AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: September 25, 2007

UNCLAS VIENNA 002482 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR YVETTE SAINT-ANDRE OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: September 25, 2007 Data Protection Regularly Violated ¶1. Austria's Data Protection Commission does not issue a good report for the state authorities and companies with regard to their handling of sensitive data. In their Data Protection Report 2005-1007, the Commission has made a case for urgent legislative action in three areas: Information on creditworthiness, passing on of health data and private video surveillance. In the meantime, the President of the Austrian Constitutional Court, Karl Korinek, has warned that Austria is about to become a total surveillance state after the pattern of the former German Democratic Republic. His remarks have startled the coalition partners as well as the Data Protection Council. [Der Standard, p. 1 and 9; other Austrian media] On Monday, government officials did not hold back with criticism of Korinek's statement, writes centrist daily "Die Presse." OeVP Minister of the Interior G|nther Platter rejected Korinek's comparison of Austrian and former Stasi practices when it comes to surveillance of ordinary citizens. Likewise, Josef Cap, head of the SPOe parliamentary club spoke of a "totally unjustified" statement, while conceding that any call for more caution with regard to observance of fundamental rights had to be taken seriously. However, the President of the Austrian Constitutional Court got backing from the Green Party for voicing his concern over the issue of data protection and the necessity to keep intact the private sphere of Austrian citizens. Their legal spokesman Albert Steinhauser urged the coalition parties to deliberate the issue, reports semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung." Call for Action ¶2. Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the debate at the UN climate conference on Monday with a remarkable speech in which he called for "action" in the area of environmental protection. He made a case for a future-oriented approach which he himself pursues in California, where in the meantime, more capital is invested in the development of green technology than in the development of telecommunications. He urged the heads of government and state who had gathered at the summit to follow his example and take an active stance on the environment issue. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer likewise participated in the summit where he had a brief meeting with Schwarzenegger. [Kurier, . 3; other Austrian media] All Austrian media report on the UN climate summit in New York - and repeatedly, commentators point out Austria's own lack of resolve when it comes to implementing the Kyoto targets. Andreas Schwarz of mass circulation daily "Kurier" criticizes that hardly any state has so far adhered to the Kyoto goals and Oe1 radio morning news is likewise uncertain whether one can take the UN climate initiative very seriously: "Somehow, there is increasingly the impression that the targets - projected and partially documented - are not nearly being achieved. And Austria is no exception to this rule." Independent daily "Salzburger Nachrichten" remarked that Austria, according to the Kyoto Protocol, ought to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent in comparison to 1990. Until 2005, however, they had actually risen by 18 percent. Oe1 radio news takes note of the absence of US President Bush from the conference and the disturbing effect this has had on many participants, calling the conference, which the US President has announced to hold on the issue in Washington on Thursday, "a counter-conference, as diplomats have scathingly remarked." Austrian Military Considers Chad Mission ¶3. Austria is considering participation in a military EU mission in Chad with the goal of protecting refugees from the neighboring Sudanese crisis region of Darfur. The mission will be headed by the French and will comprise about 4,000 troops. The precondition for the planned mission is a mandate by the UN Security Council. [Salzburger Nachrichten, p. 1] Independent daily "Salzburger Nachrichten" reports on the planned EU mission in Chad, where more than 300,000 refugees from Darfur have fled - one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of the past few decades. The question of Austrian participation in the mission will be deliberated and the military will give its assessment at the beginning of October. The Ministry of Defense is considering mainly an Austrian participation in providing ambulance services and processing drinking water. For this, the Austrian troops would also be called on to provide the necessary means of transportation, such as Hercules aircrafts. According to "Salzburger Nachrichen, the Ministry has not confirmed this. In the meantime, the UN efforts for an international peace initiative are moving ahead slowly. So far, not enough countries have come forward and offered soldiers for the mission, which is to comprise 26,000 soldiers and police forces. Monks Challenge the Generals ¶4. On Monday, more than 130,000 demonstrators protested against the military regime under General Than Shwe in the capital of Rangun. The protests were headed by 20,000 monks and the demonstration was the culmination of the biggest protest wave since the democratic movement was struck down in 1988. The patience of the junta seems to be exhausted, however: The military leadership of the country fears for its existence and has now warned the monks that they cannot tolerate the protests much longer. [Wiener Zeitung, p. 8; Oe1 radio morning news; other Austrian media] Having the Buddhist clergy spearhead the protests presents a big problem for the generals: The monks are revered by the public and if the junta resorts to violence in an attempt to stop them from protesting, it risks arousing public wrath and thus provoking an escalation of the situation. That could result in an eruption of the aggression that was stored up in years of oppression and poverty. Observers are united in their assessment that the monks are the only ones hat could stand up to the military - since they are the only opposition movement to have a comprehensive structure and organization. What the junta will do to deal with the situation depends also largely on the Chinese. Beijing is the biggest ally of the Burmese potentates - it relies on the large oil and gas reserves of Burma for its booming economy. "Salzburger Nachrichten" reports that the US has adopted a strongly critical stance towards the Burmese junta and France and Germany have both called for reforms in the country. Heated Debate ¶5. After the controversy caused by the invitation for Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad to speak before students at the Columbia University in New York, there was a heated debate when the Iranian head of state actually made his appearance. The President of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, in his introductory speech, charged Ahmadinejad with exhibiting the characteristics of a "narrow-minded and cruel dictator." Bollinger explicitly challenged Ahmadinejad about his Holocaust denial, calling the Holocaust "the most documented event in history." The Iranian President did not directly respond to Bollinger's charges - he gave a long religious address and proceeded from there to sharply criticize the Bush administration. [ORF online, other Austrian media] According to ORF online, Ahmadinejad listed in his speech all the sins of the current and former US administrations - his list of topics ranged from the bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to illegal wiretapping. With regard to Iran's nuclear program, the Iranian President stressed that it served exclusively the purpose of energy production. With regard to Israel, Ahmadinejad emphasized the fact that Iran did not acknowledge Israel, because its regime was founded on "occupation and racism." The Iranian President denied, however, that Iran was planning to attack the country. "Iran will not attack any country," he said. While the Iranian President is apparently still planning a visit to Ground Zero, the New York authorities have banned him from doing so - a decision which US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has welcomed. She called a SIPDIS possible visit of Ahmadinejad to the chief location of the 9/11 attacks a "farce." McCaw