AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: April 16, 2008

UNCLAS VIENNA 000527

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: April 16, 2008


Platter To Testify Before Investigative Committee


1. The parliamentary committee, which investigates charges of
corruption against the Ministry of the Interior, has now issued a
summons against Minister G|nther Platter to account for holding back
files and documents that are needed to assess the charges. The
minister had done so with reference to data protection - a view
which is not shared by the head of the committee Peter Fichtenbauer.
The case has led to a controversy among experts Theo Vhlinger,
expert for constitutional law, backs Fichtenbauer's claim that the
documents be released. Former President of the Court of Audit Franz
Fiedler contradicts this opinion. [Der Standard, p. 1 and 7; other
Austrian media]

Greens Demand Manager Tax


2. The Austrian Greens are currently working on their tax reform
proposal and party boss Alexander Van der Bellen has now suggested
that top earners - people with incomes above 126,000 euros per year
- should pay the full tax rate for their 13th and 14th salary.
According to Van der Bellen, the average employee does not make that
much money - therefore, the Greens' proposal would affect mainly top
managers. He calculates that this measure alone would bring in 600
million for the budget. The Greens' party boss also calls for
raising the amount for the highest tax rate from 51,000 to 71,000
euros. Also, Van der Bellen demands a new inheritance tax with a
tax-free amount of 200,000 euros and a tax on valuable goods in
addition to the new capital gains tax already in planning. [Kurier,
p. 2]

Chad Mission Disguised As Development Aid?


3. The Austrian Foreign Ministry has come under massive criticism
since it transpired that it is planning to write off most of the
costs for the Chad mission as development aid. Greens and the Red
Cross have already issued vehement protests - the latter's Secretary
General Wolfgang Kopetzky calls this procedure "unacceptable" and
stresses his view that a military mission, even if it is intended to
provide protection for refugees and assistance organizations, must
never be conducted at the cost of the long-term fight against
poverty. [ORF online, Salzburger Nachrichten, p. 4]
Similarly, the Greens criticize the approach of the Austrian
government to the issue. ORF online quotes the Greens' foreign
policy spokeswoman Ulrike Lunacek as saying that "military missions,
even if they serve humanitarian goals, cannot be the future of
Austrian development aid." She is planning to raise the issue in the
Federal Assembly. Criticism also came from the aid organization
"Care" and the UNHCR. The latter organization's spokesman Roland
Schnbauer points out that the military component of the Chad
mission is too dominant with "too little actual development work
being done." The Foreign Ministry has rejected the criticism and
expressed its view that the humanitarian motivation behind the Chad
mission justifies its being declared development aid. The government
parties SPOe and OeVP are principally agreed in their approval of
the Ministry's declaration of the Chad mission as development aid,
writes ORF online. They regard the procedure as common
"international practice." However, Petra Bayr from the SPOe also
stressed the fact that Austria still has a lot to do in terms of
development cooperation. In a commentary in independent daily "Der
Standard," Andras Szigetvari expresses his view that the current
debate fails to address the core of the problem, which, in his view,
is the quality of the aid provided by Austria. Too little is
invested in the long-term fight against poverty and too much money
goes into too many micro-projects in too many countries, he writes.

Hostage Drama Continued


4. According to mass circulation tabloid "Vsterreich," Arab
television network al-Jazheera, which has become notorious for
broadcasting the messages of terror boss Usama bin Laden, has now
offered to mediate in the hostage drama involving the Salzburg
couple Andrea Kloiber and Wolfgang Ebner. "Vsterreich" reports that
the TV station's German correspondent Aktham Suliman has come to
Austria and conducted interviews with the father of the convicted
Mohamed M., who is currently serving a prison sentence in Vienna and
whose release the kidnappers have demanded, and the son of Wolfgang
Ebner. Sami M., the father of Mohamed M., has used his TV appearance
for issuing an appeal to the kidnappers to release the hostages,
claiming that his son and daughter-in-law do not want to be
exchanged and that "kidnapping is not Islamic." [Vsterreich, p. 10]

Middle East Agreement Possible

5. Former Israeli Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin, one of the chief
peace negotiators of the Oslo peace agreement and co-negotiator of
the Geneva initiative, the basis for a peace agreement, gave
interviews in two major Austrian dailies in which he stressed his
conviction that a peace agreement is possible "if all parties want
it." He also referred to the necessity to talk with the Hamas since
peace is not possible without them. However, he also pointed out
that Hamas does not want to negotiate with Israel and that
therefore, negotiations that include Hamas could only take place via
a third party. [Kurier, p. 6, Die Presse, p. 6]
In his assessment of the current situation in the Middle East in
centrist daily "Die Presse," Yossi Beilin draws up a list of
negative components, including the fact that Hamas is strong while
Palestinian President Abbas is weak, Bush is nearing the end of his
term and Israel's Prime Minister Olmert has very low approval
ratings. However, he also points out that the Israeli and the
Palestinian leaderships have a basically good understanding and are
making progress. Beilin recommends that the American send a special
envoy that will then remain in the region for the next eight months.
"It is not enough for the Secretary of State to stop by every now
and then. What would be necessary is a conclave that negotiates
until there is white smoke to be seen." According to Beilin, US
President Bush is actually anti-Israel in that his policies are
proving a disservice to the country: "With your friends, you have
to call their attention to their mistakes, too." The former peace
negotiator claims that it is "crazy to expand settlements while a
peace process is under way." After being admitted to the elections
in 2006, the Hamas has become a political actor which cannot be
ignored, says Beilin and calls for a third party - in his view, this
should be Egypt - to mediate between Israel and the Hamas. Beilin
identifies territory, Jerusalem and refugees as the three core
problems in the Middle East where a compromise has to be reached.
In an interview with mass circulation daily "Kurier" Yossi Beilin
stresses his conviction that "there is a window of opportunity now"
for peace in the Middle East, stating expressly that "we cannot wait
for the new US administration." He argues that Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas will leave office next January and there is no knowing
who will replace him. "Perhaps he is weak, but he believes in
peace," Beilin points out. Touching upon the issue of the Iranian
nuclear program, the peace negotiator recommends a continuation of
the sanctions already in place, claiming that "Tehran is impressed
by the sanctions, even if it denies that. Sanctions are the best
way." An Iranian nuclear bomb would not just hurt Israel, warns
Beilin, but "extremists all over the region would celebrate it."

Carter Not Admitted To Gaza


6. Former US President Jimmy Carter, who has embarked on a Middle
East trip in the course of which he will also meet with some
political leaders of Hamas, was denied entry to the Gaza Strip. He
had already met with a local Hamas leader in Ramallah on Tuesday.
His reception in Israel on Sunday had already been frosty - the
White House also criticized Carter's planned meetings with
representatives of Hamas as "not very helpful" in the attempt to
isolate Hamas. [ORF online; other Austrian media]

Putin Secures His Power Base

7. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has paved the way for his
transfer to the office of Prime Minister. He has accepted the offer
of the Kremlin party "Unified Russia" to take over its chairmanship
with "extended responsibilities" - a move which will give Putin a
broad power base at the expense of his successor. The future
President Medvedev is not in a position to make any decisions
without Putin's consent. [Der Standard, p. 5]
Kilner