Gheddafi 5

SECRET
PAGE 01 ROME 02617 041213 Z
43
ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ADP-00 /026 W
--------------------- 103533
R 041144 Z APR 73
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8116
S E C R E T ROME 2617
EXDIS NOFORN
E. O. 11652: XGDS-3 DECLAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE DATE BY DCM
TAGS: PFOR LY US IT
SUBJECT: CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR BREAK IN RELATIONS WITH LIBYA:
POSSIBILITY OF ITALY' S BECOMING PROTECTING POWER.
REF: STATE 060653
1. WE BELIEVE THAT ITALIANS WOULD AGREE TO BECOME
PROTECTING POWER FOR U. S. INTERESTS IN LIBYA, SHOULD BREAK
IN RELATIONS OCCUR. WE BELIEVE ITALIANS WOULD FIND ACCEPTABLE
EITHER U. S.- STAFFED INTERESTS SECTION UNDER ITALIAN FLAG, OR
ASSIGNMENT OF ITALIAN DIPLOMATIC OFFICER SPECIFICALLY CHARGED WITH
PROTECTION OF U. S. INTERESTS SHOULD LIBYA DEMAND DEPARTURE OF ALL
AMERICAN PERSONNEL. AS DEPARTMENT AWARE, ITALIANS HAVE HAD
EXPERIENCE WITH BOTH TYPES OF OPERATION, CURRENTLY AS PORTECTOR
OF U. S. INTERESTS IN SYRIA AND PREVIOUSLY IN YEMEN.
2. IN MAKING ABOVE ASSESSMENT, EMBASSY HAS ALSO CONSIDERED
POSSIBILITY THAT EVENT PRECIPITATING BREAK MIGHT BE CLAMOROUS
AND ACRIMONIOUS. WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT ITALIAN RELATIONS WITH
LIBYA ARE VERY SENSITIVE AND GOI HAS PATIENTLY PUT UP WITH A
SERIES OF LIBYAN AFFRONTS, MOST SERIOUS OF WHICH WAS EXPULSION OF
ITALIAN COMMUNITY, WHILE TURNING OTHER CHEEK TO BUILD VIABLE
LONG- TERM RELATIONSHIP. ITALIANS' STRATEGIC, ECONOMIC/ COMMERCIAL
( PETROLEUM AND TRADE) AND GROWING ARMS SUPPLY RELATIONSHIP WITH
LIBYA ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GOI. THESE ELEMENTS WOULD BE
CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BY ITALIANS IN REACHING DECISION ON BECOMING
PROTECTING POWER. THIS DECISION COULD VERY WELL CAUSE ITALIANS
CONSIDERABLE DISCOMFORT BUT IF WE PUT OUR REQUEST STRONGLY IN
TERMS OF US/ ITALIAN SOLIDARITY THEN WE EXPECT ITALIANS WOULD
UNDERTAKE THIS TASK. THEY HAVE STRONG SENSE OF OBLIGATION AS
RESPONSIBLE MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. VOLPE
Ho trovato questo documento dell'Aprile 1973, il sottolineato rosso è mio. Credo che sia un concreto esempio della nostra sovranità limitata. Laura