VZCZCXYZ0017
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #3373/01 3241550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201550Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5596
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 003373 
 
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: November 20, 2006 
 
 
Is Schuessel Planning Coalition Rerun? 
 
¶1. Austrian media speculate that Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel may 
be planning a continuation of the OeVP-FPOe coalition. Following his 
"amicable" talks with Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache 
last week, the Conservatives could be exploring the possibility of 
forming a three-party government with the FPOe and the BZOe, should 
the grand coalition with the SPOe fall through. 
Like several Austrian media, mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich 
speculates about a potential "OeVP-FPOe coalition comeback," 
following a meeting last week between Chancellor Wolfgang Schuesssl 
and Freedom Party boss Heinz-Christian Strache. While Interior 
Minister Liese Prokop stated that the OeVP had "a lot more in common 
with the FPOe" that with the Social Democrats on a number of issues, 
such as Austria's immigration policy, both party leaders have tried 
to downplay their "amicable" meeting as "nothing out of the 
ordinary." The Schuessel-Strache one-on-one has nevertheless boosted 
speculation that the  Chancellor and his party could be working 
behind the scenes toward re-establishing an OeVP-FPOe-BZOe 
government. BZOe leader Peter Westhenthaler has said such a 
coalition would be "an interesting project." While some OeVP 
representatives are reportedly "relieved" about their party's 
rapprochement with the Freedom Party and the BZOe, the Social 
Democrats are watching developments with considerable suspicion. 
 
 
OeVP Finance Minister? 
 
¶2. The post of finance minister would be a  key position in a grand 
coalition, both the SPOe and the OeVP emphasized in recent weeks. 
SPOe secretary general Norbert Darabos said on ORF TV that an OeVP 
Finance Minister was "conceivable" for the Social Democrats - "as 
long as it is not Karl-Heinz Grasser." 
Speaking on ORF TV's Sunday night panel discussion program Offen 
gesagt, SPOe secretary general Norbert Darabos said that, for a 
grand coalition, his party was willing to compromise on some key 
portfolios including the finance minister's, provided the OeVP's 
choice was not incumbent Karl-Heinz Grasser. According to ORF online 
news, however, Grasser as finance minister does not appear to be a 
basic condition for the OeVP, either. The Conservatives could 
therefore be willing to "sacrifice" Grasser in return for keeping 
the highly important ministry of finance. 
 
 
Interview with Ambassador McCaw 
 
¶3. US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw gave an interview to the 
online version of a leading Austrian daily, discussing US President 
George Bush's past six years in office, possible mid-term election 
fallout, and the 2008 US presidential elections. 
In an interview published in liberal daily Der Standard online, US 
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw says the "Bush presidency has been 
marked by the war on terror. Of course, terrorism existed before 
President Bush assumed office, but September 11 had far-reaching 
consequences on his term of office, and on our country. It has 
changed the way we see the world."  Marked by 9/11 and terrorism, 
President Bush's presidency will in time been remembered for his 
commitment to facing these threats, Ambassador McCaw explains, 
adding that it will "take generations to understand the impact of 
President Bush's strategic leadership." The mid-term elections were 
a "call on the part of the American people for a government that 
works with both parties in Congress, something that is not out of 
the ordinary for the US."  On "shooting star" Barack Obama, the 
Ambassador says that is would be "fantastic to have an African 
American as US president. It says a lot about our country. I believe 
he is a very capable, qualified young man." 
For full interview in German go to : http://derstandard.at/ ? 
Politik ? International ? USA ? "Ein Afro-Amerikaner als Praesident 
waere grossartig" 
 
 
Former US Ambassador Presents New Book 
 
¶4. Former US Ambassador to Austria Swanee Hunt has presented her new 
book, the autobiographical Half-Life of a Zealot, in which she 
reveals details about her ambassadorship in Vienna. 
Mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich in its Life&Day supplement 
reports on the presentation in New York recently of former US 
Ambassador to Austria Swanee Hunt's autobiography. Following her 
ambassadorship in Austria, Hunt has emerged as a leading figure in 
the global movement for boosting women's rights, the paper says. 
She is also said to have good chances for a career in politics, the 
tabloid speculates: Hunt has been suggested as a candidate for a top 
cabinet position, should Hillary Clinton succeed in making it to the 
Oval Office, according to Oesterreich. In her book, Hunt discusses 
her career as Ambassador in Austria, her encounters with a number of 
leading Austrians at that time, and her commitment to women's 
rights, among other topics. 
 
 
Saddam Trial Flawed? 
 
¶5. A leading human rights organization says the trial of former 
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was flawed and that the death sentence 
should be set aside. Human Rights Watch released an extensive report 
after ten months of observation. 
ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal says a recent report by 
Human Rights Watch claims the Saddam Hussein trial was flawed. The 
international human rights group says the flaws include the regular 
failure to disclose key evidence to the defense in advance, and 
violations of the basic right of the defense to confront prosecution 
witnesses. A spokesperson for Human Rights Watch is quoted as saying 
it was a "fundamental misstep to put the burden of conducting this 
complex, highly-charged trial onto the backs of judges and lawyers 
who did not have the experience for conducting these kinds of 
trials." The Iraqi government responded by saying the trial had been 
open and fair. 
 
 
New Iraq Strategy? 
 
¶6. An Austrian tabloid says the Bush administration could be 
contemplating a change of course in its Iraq strategy: Allegedly, 
the US is going to attempt a last concerted effort to stabilize the 
country, before it begins to withdraw its troops. 
Mass-circulation tabloid Kronen Zeitung says Washington's revised 
strategy for Iraq includes:  Deploying an additional 20,000 US 
troops to the country to support the 140,000 already stationed there 
in securing order in Baghdad after four years of chaos, after which 
the US would withdraw; holding a regional peace conference with the 
participation of neighboring states Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran and 
Jordan, aimed at pacifying these countries' borders with Iraq and at 
dissolving the private armies operating in Iraq supported mainly by 
Syria and Iran; and allocating an additional $60 billion for the 
build-up of Iraq's military, which - according to the Kronen Zeitung 
- is key to setting up an authoritarian military government as an 
alternative to the current corrupt civilian administration. 
 
 
Moscow Heading for WTO Membership 
 
¶7. At the APEC summit in Vietnam, Russia and the US signed an 
agreement aimed at securing Moscow's membership in the World Trade 
Organization. The "historic" deal has brought Russia a lot closer to 
reaching its goal of joining the WTO. 
Austrian media reporting on the APEC summit in Vietnam say that 
although it is not clear at this point when exactly Russia will join 
the WTO, after signing a bilateral agreement on the issue with the 
US, the deal is nonetheless a major political success for Vladimir 
Putin. 
Meanwhile, on ORF radio's Morgenjournal, commentator Sybille Rothe 
analyzes the summit: "One issue clearly stood out among the many 
topics on the agenda at the APEC summit: the deadlocked Doha Round. 
Representatives from the Pacific states appealed for a resumption of 
the talks, announcing they would make new concessions regarding the 
cutting of trade barriers in the agrarian sector, and calling on 
their trading partners - including the EU - to support their 
strategy. On the political level, North Korea was at the top of the 
agenda, though the Pacific states only verbally denounced 
Pyongyang's nuclear tests. A disappointing result for US President 
Bush, who ahead of the summit had assumed that a joint resolution on 
the issue would be passed. China and Russia made sure the statement 
on North Korea was not part of the official wrap-up communiqu. The 
two countries want to limit the political pressure on Pyongyang. 
Washington also failed to push its agenda with regard to terrorism: 
there were no new initiatives; merely a commitment to vigilance from 
the participants." 
McCaw