMBEDDED" IN COALITION FORCES: 
 
MONICA MAGGIONI 
SILVIO GIULIETTI 
FRANCO DI MARE 
GIUSEPPE DI MATTEO 
GIANFRANCO BOTTA 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1305 
 
PAGE 01        ROME  01524  03 OF 03  091640Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   DOTE-00 
      SRPP-00  DS-00    EAP-00   EB-00    FAAE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00 
      INR-00   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00  NSCE-00 
      OMB-02   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00 
      SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00 
      PRM-00   DRL-01   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00    /005W 
                  ------------------5315CB  091640Z /38 
O 091641Z APR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9185 
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE 
AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE 
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
HQ EUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 001524 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR, NEA, EUR/WE, PM, PA, CENTCOM POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2013 
TAGS: PREL MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ MOPS PGOV IZ IT ITPREL ITPREL IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  01524  03 OF 03  091640Z 
GIUSEPPE BONAVOLONTA' 
RAI 
 
FAUSTO BILOSLAVO 
IL FOGLIO 
 
ELISABETTA PIQUE' 
LA NACION 
 
LUCA TIENGO 
GRANATA PRESS 
 
ELIO COLAVOLPE 
FREELANCE 
 
ALESSIO VINCI 
CNN 
 
ANGELO MACCHIAVELLO 
SALVATORE LA BARBERA 
ITALIA 1 (STUDIO APERTO) 
 
RENZO CIANFANELLIL 
CORRIERE DELLA SERA 
 
PAOLO PELLEGRIN 
NEWSWEEK 
SEMBLER 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 2003ROME01524 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL

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Viewing cable 03ROME1524, TFI01: UPDATE ON ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN BAGHDAD