AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: November 26, 2007

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU

SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: November 26, 2007

Military's Chad Mission Delayed


1. The departure of the Austrian Army contingent's advance party to
Chad will not take place today, as originally scheduled. The
Commander of the Austrian unit, which will participate in
peacekeeping and humanitarian aid efforts in the African state, Lt.
Gen. Guenther Hoefler, said the delay was brought about by the fact
that several international contingents are currently being deployed
to the area. The Austrian troops' transport by air needed to be
coordinated with other nations first, he added.
Reporting on the delayed deployment of part of the Austrian
military's contingent to Chad, where the soldiers will participate
in international peacekeeping efforts, mass-circulation tabloid
Kronen Zeitung points out that "the 18-strong Austrian advance team
is 'ready to go' to Africa." The unit's Commander, Lt. Gen. Hoefler,
denies that Austrian shortfalls were the reason for the delayed
departure. He underscored that "in fact, the EU's command staff has
asked to postpone the troops' deployment for bureaucratic reasons."
Thus, the Hercules transport aircraft with the advance team will
depart for Chad next week.


Wanted: Arabs from Linz


2. ... headlined a leading Austrian daily, and explained that prior
to their deployment to Iraq, US solders are learning in a training
village in Bavaria about how to approach Muslims correctly. Some of
the "walk-on jobs" have been given to Austrian citizens.
According to a report by centrist daily Die Presse, the casting
agency of German security firm DSS is also turning to Austria to
hire "extras" to play the roles of Muslim inhabitants in the
military's training village near the Bavarian community of
Grafenwoehr. At the model Iraqi village in Germany, the US troops
are "learning about Arab mentality and culture," Benjamin Reinhardt,
the head of the casting firm explained. He added that since the
1980s, such trainings have been carried out for missions in every
crisis region," dismissing as "incomprehensible" some Upper
Austrians' misgivings about what they are describing as "war
castings." For three weeks, and in the heart of Bavaria, the
walk-ons are playing the roles of Iraqi civilians - from grocers
selling fruit to the local police chief, imam or the village's
mayor. The US troops are learning how to negotiate with these
"locals," and how to respond correctly and prudently in a variety of
situations, including protests and demonstrations: "We are trying to
be as real-life as possible," after all, "many of the soldiers have
never been in contact with a foreign culture," Reinhardt points out.



Muzicant Wins Majority in Jewish Community Vote


3. Ariel Muzicant's Atid List has won the majority in Sunday's
elections to the board of Austria's Jewish Community (IKG),securing
slightly over 41 percent, or ten seats in the 24-seat Jewish
Community Council. Thus, Muzicant's re-election as the President of
the Jewish Community is considered as good as certain, Austrian
media say, independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten
reports.


Interview with Ambassador McCaw


4. Outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw gave the final in a
series of PAS-facilitated press interviews to a major
mass-circulation Austrian daily. The "much-liked Ambassador," who is
returning to the United States for personal reasons, is leaving
Austria "with sadness," the daily writes. Asked about US-Austrian
bilateral relations, Ambassador McCaw stressed that the
"relationship is very good. Economically, with about 10 billion in
investment, it is as good as never before." At the political level,
cooperation between Vienna and Washington has also been "good,"
although there have been "some challenging issues," such as the
OMV's planned gas deal with Iran, Ambassador McCaw noted.
On November 25, mass-circulation daily Kurier published the final in
a series of PAS-facilitated press interviews with outgoing US
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw. One of the highlights of her
ambassadorship, McCaw said, was the visit to Austria of US President
George Bush on the occasion of the US-EU summit in Vienna during
Austria's EU presidency in 2006 - the first time in 27 years that a
US President visited Austria. Although cooperation between Austria
and the US is "good, there were some challenges," such as the
Austrian OMV's planned Iranian gas deal: "We discussed this both
with the Austrian government and with OMV. The deal is not illegal,
is does not break any rules. However, we very seriously want a
diplomatic solution with Iran, not a military one." Asked whether
sanctions could prevent a potential military operation against Iran,
the Ambassador pointed to South Africa and Libya, "where sanctions
did work. We do not know the psychology of the Iranian regime, but
we need to exploit all options before moving in the direction of a
military solution. These (options) include economic sanctions and
economic incentives." When the OMV deal was concluded, "Iran boasted
about it. That is why the deal was so unfortunate." On how her time
in Austria had changed her point of view: "I learned that in
diplomacy, it is more important than ever to go and reach out (to
people). It is not enough to talk with fellow ambassadors. You need
to listen and engage in discussions."


