AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: August 3, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: August 3, 2007


Progress on Minimal Social Security Issue


1. The intended implementation of the plan to introduce a minimal
social security income is taking shape. According to Minister for
Social Affairs, Erwin Buchinger, who presented a report on the
current state of the negotiations between the federal government and
the provinces the project is making progress. Starting 2009, persons
who are in need of social security assistance, will receive 726 euro
14 times a year. It is still unclear how many people will benefit
from the new social security regulations.
Semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung" reports that the new social
security program is expected to cost the provinces an additional 100
million euro per year. The provinces intend to get compensation for
their expenses from the federal government in the course of the
financial compensation agreement that is currently negotiated with
the Ministry of Finance. According to mass circulation tabloid "Neue
Kronenzeitung," Buchinger has also come forward with the suggestion
that people with incomes up to about 1,200 euro per month should be
supported through a raise of the so-called "negative tax" - the
reimbursement of parts of their social security payments by the tax
authorities. This plan still has to be negotiated with the coalition
partner OeVP.

Military Action to Free the Hostages?


2. It can no longer be ruled out that the US will start a military
action to free the South Korean hostages in Afghanistan. In contrast
to earlier reports, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher
stated in Washington that "every possible pressure must be exerted
on the Taliban in order to force them to free the hostages." Boucher
did not specify the extent of the pressure the US administration was
willing to exert, but mentioned "potential military means." This
seems to contradict previous statements on the part of Deputy US
Secretary of State John Negroponte and South Korean Foreign Minister

SIPDIS
Song Min Soon. In the meantime, South Korea seeks talks with the
Taliban. [ORF online; Oe1 radio morning news]


US Wants Stronger UN Role in Iraq


3. The US and Britain favor a stronger UN mandate in Iraq. A joint
resolution draft, which was circulated on Wednesday, provides for a
considerably extended mandate. So far, the UNAMI (United Nations
Assistance Mission for Iraq) has been chiefly restricted to support
and advisory roles with regard to election procedures, human rights
and humanitarian issues. The new mandate will be more political - it
will include conflict management on the regional and national
levels.
Independent daily "Der Standard" reports on a plan put forward by US
Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalizad, who envisions a stronger
mediator role for the UN in matters of border security and energy
supplies. However, UNAMI is also supposed to be more involved in the
redrafting of the Iraqi constitution - there, its role had been
marginalized by the US in the course of the 2005 constitutional
process. The outcome was a highly deficient text which now has to be
repaired, analyzes the daily. The UNAMI has to choose a new
leadership in the fall when its present head Ashraf Qazi withdraws -
according to "Der Standard," the US is already trying to influence
the choice of a successor. The latest US plans for a new UN role in
the pacification of Iraq is very critically seen by senior editor
for independent daily "Der Standard" Gudrun Harrer: "If the US is
now ready to agree to a separate UN role, this is not because it is
following genuine multilateral impulses, but because it wants to
share the disaster with someone at least. It would be interesting to
learn whether the US and Britain really believe that the UN is
capable of saving the sinking ship, or whether their strategy is
simply "devil-may-care." ... No, there is no reason for mockery.
Everybody wishes that the UN will make the miracle happen: Start a
national dialogue, establish institutions, and organize regional
support. The question of whether it would have been capable of this
if it had been granted a real role earlier remains unanswered. It is
questionable. However, it could hardly have done a worse job than
the US."

Palestinian State Closer


4. In the controversy around a separate Palestinian state, Israel
and the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank are coming closer to
each other. Israel's Prime Minster Ehud Olmert has proposed a joint
declaration where the principles underlying a future Palestinian
state are defined. This was made public by US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice during her visit at Ramallah in the West Bank.
Hamas accused Rice of wanting to "pit the two Palestinian parties
against each other and thus support the Zionist occupation."
While there is a rapprochement between Israel and Palestinian
President Abbas, the Hamas is increasing their weapons arsenal in
the Gaza Strip with Iran's help, writes centrist daily "Die Presse."
So far, the Hamas is excluded from the international peace efforts -
which is the reason why the Saudis only hesitatingly agreed to
attend the Middle East peace conference in the fall, which was
initiated by US President Bush. The daily points out that the new
special envoy of the Middle East group consisting of the US, the UN,
EU and Russia, Tony Blair, is planning a conference focusing on the
issue of business cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis.
When Blair paid his courtesy call on Israel's Prime Minister, he
also raised the issue of a tunnel that would connect the Gaza Strip
with the West Bank and would not just create numerous jobs, but also
advance the inner-Palestinian reconciliation process.

Pressure on Sarkozy Because of Libyan Deal


5. There is mounting pressure on the French government on account of
the alleged secret agreements and weapons deals with Libya in
connection with the liberation of five Bulgarian nurses and one
doctor from a Libyan prison. On Thursday, the Socialist opposition
and the conservative government party UMP demanded that the facts
around the agreements be made public. On Wednesday, the daily "Le
Monde" had reported on a statement made by Gaddafi's son, who
claimed that the agreements with France on weapons supplies had been
instrumental in the liberation of the prisoners.
In the meantime, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has denied the
conclusion of weapons deals with Libya, stating that there had been
no agreements for military cooperation between France and Libya,
reports semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung." This was confirmed by
his Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, although he admitted that
there was always a "small hidden aspect" in prolonged negotiations
of the kind that took place between France and Libya, writes ORF
online. The weapons deals mentioned in the French press were already
rather concrete: They ranged from rocket-propelled grenades to the
modernization of the Libyan bombers of the type "Mirage -F1."
Kouchner did not rule out that further agreements with Libya are in
the making, aside from the agreement about the civilian use of
nuclear energy. This agreement already caused severe disagreements
within the EU with Sarkozy being heavily criticized for his
go-it-alone policy.
Kilner