US embassy cable - 05VIENNA2130

UNCLAS VIENNA 002130 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM, SA/PAB, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, KPKO, AU, BK, NATO, EUN 
SUBJECT: EUFOR-ALTHEA: AUSTRIA TO ASSUME COMMAND OF "TASK 
FORCE NORTH" BY DECEMBER 2005 
 
REFS:  A) VIENNA 1966  B) VIENNA 1895 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
1.(SBU) Austrian Defense Minister Platter (OVP) announced 
June 24 that Austria will assume the command of the Tuzla- 
based "Task Force North" within EUFOR's "Althea" mission 
by December 2005. In this capacity, Austria will be 
responsible for 1,650 soldiers and 500 civilians for the 
period of one year. Austria will succeed Finland in this 
role. 
 
2. (SBU) Platter stressed that Austria's upcoming 
leadership role in EUFOR's "Althea" mission demonstrated 
Vienna's ongoing commitment to southeastern Europe, which 
he called a focus area of Austrian foreign and security 
policy. Austria was interested in stability and peace in 
the region since both Austria and the EU profited from 
it. In this context Platter noted that the current army 
reform at home allowed Austria to assume "even more 
responsibilities abroad." 
 
3. Platter noted that Austria currently had 1,220 
soldiers in missions abroad, including 300 in Bosnia, 550 
in Kovoso, 370 on the Golan Heights, and a contingent in 
Afghanistan (reftels). In the mid-term future, a total of 
3,500 soldiers should be available for international 
missions, Platter said. He conceded, however, that his 
ministry needed to propose new legislation obliging 
recruits to serve in international missions, since 
existing legislation allowed the army to send soldiers on 
a voluntary basis only. 
 
Brown