VZCZCXYZ0029
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #3011/01 2841252
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111252Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5189
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 003011 
 
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: KPAO AU OPRC
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: October 11, 2006 
 
 
All Geared Up For Negotiations 
 
¶1. On Wednesday, Federal President Heinz Fischer will officially 
authorize SPOe Boss Alfred Gusenbauer to form a government, allowing 
formal coalition negotiations between SPOe and OeVP to begin. Both 
parties have already nominated their teams. Mass circulation daily 
"Kurier" reports that, whereas the SPOe has nominated all four of 
its provincial governors, the OeVP team contains only two of theirs: 
 Erwin Prll, Provincial Governor of Lower Austria, and Josef 
P|hringer, Provincial Governor of Upper Austria. In addition, the 
OeVP has three ministers in its negotiation team: Foreign Minister 
Ursula Plassnik, Minister for Health Maria Rauch-Kallat, and 
Minister of Finance Karl-Heinz Grasser. Not in the negotiation team 
is Minister of Agriculture Josef Prll, who is said to be in line 
for the position of Vice-Chancellor and next OeVP boss. Instead, he 
is head of a group that was formed to discuss the future party line 
and identify future perspectives. The OeVP is determined to stick to 
its policy of limiting debt and wants its tax and pension reform 
preserved in a possible grand coalition. Also, it opposes the SPOe 
initiative to investigate the Eurofighter deal 
 
Bawag Scandal:  Elsner Not Dangerously Ill 
 
¶2. Former Bawag boss Helmut Elsner is apparently not so ill as to 
prevent his extradition to Austria where he will stand trial. The 
French court dealing with the case obtained a medical certificate to 
the effect that Elsner's health allows for his return to Austria. 
Unless new facts are revealed that contradict this medical 
certificate, Elsner's lawyers will not have an easy time trying to 
prevent an extradition, writes ORF online. Elsner's French lawyer 
showed himself "surprised" by the expert opinion and referred to a 
contradictory evaluation by a heart specialist at the hospital La 
Timone, where Elsner underwent examinations. 
 
OeGB Reveals Deficit 
 
¶3. The central organization of trade unions in Austria, OeGB, ran up 
a large deficit in 2005/2006. The latest figures revel a 2005 
deficit of more than 38 percent.  There are no exact figures for 
2006 yet, but it is expected that the deficit will also be high. It 
is said that the deficit could have been even higher than it 
actually is - that was prevented by using up reserves and by taking 
measures such as selling the OeGB management headquarters in the 
center of Vienna, reports ORF radio morning news. 
 
EU's CIA Committee Levels Charges Against Austria 
 
¶4. The "CIA committee" of the European Union, which is investigating 
charges of US secret prisons on EU territory, has leveled charges 
against Austria. In the case of a Sudanese citizen who lives in 
Austria, the authorities allegedly cooperated with US and Jordanian 
intelligence.  Masaad Omar Behari testified before the CIA 
investigation committee of the European Parliament with regard to 
his arrest in Jordan and subsequent physical and psychological 
torture, writes semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung." The alleged 
goal of his arrest and torture was to extract from him information 
about an Al-Qaida terror cell in Vienna and about various mosques. 
Behari spent three months in prison during which he was subjected to 
different kinds of torture and was not allowed to contact either his 
family or a lawyer. According to Otmar Lahodynsky, a "Profil" 
journalist who likewise testified before the committee, the 
questions that Behari had to answer lead to the conclusion that 
Austrian authorities cooperated with US or Jordan intelligence 
services. 
 
End of EU Secrecy 
 
¶5. The controversial EU practice of holding secret ministerial 
meetings is about to come to an end. Starting November, it will be 
possible for every EU citizen to watch most of the meetings via 
internet. This new regulation is the result of an initiative brought 
forward by the Austrian EU presidency. Its goal is to counteract the 
widespread impression among EU citizens that the organization is not 
sufficiently transparent, writes centrist daily "Die Presse." Not 
just the full debate will be shown in the future; it will also be 
revealed how the individual ministers voted in the Council. Summit 
meetings with heads of state and government as well as the meetings 
of EU ambassadors, who prepare many ministerial decisions, will 
remain inaccessible to the public. 
 
North Korea:  Confusion About Alleged Second Test 
 
¶6. Rumors of a second nuclear test in North Korea have been rejected 
by the governments of Japan and South Korea. The US administration 
also said there was no confirmation of a second test. All Austrian 
media report extensively on the North Korean nuclear test that took 
place on Monday. Independent daily "Der Standard" quotes a North 
Korean official, who indicated that his country might fire a nuclear 
bomb "unless the situation can be cleared up before an unfortunate 
incident happens." The US plays a central role in this latest 
development, the official was quoted as saying. He added that his 
country wanted security above all else. North Korea was prepared to 
give up its nuclear program in exchange for direct talks with the 
US. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is debating about possible 
sanctions, which may include an arms embargo and stopping all trade 
with "dual use" goods, as well as with military material or luxury 
goods. Japan has announced that it will remain abstemious with 
regard to nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Shinzu Abe has made clear 
that his country will not join the club of nuclear powers despite 
the heightened threat from North Korea, writes "Die Presse." 
 
Negotiations About Future of Northern Ireland 
 
¶7. Starting Wednesday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his 
Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern will begin negotiations with leading 
representatives of the Protestant and Catholic parties of Northern 
Ireland. Core of the negotiations will be the issue of an autonomous 
provincial government for Northern Ireland.  There is a deadline 
until November 24 for an agreement between the conflicting parties 
in the province, reports ORF online. Until then, an autonomous 
government consisting of Loyalists and Republicans has to be in 
place - otherwise, Northern Ireland will once again be governed 
directly from London. According to semi-official daily "Wiener 
Zeitung," Prime Minister Tony Blair has pointed out that the IRA had 
"done what we demanded." Blair referred to a recent report of the 
respective investigation commission, where it is stated that the 
Irish underground movement has changed fundamentally. Likewise, most 
Loyalist militia have abstained from further actions. The British 
Minister for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, stated that the report 
was to be the basis for a final resolution of the Northern Ireland 
conflict, writes "Wiener Zeitung." 
McCaw