INTERVIEW WITH ALFREDO MANTICA
ITALIAN UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE
FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

ITALIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

April 15, 2003

ROME. 'Sending carabinieri to Iraq is not part of a peacekeeping mission. There is a state of emergency and in this sphere, we do not exclude the participation of a ision of military police.' Alfredo Mantica is illustrating the Government's position just before the debate in Parliament. Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will ask the Chamber and the Senate to start preparations. But as the minister himself has stated 'we will not be sending only carabinieri. A range of different personnel is going.' Frattini says that he will be presenting 'a detailed project of humanitarian assistance and protection of humanitarian aid. Military protection is also contemplated to ensure that the humanitarian aid does not go astray and is given to those who need it.' Practically speaking, adds the Under-Secretary of State, 'Frattini will speak of the Prime Minister's contacts with OHRA (the office coordinating the initiatives of the Anglo-American forces in Iraq) and will clarify the duties of our military forces there.'

Q. What is the main point of the majority's proposal?

A. 'Specialised non-military technical personnel will also be sent to reactivate the telecommunication, gas, water and sewage systems, in other words, everything needed to restore normality to Iraq and its population. This working group, consisting of technicians, coming from the Civil Protection agencies, the municipal agencies and the ministries, will operate on the field in Iraq and will move autonomously. Plans also call for inclusion of a group of carabinieri and other military personnel to guarantee security.'

Q. So, the carabinieri and the other military personnel will not be involved in peacekeeping operations?

A. 'That has nothing to do with it. The carabinieri will ensure the security of the groups operating in Iraq and the structures they will be repairing. Depending on the areas where the technicians work, there might not be enough carabinieri; other groups might be needed.'

Q. How long will the mission last?

A. 'Roughly speaking, at least three months, but there should be discussion in Parliament on this point as well'.

Q. How many carabinieri will be going?

A. 'We're talking about 300, 350, a maximum of 400 military personnel. On the whole, there should be about a thousand Italians in the mission, including the technicians.'

Q. There is already a heated debate underway, and some suggest using Italian military personnel only under the auspices of the UN.

A. 'Our boys are not going to war in Iraq. They will be working to maintain security. So, we are still within the limits set by Article 11 of the Constitution.'

Q. Who will be their commander?

A. 'That has still to be decided, because we still don't know the makeup of the interim government.'

Q. The Left is already beginning to scream.

A. 'We are talking about an emergency government. As far as I know, in the international debate, no one doubts that this is a transitional government set up by those who won the war. The UN will have to intervene in the next phase of reconstruction.'

Q. Fassino, D'Alema, and Violante say that they have no objections as long as the carabinieri are used as part of a European operation.

A. 'That is their opinion. Parliament can decide to send only civilians, but they have to realise that these people will not be going to work in an area like Capri or Ischia, but in an unstable zone instead. They can decide to send them, entrusting their safety to the allies or decide, as we maintain, that their safety be ensured by our own personnel. No one is shocked by our sending carabinieri around the world to protect our embassies.'

Q. The specific choices we made during the war against Iraq allow us to take responsibility in today's emergency.

A. 'Italy will be playing an important role on the international scene. And we hope to assume a stronger role of mediation in Europe to close the rift that occurred in the Security Council. We hope that once some unity is restored to Europe, it can play an important role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Q. Senator, there is some talk about Emma Bonino's candidacy in the interim government.

A. 'That's an idea that developed in newspaper circles. No one has asked us for ministers, no one has asked us for commissars to govern Iraq. If the problem arises, we'll talk about it.'