US embassy cable - 05VIENNA855

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 000855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR LISBETH KEEFE 
 
OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE 
 
WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, AU, OPRC 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: MARCH 15, 2005 
 
 
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Parties Preparing for Early Elections 
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1. reads the front-page headline in mass-circulation 
provincial daily "Kleine Zeitung." After Sunday's district 
council elections in Styria, the SPOe is allegedly 
speculating that the OeVP-FPOe coalition government will 
fall apart, the daily says. For SPOe floor leader Josef Cap, 
whose party all but caught up with the OeVP in Styria, the 
election result is a sign that "Styrians want solid social- 
democratic reform and administrative work." He expects that 
the tensions between the FPOe and its coalition partner OeVP 
are going to increase in the future. Therefore, the Social 
Democrats are to discuss possible early elections at their 
party meeting. Meanwhile, the OeVP continues to rely on 
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's lead over SPOe leader Alfred 
Gusenbauer when it comes to voters' confidence in the 
party's top candidates, the "Kleine Zeitung" says. 
 
 
 
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Haider without a Following 
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2. Carinthian Governor Joerg Haider's announcement that he 
is considering a return to the FPOe leadership is not 
getting any noteworthy support, says mass-circulation daily 
"Kurier." To the contrary, the daily continues, it has 
provoked a rather unusual reaction within the Freedom Party: 
No-one from the FPOe has actually stated approval of the 
suggestion. This must be "highly embarrassing" for Haider, 
FPOe ombudsman Ewald Stadler told the "Kurier." He explained 
why the majority in the FPOe is not backing the idea, 
stressing that it was the "umpteenth time" Haider had 
announced his alleged return. "Who is going to take that 
seriously?" 
 
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Vice-Chancellor Gorbach in the US 
--------------------------------- 
 
3. Mass-circulation daily "Kurier" reports that Austrian 
Vice-Chancellor Hubert Gorbach, currently on a visit to the 
United States, arrived in California on Monday, where he met 
Austrian-born California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. 
Gorbach is to discuss cooperation opportunities in nano and 
security technology, as well as alternative power sources 
with Californian partners. In his meeting with 
Schwarzenegger, the Vice-Chancellor touched upon a possible 
Austro-Californian partnership on fuel cell production. The 
"Kurier" notes that the Vienna Boys Choir also performed at 
the meeting. 
 
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EU Wants Access to all Communication Data 
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4. says the front-page headline in centrist daily "Die 
Presse." The EU plans to keep on file telephone numbers, e- 
mail and SMS addresses and Internet protocols for three 
years, the daily explains. Brussels' plan envisages the 
obligatory filing of the data in question as part of the 
EU's efforts to more effectively fight terrorist activities 
and crimes such as child pornography. In Austria, reception 
to the proposal varies. While Justice Minister Karin 
Miklautsch has explicitly welcomed the idea, Interior 
Minister Liese Prokop is opposed to a speedy implementation, 
stressing that it was "not going to happen this year," the 
"Presse" says. 
 
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Israel's New Ambassador on Israeli-Austrian Relations, 
Mideast Peace Process 
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5. He is "cautiously optimistic" regarding the Mideast peace 
process, Israel's new Ambassador to Austria Dan Ashbel told 
Austrian President Heinz Fischer, when he presented his 
credentials on Monday, says liberal daily "Der Standard." In 
an interview with mass-circulation daily "Kurier" of March 
12, Ashbel, whose parents lived in Germany, before they had 
to flee the Nazis, stressed that he wants to "optimize 
relations between our two states."  Israeli-Austrian 
relations "have improved very much.  The way has been paved, 
so that we can start working now." The Ambassador 
underscored that the two countries could "profit from each 
other." On the Middle East, Ashbel explained that both 
Israel and the Palestinians, "have become aware that we 
could achieve more by peaceful coexistence -- cooperation 
may come later." The "Kurier" also quotes Ashbel as saying 
he "cautiously optimistic," despite "many setbacks" and 
"disappointment" because "we wanted to arrive at results too 
quickly."  Israel, he underscored, "would like to hand over 
responsibility for the cities in the West Bank to the 
Palestinians. But at the same time we would like to make 
sure that there is no terrorism," because otherwise "this 
government will not have a chance." 
 
