AUSTRIAN ALQAEDA HOSTAGES: GAO TURNS TO MUSLIM LEADERS FOR

UNCLAS VIENNA 000506 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/AGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PTER AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN ALQAEDA HOSTAGES: GAO TURNS TO MUSLIM LEADERS FOR MEDIATION Summary -------------- 1.(U) The fate of two Austrian tourists abducted in Tunisia in February 2008 by an al Qaeda-affiliated group remains unclear. On April 6, another ultimatum by the kidnappers expired. Shortly afterwards a message ascribed to the kidnappers surfaced calling for the release of two Austrian Islamists convicted recently by a Vienna court. Austrian authorities believe there is still time to negotiate, but otherwise remain tight lipped. Meanwhile, media reports suggest the GOA has also enrolled Muslim leaders inside and outside Austria for mediation purposes. End summary. ¶2. (U) The latest ultimatum by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - the group claiming it had kidnapped the two Austrian tourists, Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber, in Tunisia February 22 - gave Vienna until midnight April 6 to obtain the release of some of its members in jails in Tunisia and Algeria. Two similar deadlines had expired March 16 and 23. Shortly afterwards, the group lashed out at Austrian authorities in an internet posting for not complying with the group's conditions and noted that "it won't be held responsible from now on for the fate of two Austrian tourists." ¶4. (U) In a later message, AQIMseemed to drop these earlier demands and instead sought the release of a Muslim couple recently sentenced to jail in Austria and the withdrawal of Austrian ISAF officers from Afghanistan. The jailed Austrian Islamists, Mohammed Mahmoud had been jailed for producing a video threatening Austria and Germany with attacks if they didn't withdraw military personnel from Afghanistan. In a statement from jail, Mohammed Mahmoud has publicly distanced himself from the kidnappers and his father has publicly appealed to the abductors to free the Kloiber and Ebner. ¶5. (U) While generally tight lipped, Austrian authorities expressed continued confidence ion recent days that that there was still enough time to negotiate the hostages' release. A small team of diplomats and special task force members from Austria have been in Bamako, Mali, where the abductors are supposed to have gone into hiding, for some time. ¶6. (U) News reports suggest that the Austrian government is also relying on mediation efforts by Muslim leaders inside and outside the country. The semi-official "Wiener Zeitung" reported April 10 that Qatar-based Egyptian Sheik Yussuf al-Qharadwi had claimed in the Algerian newspaper "Echorouk" that the Austrian government had contacted him indirectly via Islamic communities to work toward the release of the Austrian hostages. According to the Austrian daily, the head of Austria's Islamic community, Anas Schakfeh, recently confirmed to "Echorouk" that "Islamic circles were coordinating between the kidnappers and the Austrian government to obtain their release." Another prominent Austrian Muslim leader, Vienna SP deputy Omar al-Rahwi, reportedly has appealed twice so far to kidnappers on the TV station Al Jazeera to release Kloiber and Ebner. In response, MFA spokesman Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal would only say that the GOA was working "at all levels" for the cause. Comment -------------- ¶7. (U) The Austrian government and the foreign ministry in particular are under considerable public pressure to obtain the release of the hostages. FonMin Plassnik and her ministry were the target of considerable public and political criticism when, in late March 2008, Austrian Bert Nussbaumer, who had been abducted in Iraq in 2006, was confirmed dead. Kilner, CDA