AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: November 16, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: November 16, 2007

Austria Is Destination for Migrants


1. According to a report on migration trends by the Austrian Academy
of Sciences, which was published on Thursday, Austria is an
important destination for immigrants. The authors of the study warn,
however, that Austria is not sufficiently aware of this fact and has
failed to create the necessary conditions for immigration and
integration. They point out that since their first report in 2003
immigration has reached record levels. Never before have so many
immigrants come to Austria in such a short space of time and stayed
here.


Green Light for Wiesenthal Institute


2. The Austrian cabinet has given its verbal support to plans for a
Vienna institute to house the archives of Simon Wiesenthal, the late
head of Vienna's Jewish Documentation Center. The project, first
announced in 2006 and backed by Vienna's Jewish Community, the
Documentation Center of Austria's Resistance and other groups, has
run into difficulties over money, which could result in documents
having to be sent to research centers in other countries. Organizers
estimate setting up the Wiesenthal Institute will cost 10 million
Euros and running it about 2.5 million Euros annually, semi-official
daily Wiener Zeitung reports.


"There Are Many Issues We Need to Work On, Too"


3. ... outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw told a leading
Austrian daily in an interview. Ambassador McCaw, who will be
departing her post for personal reasons and returning to the United
States and her career as an investment banker in late November,
emphasized she does "not regret" her time and experiences in the
world of politics. Being the US Ambassador to Austria has "not been
a mission impossible," she said. In the 2008 US presidential
elections she is going to support the Republican candidate again.
She added that personally, she would welcome a female US president,
but expressed her doubts that it would necessarily have to be
Hillary Clinton. The Democrats, Ambassador McCaw suggested, would
have made the same decisions as the Bush administration after the
9/11 attacks; in a matter as complex and difficult as the fight
against terrorism, mistakes could hardly have been avoided, she
stressed.
In an interview with liberal daily Der Standard online, US
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw explained that she would
"certainly support any Republican candidate running for office" in
the 2008 US presidential elections. The Republican Party is "open
for a whole range of differing views and approaches; but we share
some basic values." Regarding the fight against terrorism, she said:
"The world has changed since 9/11. There is no patent solution for
the global threat of terrorism. I believe it will become
increasingly difficult to address such a diffuse threat; and it will
become increasingly difficult to win this war, because terrorism,
too, is undergoing a development. I'm not saying it is impossible,
but it will take time." "We are not a nation that carelessly chooses
the military option," the Ambassador underscored. McCaw admits that
in the past few years "mistakes have been made. But I do not believe
that this has anything to do with the Bush administration. 9/11
changed the world, and it changed the way we need to pursue our
policies. This would also have been true under a Democratic
president. It's a learning process, and we need international
assistance in order to win the 'war on terror.'" The poor US image
may partly be a result of the fact that AMERICA "is a superpower,
and people always tend to view those in power with a certain degree
of skepticism. But I think that the US is often misunderstood. That
is why it has been one of my top priorities to talk with young
people in particular, and to invite them to spend some time with us
(in the United States). The planned Austrian energy provider OMV's
gas deal with Iran "continues to be an unresolved matter." OMV did
not break any laws in concluding this deal, "but politically, the
matter undermines efforts towards achieving a diplomatic solution in
the nuclear dispute with Iran." Ambassador McCaw underscored again
that the United States "definitely does not want military
intervention against Iran, we want to achieve a diplomatic solution.
That is why we need to rely on the global community (in this
matter)."


Ambassador McCaw Discusses US Foreign Policy


4. In an interview with a prominent regional daily, US Ambassador to
Austria Susan McCaw looks back on her experiences in Austria, and
explains key US foreign policy aspects. Asked about critical issues,
including the Iraqi prison at Abu Ghraib or the detention facility
at Guantanamo Bay, she said that "the negative incidents (there) are
truly regrettable, but the persons responsible for events at Abu
Ghraib have been punished and held accountable. We did not wish for
the terrorist attacks of September 11 to happen, but we needed to
respond to them." Regarding the inmates at Guantanamo Bay, the
Ambassador suggested that "you cannot simply release these people."
President Bush "has said repeatedly that he wants to close
Guantanamo," McCaw underscored, adding that "we would welcome more
support from other countries in this matter." The Ambassador also
emphasized how much she enjoyed her time in Austria, saying that she
is leaving her post early for personal reasons.
In an interview with Austria's second largest daily Kleine Zeitung,
outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw emphasized that she
has "enjoyed Austria very much - the people, skiing, the music! My
children are crazy about Kaiserschmarrn and Wiener Schnitzel, (...)
and I will definitely remain a regular guest in Austria." Discussing
options for the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the
Ambassador pointed out that US President Bush would prefer closing
the prison, but that would require some of the inmates being
relocated elsewhere: "We have discussed the potential admission of
prisoners with many countries including Austria, but have not
received a definite answer." On anti-Americanism: "There is a
certain underlying rejection (of the US) among the public, but I've
never experienced it as directed against me as a person. The United
States is the last remaining superpower, and that is regarded with
mixed feelings. I have always sought dialogue. We are infallible,
our democracy is not perfect either, but it is certainly worthwhile
to work on it." McCaw emphasized that she experienced Austria as a
very dynamic country - in every respect. Particularly in Eastern
Europe and on the Balkans Austrians have a lot of experience and
have achieved much. In my opinion, they could act with a lot more
self-confidence at the international level."


Benazir Bhutto Released


5. In Pakistan, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been released
from house arrest, although it has been reported there are still
dozens of police outside her house in Lahore. She was put under
detention on Tuesday, ahead of a planned protest march. US State
Department spokesperson Sean McCormick described Bhutto's release as
a first positive step." He stressed, however, that other measures,
primarily the lifting of emergency rule, also need to be undertaken.
Yesterday, Bhutto ruled out any cooperation with President Pervez
Musharraf. Meanwhile, Mohammedmian Soomro has been sworn in as
caretaker Prime Minister ahead of elections next year, which
President Musharraf says will mark a transition to democracy, says
ORF online news.


Mixed Report on Iran's Nuclear Activities


6. The International Atomic Energy Agency has given Iran a mixed
report on cooperation regarding the country's nuclear program. The
IAEA says Iran has disclosed more details of past nuclear
activities, but continues to enrich uranium in violation of the UN
Security Council resolution. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei
has warned that the Agency's knowledge of Iran's current nuclear
activities is diminishing at the same time that Iran has 3,000
centrifuges enriching uranium. Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed
Jalili meanwhile claims that the IAEA report gave his country a
"clean bill of health." The United States has responded by calling
for new sanctions against Iran according to a report by ORF radio
early morning news Morgenjournal.
McCaw