by our correspondent Federico Rampini
Five years by the American Embassy in Rome at the State Department. We never knew so much and so quickly, on what America thinks of us. A week since the cyclone WikiLeaks, Italy-US relations and especially the position of Washington on Silvio Berlusconi are strippedin 3012 confidential dispatches . A piece of contemporary history unveiled uncensored, without the veil of diplomatic courtesy.
The language is so raw that this week, Hillary Clinton has already done the work of mending, praising the alliance between the two countries at the summit in Kazakhstan. It's the same attention to strategic friendship shown by the previous ambassador, Ronald Spogli ("the relationship between the United States and Italy is excellent, tremendous cooperation on many fronts") before adding: "Unfortunately, efforts to adjust their own Berlusconi relations between the West and Russia undermines its credibility and are a real nuisance to our relationship. "
Spogli has been the man of Bush in Rome for four years. Comes from high finance (co-founder of a private equity firm), solid conservative, with its establishment in 2005 starts with a favorable opinion about Berlusconi. To the point of support at the White House insistence that the Italian prime minister wants Washington to support the elections of 2006 (also won by Romano Prodi). In a dispatch "secret" of 26 October 2005 on flattering ("The strongest ally in continental Europe"), the U.S. ambassador reported that Berlusconi wants to be received by Bush and then make a speech to the U.S. Congress to increase its chance of being reelected. " In Washington, said Spogli, Berlusconi wants to go to a reputation as the most pro-American,"in a time when the premier is below eight points in the polls with his government and the economy stagnates.
The tone is unrecognizable in the same dispatch that Spogli sends two years and ten months later. It is August 12, 2008, the Ambassador in Italy preparing the visit of Vice President Dick Cheney. Another superconservative, biased in favor of a right-wing leaders like Berlusconi (since returned to government). Spogli now feels the need to warn Cheney. First Iran, where "the grip of Italy to the UN sanctions is complicated by the commercial interests". But above all there is in the dialogue between Washington and Rome, the boulder-Putin. "In the past, the existence of a strong Communist Party in Italy has given Russia a level of influence unseen in other Western European countries - the ambassador wrote to the vice president - recently the engine of the report is the personal relationship between Berlusconi and Putin, based on their commercial interests and preference that Berlusconi shows for leaders from the wrist hard. " The dossier of the gas: "The shares of Eni - feel Spogli - is reinforcing the grip of Russia on energy supplies to Western Europe."
The situation is stretched in subsequent dispatches, thanks to the sending of Italian carabinieri in Afghanistan, and outputs pro-Israeli Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, registered with the U.S. embassy smug tones.
Then the mistrust explodes in an even more serious. The reason is always Putin. This time the suspects become severe. It makes the appearance of the "deep throats" in the entourage of Berlusconi. E 'November 15, 2008, when a part of the Via Veneto from the embassy report alarmed. Three days before the Italian premier gave the show at a press conference in Turkey. "He accused the U.S. of having provoked Russia with the recognition of Kosovo, the anti-missile shield, the invitation to Ukraine and Georgia closer to NATO."
The State Department report indicates that we are "the culmination of an escalation of incendiary comments and harmful to Russia since Berlusconi returned to the government." The embassy describes Frattini and Gianni Letta as "dismayed before the last burst of Berlusconi (sic)." I trust the prime minister loyal to American diplomacy, "Do not listen to us, Russia is alone." The secret dispatch collects for the first time this new element: "Many of his colleagues suspect that Berlusconi and his cronies have personal gain relationships with Russian partners."
The reasons for the deep distrust of America is summarized in a lengthy report signed Spogli. It 's the most detailed report of all, a final budget before the ambassador to leave the Republican headquarters in Rome. Date: January 26, 2009. The unpredictable outputs are explained by the fact that Berlusconi Italian Prime Minister "wants to be seen as a major player in European foreign policy." The ambassador returned to insist on the "murky connection Berlusconi-Putin" and the sources for "personal profit". Valentino Valentini appears as an agent in the shadows, in Moscow by the personal interests of the premier. Spogli warns the new U.S. president, Obama, who would even Berlusconi "educate the young and inexperienced American leader" on relations with Russia. Obama beware, says the ambassador, "Berlusconi would seek to promote the interests of Russia." Here appears the fierce definition: "It 'a spokesman for Putin. His desire is to remain dominant in the good graces of the Russian."
In the interregnum between the two American embassies, the offices of Via Veneto is led by Elizabeth Dibble, the highest diplomatic career (now promoted to Washington as leader in the European section of the Department of State). Berlusconi is one that will define her "third-degree official" after the cyclone-WikiLeaks. The Dibble is directly solicited by Hillary Clinton, June 9, 2009 with preferential axis Putin sends the request to "change things if Berlusconi is no longer prime minister?".
It 's the Dibble to prepare for the arrival of Obama in Italy for the G8 Aquila. The vicarious ambassador warns its president Berlusconi is "inept, vain, unable as a modern European leader." Dealing with him, warns high diplomatic, "demands great prudence." No one in Via Veneto nor Washington has given importance to the celebration of Berlusconi gaffe on Obama "tanned". The problems are more serious. The Americans suspect that behind the systematic action of the pro-Russian Prime Minister there are extra-political reasons. A historical ally like Italy, concerned about this huge gray area on what drives our foreign policy.
It is dated 27 October 2009 the first major report, signed by the new ambassador, Democrat David Thorne. Boston, tradition-bound Liberal kennedyana, brother of John Kerry who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Thorne painted a stage that has all the symptoms of decay. The title of his secret report to the State Department is explicit: "The scandals affecting the physical health and political power of Berlusconi." It 's still Gianni Letta (the most intimate political friend of Berlusconi), this time with Giampiero Cantoni, to describe a premier Thorne "sapped the party night without power, with disastrous medical examinations." (The ambassador will see it then nod off during their meeting). E 'worried about having to return 750 million for the verdict on Mondadori ( biggest publishing company of Italy) scandal.. E 'beleaguered by the cost of divorce from Veronica Lario. The concern for the ruling for Mafia of Senator Dell'Utri.
Thorne describes "the paranoia of conspiracies, the idea that they're conspiring against him Confindustria, secret services, the Vatican, the United States." Tell us about the offense of the summit with the king of Jordan canceled because Berlusconi went to a private party in Putin's dacha, to celebrate his birthday, perhaps to escape the curiosity of the Italian paparazzi around his party. " It 's a part of the Lower Empire, which Thorne complete but with a warning to Washington: you should never underestimate the ability of Berlusconi's political survival. Earlier this year (January 28, 2010) is the Clinton to return to the office, this time by pressing on two U.S. embassies in Rome and Moscow on Berlusconi and Putin calls for more investigation, wants to know "what they have personal investments, which can lead their political choices. "
WikiLeaks puts the post-American diplomacy on the defensive. The Clinton administration is committed to exhausting "apology tour", the world tour to apologize to everyone. But for no other head of government of a Western democracy, a partner of NATO, the secret messages of American diplomacy have a character so explosive. For Nicolas Sarkozy or Angela Merkel, even objects of personal portraits biting, there is no shadow of suspicion that hangs over the whole gigantic Italian foreign policy: it was caught in the ambiguous and disturbing relationship between a pair of very special leader.
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