AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: September 21, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: September 21, 2007


Floettl's Wife Testifies at Bawag Trial


1. The wife of Wolfgang Floettl, one of the key defendants in the
trial surrounding the Bawag banking scandal took the witness stand
Thursday, as one of the most closely-watched trials in recent
Austrian history continues to grind on. Anne Eisenhower, the
granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower, said she had learned
of her husband's financial losses in 1998
All Austrian media report on the testimony at the Bawag trial of
Anne Eisenhower, the wife of Wolfgang Floettl, one of the key
defendants in the case. Floettl, the former investment banker,
stands accused of losing billions in failed currency speculation
deals in the late 1990s. Anne Eisenhower told the court that her
husband was a "fighter," but added that he had been under enormous
pressure from former Bawag CEO Helmut Elsner, who is charged with
breach of trust for providing Floettl with the lost funds and for
trying to conceal the bank's losses. Like several Austrian media
reporting on the issue, independent provincial daily Salzburger
Nachrichten focuses on the "glamour factor," describing Eisenhower's
appearance in court as "jet set at the Bawag trial."


Interior Minister, FBI Director Discuss Counter-Terrorism


2. Austrian Interior Minister Guenther Platter (OeVP) told Austrian
media Thursday he was very pleased with his meeting with FBI
Director Robert S. Mueller in Vienna. During their "intense exchange
of ideas," Platter and Mueller had primarily focused on
counter-terrorism measures, the Minister said, adding that he had
also shared information on the recent arrest of several suspected
Islamic militants in Vienna. The meeting came ahead of Platter's
trip to Washington DC in late October.
Austrian Press Agency APA on Thursday reported on the meeting of the
Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),Robert
Mueller, with Interior Minister Guenther Platter. Mueller said that
"success in fighting terrorism depends on contacts between the
United States and other nations. This includes the exchange of
information and close cooperation to fight terrorist threats." The
FBI Director also stressed that an important part of confronting
such threats included monitoring the internet for militant activity.
He praised the close and effective cooperation the FBI enjoys with
the Austrian Interior Ministry in combating terrorism, organized
crime, money laundering, child pornography, and cyber crime. He
looks forward to Minister Platter's visit to the United States next
month to further explore areas of cooperation, Mueller said.
Platter also praised the current levels of teamwork between the
United States and Austria, noting that such cooperation led last
year to solving 31 cases related to criminal money laundering
operations. Independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten and
semi official daily Wiener Zeitung also reported on Mueller's visit
to Austria.


Gusenbauer Defends Meeting with Dalai Lama


3. Following harsh criticism from China of his meeting with the
Dalai Lama, Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer defended his talks
this week with Tibet's spiritual leader, saying "Austria is a place
of dialogue." China's embassy, however, had protested the meeting.
Gusenbauer said China's position on Tibet was well-known, but he
also added that Austria had "very good" relations with China.
Meanwhile, Austrian President Heinz Fischer was unavailable for a
meeting with the Dalai Lama, something which was criticized by the
non-governmental support group "Save Tibet."
According to centrist daily Die Presse, the Dalai Lama is "an
awkward guest for the Chancellery," given the fact that any
politician officially meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader is
definitely up for harsh criticism from Beijing. Mass-circulation
daily Kurier notes that Chancellor Gusenbauer did not give in to the
pressure from China, knowing that the Dalai Lama is expected to meet
with his German counterpart Angela MERKEL in Berlin on Sunday. Thus,
"in Merkel's slipstream," Gusenbauer simply defied the Chinese
protests. The Dalai Lama's upcoming meeting with the German
Chancellor, meanwhile, might go a long way towards alleviating the
status of a quasi-outlaw China had imposed on the Dalai Lama, the
Kurier speculates.


Leading Powers Discuss Iran


4. Major powers are meeting in Washington today to discuss a third
United Nations Security Council Resolution, which would seek to
increase sanctions against Iran. The five permanent members of the
Security Council along with Germany are far from agreement on the
issue, with Russia demanding more time for the International Atomic
Energy Agency to clarify unresolved issues before further sanctions
are considered. French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the other hand
said Thursday that he will seek tougher UN sanctions on Iran for
still producing nuclear fuel. Iran meanwhile continues to enrich
uranium despite earlier Security Council Resolutions.
In the discussion of how to address the controversy over Iran's
nuclear ambitions, Paris is now pushing its partners in the EU to
adopt a tougher stance towards Tehran, says liberal daily Der
Standard. Thus, France wants to convince European businesses of
"voluntary boycotts" against Iran, in order to tighten the screws on
the regime in Tehran. EU members should call on companies to cut
back on business deals with and refrain from seeking out new markets
in Iran, a spokesperson for French President Nicolas Sarkozy
suggested Thursday. In addition, financial institutions should
reduce their investments in the Gulf state as well. These measures
outside the framework of the United Nations, the Elyse argues, are
necessary, given the fact that quite some time will likely pass
until the UN may decide in favor of tightening sanctions against
Tehran. The Standard also notes that in connection with Austrian
energy provider OMV's planned gas deal with Iran the US had warned
the Austrian government against pushing ahead with the project.


IAEA Calls for Israel Inspections


5. The general conference of the Vienna-based International Atomic
Energy Agency has voted on a resolution criticizing Israel for its
refusal to allow international inspections of its alleged nuclear
program. Of the 144 nations, 53 voted in favor and 47 abstained,
while only Israel and the United States voted against the proposal.
The resolution on the application of IAEA safeguards in the Middle
East is aimed at Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear
weapons, but so far has neither confirmed nor denied the existence
of an atomic weapons program. The vote holds no power to force
inspections, however.
Semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung, reporting on the visit to the
Middle East of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, points out
that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded an extensive
skeleton agreement on a two-state solution with Israel as one of the
conditions for the major Mideast conference the US is planning to
hold later this year. Rice's Middle East trip has been overshadowed
by Israel's recent ctions against Gaza, adds the daily. Meanwhile,
ndependent rovincial daily Salzburger Nachrichtenpublishes a
portrait of the US Secretary of Stat, suggesting that Rice is
"someone who is better t being lead than at leading herself." She
has tus "gambled away a lot of her reputation" as a "fiurehead of
American realpolitik" since entering office as President Bush's
National Security Advisor. These days, Rice's star is on the
decline, both with US politicians and with the US media, says the
Salzburger Nachichten.


Bin Laden Demands War on Musharraf


6. Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has called on Pakistanis to
overthrow President Pervez Musharraf. In a new audio-message posted
on the internet, bin Laden calls for "retaliation" for the storming
of the Red Mosque in the capital Islamabad earlier this year.
Pakistan has seen an increase in suicide bombings as well as
kidnapping of Pakistani soldiers since the storming of the mosque,
which served as a stronghold of radical Islamists, says liberal
daily Der Standard.
McCaw