VZCZCXRO4681
PP RUEHFL RUEHNP
DE RUEHRO #0186 0471559
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161559Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3287
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE PRIORITY 0001
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 0488
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 4046
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 4274
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1074
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 3084
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ROME 000186 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MOPS NATO IT AF
SUBJECT: HAITI: ITALIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO EXPANDED MINUSTAH 
FORCE 
 
REF: STATE 12558 
 
¶1. (U)  Poloff raised reftel points with MFA 
Political-Military Officer Andrea Romussi on February 11. 
Romussi said that the Ministry of Defense is ready to deploy 
a self-sustaining Formed Police Unit (FPU) of 125 Carabinieri 
to Haiti under the MINUSTAH mandate.  Approval from the Prime 
Minister's Office (which is required due to the extraordinary 
funding involved) is expected in the coming days, and the FPU 
should deploy on schedule by the end of February.  A small 
Carabinieri advance party is already in Haiti to prepare the 
deployment.  There are no plans to extend the deployment 
period beyond the initial six month commitment, but an 
extension is theoretically possible if conditions on the 
ground warrant it. 
 
¶2. (U) Romussi said Italy is unlikely to be able to deploy 
additional FPUs simply because the Carabinieri are 
overstretched with over 700 deployed to Kosovo, Bosnia, 
Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere.  Romussi noted that 
Italy's FPU is about twice the size of those offered by other 
European partners.  In addition, the Carabinieri have already 
contributed significant training to the officers of other FPU 
contributing countries (Pakistan, Nepal, India) at CoESPU 
(Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units), the 
U.S.-Italian peacekeeping training center in Vicenza. 
Italy's FPU is willing to provide enabling support for one 
additional platoon of police (20 pax), and the Italians have 
been contacted by Serbia and Israel about this possibility. 
Italy's FPU is part of a larger European Gendarmerie Force 
(EGF) commitment of three FPUs to MINUSTAH within the 
framework of the EU effort in support of Haiti, and 
discussions are underway within the EGF steering committee 
(which Italy chairs this year) regarding how to distribute 
logistical responsibilities for the FPUs (which will also 
include units from France, the Netherlands, Spain, Lithuania, 
Poland and possibly Turkey, which has EGF observer status). 
 
¶3. (U) According to Romussi and data provided by the Joint 
Operations Command, Italy currently has 896 military 
personnel deployed to Haiti, including the crew (440) of the 
aircraft carrier CAVOUR which arrived on February 4 with 197 
Army engineers and equipment (186 trucks, tractors and 
recovery vehicles); 416 Navy personnel (force protection, 
medical, diving teams and crew and maintenance for 6 medevac 
and heavy lift helicopters (2 EH101 and 4 SH3D); 16 Air Force 
(force protection and airport coordinators), and 8 
Carabinieri (military police).  The bulk of the engineer unit 
disembarked from the CAVOUR on February 4 in the Dominican 
Republic and made its way to Port-au-Prince overland.  The 
CAVOUR is now anchored off Port-au-Prince and its Role 2 
Medical Facility on board has been treating patients 
continually since its arrival.  The CAVOUR also brought over 
200 tons of relief assistance from the World Food Program, 
the Italian Red Cross and the Italian NGO Padana, in addition 
to Brazilian units that it picked up en route. 
 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
 
THORNE