VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #0350/01 0431231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121231Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6264
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 000350 
 
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: February 12, 2007 
 
Coalition Conflicts 
 
¶1. Controversies and conflicts have been dominating the climate in 
the SPOe/OeVP coalition since it took office a month ago. Any major 
issue seems to have the potential so split the coalition partners: 
privatization, elderly care, pension reform or environmental issues. 
The SPOe suspects the OeVP is pursuing a medium-term exit strategy 
and is contemplating a coalition with the FPOe and the BZOe, 
high-ranking SPOe spokesman Josef Kalina suggests in an interview 
with mass circulation daily "Kurier." OeVP Secretary General Hannes 
Missethon denies this, saying that "instabilities within the SPOe 
leads to this unrest." 
 
Eurofighter Committee Resumes Investigation 
 
¶2. The Eurofighter committee resumes its work and will interrogate 
on Monday and Tuesday all the prominent members of the government in 
2002, when the Eurofighter decision was made. Among them are former 
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel and his Vice Chancellor Susanne 
Riess-Passer from the FPOe, as well as former Minister of Defense 
Herbert Scheibner (formerly FPOe, now BZOe) and former FPOe 
floorleader and now BZOe boss Peter Westenthaler. The interrogation 
will focus on the rationale behind the decision in favor of the 
Eurofighter - why the former Minister of Defense preferred a 
different plane, the Gripen, but got the Eurofighter instead - and 
the exploration of possible contacts between the former members of 
the government with the Eurofigher producer EADS. 
 
Gusenbauer Criticizes EU 
 
¶3. The complaint filed by the EU Commission against Austrian quotas 
for medical students from the EU and especially from Germany, where 
access to medical studies is restricted, has prompted criticism from 
Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, who pointed out that Austria 
and Germany had already come to a bilateral agreement. The EU is too 
eager to interfere into issues that are none of its business, 
criticized Gusenbauer and added that this was a main reason for 
growing EU skepticism. 
 
 
Plassnik Says Rice To Visit 
 
¶4. Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Ursula 
Plassnik gave an interview to centrist daily "Die Presse," in which 
she announced her plans for an international Middle East women's 
conference in which US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will 
participate as well. 
A concrete date for the Middle East women's conference has not yet 
been set, but it is planned to take place in Vienna this year. 
Plassnik said that she already had confirmations from the US 
Secretary of State and Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and 
 
SIPDIS 
that she was in contact with many women in the Arab world. Women are 
important when it comes to creating peace, the Austrian Minister for 
European and International Affairs pointed out - they hold society 
together and are particularly affected by wars and postwar 
reconstruction. "Therefore, they should also be sitting at the 
negotiation table," Plassnik said. That would also apply to current 
negotiations over Kosovo. With regard to these negotiations, 
Plassnik indicated a readiness to forge a compromise with Serbia and 
mentioned that Mladic's extradition might no longer be a 
precondition for Serbia's negotiations with the EU. With regard to 
the Iran conflict, the Minister referred to the clear line the 
international community was pursuing. Iran would be well-advised to 
take up the offer made to it in Vienna in 2006. However, Washington 
also should consider engaging in dialogue with the Iranians, 
recommended Plassnik. On the issue of US-Iran disagreement, she 
recommended integrating Iran into multinational forums for the 
discussion of regional security problems. With regard to the 
Declaration of Mecca and prospects for peace in the Middle East, 
Plassnik favors a policy of "positive dynamism":  The new 
Palestinian agreement should be evaluated in an open-minded manner, 
but without the EU going overboard and financing a war among 
Palestinians or hostile actions against Israel. 
 
 
Frosty Winds From Moscow 
 
¶5. At the 43rd Security Conference in Munich, Russia's President 
Vladimir Putin gave a controversial speech reminiscent of pre-1989 
days, saying the so-called monopolar world order encouraged an arms 
race and had nothing to do with democracy, was morally and ethically 
wrong and did not reflect economic reality. He particularly rejected 
erection of a missile defense system in Poland and the deployment of 
NATO "advance troops" in Bulgaria and Romania. All this was forcing 
Russia to step up its armament program, Putin said. His speech was 
sharply criticized by many Western participants, including Senator 
John McCain. 
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called Putin's speech 
"not helpful" and is "disappointed," quotes independent daily "Der 
Standard." New Pentagon boss Robert Gates is convinced that "one 
Cold War was quite enough." At the Munich conference, among the 
issues discussed were Afghanistan., where the Taliban are once again 
on the rise; Darfur - an issue higher on the American agenda than on 
the European one; China's engagement in Africa, which the paper 
calls "a greed-driven quest for resources"; and climate change, 
which was on the agenda of the conference for the first time this 
year. 
 
Iran Warns Against US "Adventures" 
 
¶6. In an interview with mass circulation daily "Kurier," Iran's 
chief negotiator Ali Larijani called on the US not to "engage in 
adventures on our doorstep." The problems between the US and Iran 
could be settled quietly, Larijani emphasized and pointed out that 
Iran's nuclear activities were all conducted under the supervision 
of the IAEA. The possibility of a military attack by US he rated 
low, adding that "Iran was preparing itself for various scenarios" 
and that an Iranian reaction to a possible US attack would be "very 
painful." 
Asked by "Kurier" to comment on the IAEA decision to freeze almost 
half of the Iranian nuclear programs for the technical support of 
Iran, Larijani pointed out that the decision was based not on the 
conditions outlined by the IAEA, but on pressure from the UN 
Security Council. This way of dealing ultimately discredited the 
international organizations, Larijani said, adding that Iran was 
among the few who signed the Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (NPT). On 
sanctions, Larijani affirmed that, painful as they were, his country 
was prepared to handle them. Iran had managed to survive sanctions 
before, and still develop modern technologies. Further, Larijani 
dismissed the US anti-terror strategy, asking rhetorically whether 
"the terror attacks have been diminished as a consequence [of that 
strategy] or have they increased?" Finally, he referred to Iran's 
good relations with European countries, where there exist good 
economic connections which the US will not be able to undermine 
through pressure. "In the final analysis, every country looks after 
its own interests," concludes Larijani. 
 
Obama's Bid for the White House 
 
¶7. Major Austrian print media analyze the chances of Democratic 
Presidential contender Barack Obama to become America's first 
African-American President in 2008. The assessment ranges from 
skeptical (centrist dialy "Die Presse") to positive. 
Washington correspondent for "Die Presse" Norbert Rief believes the 
dream of an African-American President in the White House will 
remain a dream - at least for 2008. The fact that he is black will 
not help Obama, for even in the "politically over-correct" US, skin 
color still plays a role - black candidates generally do better in 
the polls due to the fact that people are afraid of appearing 
racist, than they do in the actual elections, Rief points out. He 
also refers to Obama's lack of political experience - so far, he has 
only served 2 years in the Senate. The decisive question will be 
whether the Democrats consider Obama a candidate people will vote 
for. Rief believes American voters will not vote much differently in 
2008 than in the polarized atmosphere three years ago. Any Democrat 
will have to convince Republican voters with his values. Obama is in 
favor of controlling weapons, and he is pro-abortion. For many 
Americans these are the only issues that count. 
Thomas Spang of "Salzburger Nachrichten" points to Obama's 
magnetism, his ability to capture and hold a large audience. Thanks 
to this enthusiasm, which Obama is able to inspire in his followers, 
his team wants to turn into a movement from below that will carry 
the "exceptional politician" right to the top. The daily rates high 
Obama's chances of becoming the first African-American President of 
the US, while at the same time cautioning against too much optimism. 
With every percentage point in the polls, pressure on Obama will 
grow. 
McCaw