Letter to the Editor


5. Austria's largest mass-circulation daily published a letter to
the editor by US Embassy Vienna's Charg d'Affaires Scott Kilner
expressing "strong concern and regret over a November 11 column on
US Ambassador-designate Charles Gargano," which was written by the
newspaper's New York correspondent, Hans Janitschek. The Charg
pointed out that among the key elements prompting the response to
the correspondent's column were the facts that the daily is "one of
the most widely-read in Austria and one with which the US Embassy
has always had good relations."
Mass-circulation tabloid Kronen Zeitung published a letter to the
editor by Charg d'Affaires Scott Kilner in response to a recent
negative column in the newspaper about Ambassador-designate Charles
Gargano. The United States, Kilner stressed, "is a strong supporter
of press freedom," but the column in question "has nothing to do
with serious journalism. It unfairly defames an outstanding
American public servant, who served for 12 years as Chairman of the
New York State Economic Development Corporation and as Commissioner
of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, with responsibility
for rebuilding 'Ground Zero' in Manhattan." Moreover, Mr.
Janitschek's article is "simply wrong about several supposed
'facts,'" Kilner continues, and explains: "There is no court case by
New York Governor Eliott Spitzer against Mr. Gargano. Mr. Gargano
was never proposed as ambassador to the Italian government. There
has been no Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing yet on his
nomination." The Charg emphasized the Embassy's "desire to continue
a professional relationship with a paper as important as the Kronen
Zeitung."


Charles Gargano: Case Dismissed


6. ... says a mass-circulation daily, reporting that an inquiry into
alleged incorrect financial practices within the Empire State
Development Corporation against US Ambassador-designate Charles
Gargano was dismissed. After two years, investigations were
abandoned, the case was closed, and no charges ever filed.
Mass-circulation daily Kurier published a portrait of US
Ambassador-designate Charles Gargano, who "loves Europe," according
to John Cahill, the former chief of staff of New York Governor
George Pataki. Cahill underscored that "US President George Bush's
nomination of Gargano as the new US Ambassador to Austria was a
fantastic idea." It was former New York Governor Pataki, who, at the
beginning of his term of office, appointed Ambassador Gargano, "the
real-estate czar and hobby actor to the post of top business advisor
for his administration and as CEO of the Empire State Development
Corporation." After all, the Kurier noted, Gargano was "one of
Pataki's key campaign fundraisers." Cahill continues: "Gargano is a
wonderful person; he is charming and has an excellent reputation.
Moreover, because of his diplomatic skills he has excellent ties and
contacts among Democrats and Republicans alike." Regarding rumors
floated in the US media about Gargano's alleged ties with people
"suspected of deceptive business practices," the daily reports that
an "inquiry into Gargano's business practices was dropped after two
years."


Run-Up to Annapolis Mideast Peace Conference


7. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been holding
last-minute talks with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to try to
bring about agreement on a joint document ahead of the Middle East
peace conference in Annapolis tomorrow. US President George Bush is
also holding meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert separately at the White House
today. Yesterday, Syria announced it will be joining the more than
40 countries expected to attend the conference. The meeting is the
first large-scale round of talks on Middle East peace in seven
years, ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal says.


Former PM Sharif Back in Pakistan


8. After his return from exile yesterday, former Pakistani Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to file nomination papers today
for general elections scheduled for January 2008. He has said he may
boycott the election, however, unless President Pervez Musharraf
ends emergency rule. Pakistani media have meanwhile been floating
rumors of an alleged clandestine agreement between the two
"arch-enemies" Sharif and Musharraf, and the Pakistani Chief Public
Prosecutor Malik Mohammed Qayyum suggested Sharif's participation in
the January poll is "unlikely," liberal daily Der Standard reports.

Kilner