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Viewing cable 05ROME4093, INVESTING IN ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR NATO:

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05ROME4093 2005-12-20 09:48 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Rome
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 004093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV OPRC MOPS IT AF NATO AFGHANISTAN
SUBJECT: INVESTING IN ITALIAN SUPPORT FOR NATO: 
NATO/AFGHANISTAN ITALIAN OPINION-MAKERS TOUR 
 
REF: ROME 3897 
 
1. (U) Summary. On December 8-10, five Italian foreign 
affairs advisors to government and opposition political 
parties took part in a highly successful "Opinion-Makers" 
NATO tour with follow-on to Afghanistan.  In addition to 
educating Italian policymakers about NATO, the tour's purpose 
was to deepen support for Italy,s participation in ISAF and 
its commitment to Afghan judicial sector reform.  The group 
came away with a highly positive sense of NATO's mission in 
Afghanistan and Italy's important role in that mission.  We 
believe the tour provided an extremely valuable experience to 
these up-and-coming policymakers, and should contribute to 
maintaining strong pro-NATO sentiment among security policy 
specialists on both sides of the Italian political spectrum 
in the years ahead.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) For tour participants, Embassy Rome PA and Pol offices 
selected foreign policy advisors likely to influence Italian 
political parties, decisions on NATO issues following the 
April 2006 parliamentary elections.  The participants were 
from both center-right and center-left parties.  Rome Embassy 
Polmiloff along with Rome ODC chief accompanied the tour. 
Italian participants included: 
 
-- Germano Dottori, Foreign Affairs Advisor, Northern League 
(led by Umberto Bossi) 
 
-- Beatrice Lorenzin, Chief of Cabinet to Undersecretary 
Paolo Bonaiuti, Forza Italia (led by Silvio Berlusconi) 
 
-- Alessia Mosca, Foreign Affairs Advisor to former Minister 
Enrico Letta, Daisy Party (led by Francesco Rutelli) 
 
-- Paolo Quercia, Counselor to Deputy Minister for Productive 
Activities Adolfo Urso, National Alliance (led by Gianfranco 
Fini) 
 
-- Angelantonio Rosato, Foreign Affairs Advisor, NOMISMA 
Research Center (affiliated with center-left leader Romano 
Prodi). 
 
3. (U) In planning the Afghanistan leg of the trip, Embassy 
Rome received not only political approval but also extensive 
programming and logistical support from Italian authorities, 
including the Prime Minister's office, MFA, and MOD. Embassy 
Kabul provided essential and much appreciated logistical, 
security, and program assistance. 
 
4. (U) In Kabul, ISAF Commander LTG Mauro del Vecchio briefed 
the group on NATO's present and future in Afghanistan. 
Italian Ambassador Ettore Sequi and Justice Sector 
Coordinator Ambassador Jolanda Brunetti discussed judicial 
sector and other civil sector reconstruction efforts. At 
Embassy Kabul, the group met Ambassador Ronald Neuman and 
Afghan civil sector reformers.  In Herat, Provincial 
Reconstruction Team (PRT) Commander BG Umberto Rossi guided 
the group through the Italian PRT and the Italian-supported 
Forward Support Base.  Italian and NATO military air provided 
transport in and out of Afghanistan, as well as between Kabul 
and Herat. 
 
5. (U) USNATO coordinated a fine two-day NATO Tour program of 
briefings at NATO HQ, including by senior US officials, JFC 
Brunssum, and USEU. 
 
6. (U) Italian tour participants on both the left and right 
came away from the trip expressing strong enthusiasm for 
NATO's mission in Afghanistan, and particularly for Italy 
continuing its important role in ISAF and civil sector 
reconstruction. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment: With Italian national elections coming up, 
this experience shows how NATO tours can be used to promote 
an ally's political commitment to a sensitive overseas 
military mission.  Whether Berlusconi or Prodi prevails in 
April 2006, the major Italian political parties are likely to 
seek council from these five tour participants in regard to 
NATO and especially Afghanistan.  We have good reason to 
expect that all participants, on the left as much as the 
right, will be well-informed advocates, in public as well as 
backroom policy debates, for robust Italian participation in 
ISAF and Afghanistan justice sector reform, as well as for 
NATO action beyond Europe.  The trip also reinforced the 
Embassy's links with them.  The Ambassador plans to invite 
them to brief him on their trip in the New Year.  End Comment. 
SPOGLI