US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3824

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER 
NSC FOR DAMON WILSON AND TRACY MCKIBBON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, OPDC, AU, EUN 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN REACTION TO THE SECRETARY'S STATEMENT ON 
ALLEGED U.S. DETENTION AND TRANSPORTATION OF TERRORIST 
SUSPECTS 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 220071 
     B. (B) STATE 219905 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Scott F. Kilner.  Reasons:  1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
1.  (SBU) Charge and visiting EUR/AGS Director Weygandt 
discussed the Secretary's December 5 statement and related 
letter to Foreign Secretary Straw (refs A and B) with 
Chancellery Diplomatic Advisor Hans-Peter Manz in the context 
of Chancellor Schuessel's December 8 meeting with the 
President.  Charge also raised the issue in a separate 
meeting with MFA Political Director Mayr-Harting and Americas 
Director Lennkh.  At the same time, PAO distributed the 
Secretary's statement in English and German to all chief 
 
SIPDIS 
editors in Austria, as well as to a wide selection of key 
journalists, academics, representatives of think tanks, and 
other opinion leaders.  Post will continue to disseminate the 
message widely both with officials and with the Austrian 
public. 
 
2.  (C) Looking to Schuessel's upcoming meeting at the White 
House, Manz stated, "we need to make clear to our publics 
that we are fighting for the same thing -- we're all in this 
together."  The core question, in Manz' view, was "how to 
fight enemies who do not play by the rules." 
 
3.  (C) Manz stated repeatedly that Schuessel "doesn't have 
the slightest interest in playing up this issue."   While the 
Chancellor would not be able to avoid the subject with the 
President because his government was "getting plastered" in 
the Austrian media, Manz expressed full confidence that the 
discussion would be a constructive one. 
 
4.  (C)  Manz called the Secretary's statement "a strong one" 
and said he was encouraged by it.  More broadly, he stressed 
that transatlantic relations were "too important to be 
dominated by sensational issues" in the press.  In that 
connection, Manz lamented that many non-governmental 
organizations were making a "completely unjustified leap" 
from the question of rendition to an automatic assumption of 
torture.  He praised the Secretary's statement for 
confronting this fallacy head-on. 
 
5.  (SBU) In public comments on December 6, Schuessel said he 
would "of course" discuss the issue with the President.  He 
noted that the Secretary had said the U.S. was using "legal" 
means and weapons to fight terror, and that she had said that 
the U.S. was not employing torture. 
KILNER