AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: MARCH 09, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VIENNA 000764

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TAGS: KPAO AU OPRC
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: MARCH 09, 2005

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FPOe: Re-Launch or Re-Orientation?
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1. The current struggles within the government coalition
party FPOe continue, all Austrian media report. Carinthian
Governor Joerg Haider insists the Freedom Party is to be "re-
launched" in the wake of a continuing decline in voter
support. It is not clear what changes are being planned, but
Haider told ORF television's late night news "ZiBII"
yesterday that unless there was a "new start, something
would happen." Haider's comments followed the party's
announcement yesterday that several hardliners were being
removed from the party's executive committee. According to
semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung," the Carinthian
Governor's move has merely aggravated the crisis, as party
chairperson Ursula Haubner still claims a "re-orientation"
of the party will suffice. Meanwhile, Austrian radio reports
that Haider and Haubner are to hold a joint press conference
later today, where it is expected they will outline details
regarding the FPOe's future course.


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Reactions to FPOe Upheaval
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2. All Austrian media report on the reactions of the
country's main political parties to the ongoing FPOe
struggle. Liberal daily "Der Standard" quotes Chancellor
Wolfgang Schuessel as saying that, for him, "nothing has
changed at this point. I am working together with the people
I've been working with in the past." Right now, he would
"wait and see how the discussion within the FPOe plays out."
Meanwhile, semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung" quotes SPOe
Party Manager Norbert Darabos as stating that the FPOe's
"real problem within the government is the fact that it is
merely the uncritical and compliant tool for Schuessel's
policies." Greens security spokesperson Peter
Pilz urged containing "as much as possible the damage to
Austria and Carinthia from the FPOe's 'bankruptcy case.'"

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Minister Pushes Headscarf Ban
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3. Austria's Muslim community has sharply criticized a
suggestion by Interior Minister Liese Prokop that Muslim
women teachers in the country could be banned from wearing
headscarves in Austrian schools. In an interview with
today's Vienna weekly magazine "Falter," Prokop stressed
that she has "a problem with teachers wearing headscarves in
public schools. I find it offensive, because it is not
compatible with the values of our society." Although she has
not yet looked into "whether a ban on headscarves is legally
possible," she is "in favor of a ban," Prokop stressed.
According to Austrian radio, Omar al-Rawi, the integration
envoy for the Austrian Islamic community said Prokop's
statements are a "slap in the face" for Muslim women. All
Austrian media report on the Interior Minister's suggestion.
Liberal daily "Der Standard" writes that Chancellor Wolfgang
Schuessel has stressed the issue was within the Education
Ministry's responsibility. Education Minister Elisabeth
Gehrer underscored that there is "no headscarf ban in
Austria, and there are no problems" in connection with this
matter.




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Fischer Visits Schroeder
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4. Austrian President Heinz Fischer met German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder and his German counterpart Horst Koehler
during a one-day working visit in Germany yesterday.
According to semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung," Fischer
and Schroeder discussed the visit of US President George W.
Bush to Europe, the visit to Austria of Croatian President
Stipe Mesic, as well as the situation in the Middle East, in
Iran and the Ukraine. Centrist daily "Die Presse" writes
that the two presidents agreed the Ukraine "needs a European
perspective." While this "should not suggest the equivalent
of EU membership for the Ukraine," both the EU and the
Ukraine would "benefit" from such a course. For Kiev, EU
membership is "not on the agenda for the foreseeable
future," both leaders stressed. Liberal daily "Der
Standard" notes the German Chancellor is to visit Vienna
next week.

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Iran's Nuclear Program: Too Secret for US Intelligence
Services
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5. headlines ORF online news and says that, according to
newspaper reports, a commission appointed by US President
George W. Bush has described as "insufficient" the
information provided by US intelligence services on Iran's
nuclear program. According to the commission's study, the
information available is not good enough to allow for clear
statements on Tehran's weapons program, ORF online explains,
sourcing the "New York Times."

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Suicide Blast in Baghdad Kills Three
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6. An explosion occurred this morning in the Iraqi capital
Baghdad. Police say a suicide bomber blew up a garbage truck
close to Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture, killing himself and
at least three others, Austrian radio early morning news
"Morgenjournal" reports. According to reports, insurgents
wearing police uniforms first shot dead a guard at the
ministry's gate, allowing the truck to enter the compound.
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Chechen Rebel Leader Killed
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7. Russian special forces have killed Chechen rebel leader
Aslan Maskhadov near the country's capital Grosny. Maskhadov
was president of Chechnya in the 1990s and was seen as the
most moderate of the rebel commanders. Moscow alleges he was
involved in Chechen rebel operations, including the Moscow
theater siege and the Beslan school massacre, writes mass-
circulation daily "Kurier." The daily quotes Russian
President Vladimir Putin as underscoring that a "lot of work
still needs to be done in Chechnya." An expert on Chechnya,
however, stressed on Austrian radio that Maskhadov was "one
of the moderates, with whom Moscow could have negotiated."
The expert says he is concerned that one outcome of the
operation may be that it "plays into the hands of
extremists."

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Pro-Syrian Demonstration in Beirut
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8. Syrian troops have begun a partial withdrawal from
southern and northern Lebanon, Austrian media report.
Lebanon's Defense Minister Mrad said Syrian forces were to
move to the eastern Bekka Valley beginning last night,
according to Austrian radio. The move came just hours after
hundreds of thousands gathered in Beirut to support Syria's
role in the country. The demonstration was organized by
Hezbollah, and was much larger than earlier opposition
protests, which urged Syrian troops to leave. Mass-
circulation daily "Kurier" also repots on the demonstrations
in Beirut, and adds that US President Bush in a speech on
the Middle East warned that autocratic regimes did not have
a future in the region. Both Syria and Iran would have to
immediately stop supporting terrorism, Bush emphasized.

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Former Kosovo PM to Face War Crime Charges
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9. The former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, is
due to fly to the United Nations tribunal in The Hague,
after being charged with war crimes. His indictment is
related to his role in the Kosovo conflict. Haradinaj, a
former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, says he is
innocent, and that the charges brought against him are
"politically motivated," writes mass-circulation daily
"Kurier." Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for
South Eastern Europe Erhard Busek said in an interview with
the "Kurier" that the effect of Haradinaj's indictment in
the region "depends on how stable the Kosovo government is."
Dealing with the ghosts of the past is an integral part of
everyday politics in the region, Busek underscored. On the
part of the EU, there was often no comprehensive strategy
for the entire southeastern European area. While it was
necessary to bring war criminals to justice, the issue was
also how this was done, the Coordinator underscored. This
included explaining to the countries in question the
necessity of such a strategy.
Brown