ID:226129
    Date:2009-09-21 11:31:00
    Origin:09ROME1077
    Source:Embassy Rome
    Classification:CONFIDENTIAL
    Dunno:
    Destination:VZCZCXRO0387
PP RUEHSL
DE RUEHRO #1077 2641131
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211131Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2683
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0530
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 4609
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 0229
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 3801
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 4010
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 3043
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
    
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2019 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, NATO, IT, AF, RU, IR 
SUBJECT: BERLUSCONI REAFFIRMS AFGHAN COMMITMENT DURING 
AMBASSADOR'S COURTESY CALL 
 
Classified By: Ambassador David H. Thorne for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary: During Ambassador Thorne's first call on PM 
Berlusconi, the PM appeared elated by President Obama's 
decision on missile defense; reaffirmed Italy's commitment to 
the Afghanistan mission, despite the fatal September 17 
attack on an Italian convoy, while noting the need for a 
"transition strategy"; agreed on the need for firm allied 
unity in the face of Iranian intransigence; and said Italy 
would support Chicago's bid to host the Olympic Games in 
2016. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Amb. Thorne, accompanied by DCM Dibble, paid his first 
call on PM Berlusconi on September 18.  The PM, accompanied 
by U/S Gianni Letta, Russia advisor Valentino Valentini, and 
NSA-equivalent Bruno Archi, thanked the Ambassador for U.S. 
condolences over the previous day's lethal VBIED attack on an 
Italian military convoy in Kabul.  Berlusconi noted that he 
had been up almost the entire night in Council of Ministers 
deliberations dealing with the aftermath of the incident 
(note: the deaths have provoked a huge emotional reaction in 
the Italian public and press, and September 21 has been 
declared a day of national mourning in honor of the 6 killed 
and four wounded).   He reiterated the themes he has sounded 
publicly in the past 24 hours about the need for Italy and 
other allies to stay committed to the mission despite this 
and other attacks, thus his public call for a "transition 
strategy," not an "exit strategy," as some politicians (most 
notably the leader of the Lega Nord, the junior partner in 
Berlusconi's own governing coalition) had demanded since the 
attack. 
 
3. (C) Berlusconi appeared elated over the President's 
September 17 announcement that the U.S. would substantially 
revise missile defense plans for Europe.  Saying he had 
considered former Secretary of State Rice a friend, the PM 
said he had nonetheless told her he disagreed strongly with 
her over U.S. plans to deploy missile defense installations 
to Poland and the Czech Republic; Berlusconi termed it a 
return to the Cold War.  The PM offered a long and familiar 
discourse on (in his eyes) Putin's many fine qualities as a 
leader, terming President Medvedev somewhat dismissively 
Putin's "apprentice."  He asserted that under former 
President Bush and now with President Obama he had managed to 
play a useful, mediating role in U.S.-Russian relations, due 
to his exceptionally close relationship with Putin, the real 
center of power in Russia. 
 
4. (C) On Iran, Berlusconi agreed with Amb. Thorne's call for 
close U.S.-Italian coordination, citing the most recent IAEA 
report on Iran's apparent readiness to build a nuclear weapon 
and saying that stronger efforts by the international 
community would be needed in the coming months.  The 
Ambassador briefed the PM on an undertaking by Paolo Scaroni, 
CEO of Italian Energy Parastatal ENI, to U/S Burns to convey 
formally to the USG all current ENI projects in Iran, as well 
as those ENI has suspended (at GOI/USG request) for the time 
being.  Amb. noted that the Italian power company Edison, on 
the other hand, had recently told us that, GOI urgings to the 
contrary, it was proceeding with a major project in Iran. 
Berlusconi expressed surprise, and dismissed the notion that 
Edison would proceed (note: DCM followed up separately with 
Letta and Archi to relay details of recent exchanges with 
Edison). 
 
5. (SBU) Responding to the Ambassador's request that Italy 
support the city of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, 
Berlusconi indicated that Italy was prepared to support 
Chicago.  Since Rome is considering a bid for the 2020 games, 
Berlusconi said, Italy would want to see a non-European city 
win the 2016 competition, since the OIC would not support 
back-to-back hosting of the Olympics by London, Madrid and 
Rome. 
THORNE