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Anthrax Alarm at Pentagon 
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6. ORF online news reports on an anthrax alarm sounded at 
the Pentagon mail facility yesterday. The Pentagon confirmed 
reports floated in US media that automatic sensors in its 
mail facility had detected the bacteria. The building was 
evacuated immediately, ORF online says. Follow-up tests for 
anthrax came back negative, but the incident is being 
investigated nonetheless, according to ORF online. All mail 
coming into the Pentagon is routinely X-rayed and irradiated 
to kill bacteria such as anthrax before it comes into the 
building. Despite such treatment, an alarm could still 
activate if the substance in question had been present in 
the mail before irradiation. 
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Croatia's EU Talks in Jeopardy 
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7. The opening of talks on Croatia's entry into the European 
Union scheduled for Thursday is in jeopardy. The EU 
Commission is insisting that Zagreb make greater efforts to 
hand over former General Ante Gotovina, who has been 
indicted by the UN War Crimes Tribunal. Austrian radio early 
morning news "Morgenjournal" says that Premier Jean-Claude 
Juncker of Luxembourg, which currently holds the rotating EU 
Presidency, has virtually issued Croatia an ultimatum: 
Unless Gotovina is handed over to the Hague Tribunal, the 
opening of entry talks will be postponed indefinitely. 
Although some countries, including Austria, would accept 
Croatia's efforts regarding Gotovina, and accept Zagreb's 
assertions that the former General's whereabouts are 
unknown, other EU members, such as Germany, Britain and 
Italy, hold that Gotovina has to be handed over prior to the 
beginning of talks. 
 
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Media Commentaries on Croatia 
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8. In centrist daily "Die Presse," former Secretary General 
of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Albert Rohan writes that 
there is "no doubt that Ante Gotovina belongs to The Hague - 
the only place where his guilt or innocence can be 
ascertained." Chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who insists 
that the Croatian government could catch Gotovina, "should 
present proof of this to the EU," Rohan argues. Also, 
"Croatia's offer to let EU representatives participate in 
the search for Gotovina to convince them of Zagreb's 
goodwill should be accepted." It would not be right, Rohan 
believes, to "delay Croatia's acceptance as an EU member 
because of the unexplained whereabouts of a dubious figure 
such as Ante Gotovina." 
According to editor for centrist daily "Die Presse" Wolfgang 
Boehm, although it is necessary to "exert pressure on 
Croatia to step up its efforts to find Gotovina," the 
question is "whether holding an entire country hostage is 
not counterproductive for its rapprochement with the EU. For 
Croatia this massive pressure only has the effect of 
producing a new inner rift and a precarious crisis for the 
democratically oriented Sanader government. The EU's manner 
of proceeding completely ignores the fact that Croatia has 
long since earned its ticket to the EU through difficult 
democratic and economic reforms." For "justice's sake," 
Boehm urges, "Croatia should get the same treatment as 
Turkey:  The start of membership negotiations with 
conditions attached." 
 
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Blast Targets Kosovo's President 
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9. An explosion has hit the car of Kosovo President Ibrahim 
Rugova as he was traveling in a convoy in the province's 
capital, Pristina. According to police reports, Rugova was 
not hurt by the blast that occurred earlier this morning 
when he was heading to talks with EU foreign policy chief 
Javier Solana, writes ORF online news. Meanwhile, Austria's 
army is to deploy 40 more troops to Kosovo to support KFOR, 
Austrian Maj. Gen. Christian Segur-Cabanac confirmed. The 
move comes in view of the security situation in the area 
following the indictment at The Hague Tribunal of Kosovo 
Premier Ramush Haradinaj. 
Brown