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P 031435Z AUG 07
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UNCLAS VIENNA 002071 
 
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: August 3, 2007 
 
 
Progress on Minimal Social Security Issue 
 
¶1. The intended implementation of the plan to introduce a minimal 
social security income is taking shape. According to Minister for 
Social Affairs, Erwin Buchinger, who presented a report on the 
current state of the negotiations between the federal government and 
the provinces the project is making progress. Starting 2009, persons 
who are in need of social security assistance, will receive 726 euro 
14 times a year. It is still unclear how many people will benefit 
from the new social security regulations. 
Semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung" reports that the new social 
security program is expected to cost the provinces an additional 100 
million euro per year. The provinces intend to get compensation for 
their expenses from the federal government in the course of the 
financial compensation agreement that is currently negotiated with 
the Ministry of Finance. According to mass circulation tabloid "Neue 
Kronenzeitung," Buchinger has also come forward with the suggestion 
that people with incomes up to about 1,200 euro per month should be 
supported through a raise of the so-called "negative tax" - the 
reimbursement of parts of their social security payments by the tax 
authorities. This plan still has to be negotiated with the coalition 
partner OeVP. 
 
Military Action to Free the Hostages? 
 
¶2. It can no longer be ruled out that the US will start a military 
action to free the South Korean hostages in Afghanistan. In contrast 
to earlier reports, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher 
stated in Washington that "every possible pressure must be exerted 
on the Taliban in order to force them to free the hostages." Boucher 
did not specify the extent of the pressure the US administration was 
willing to exert, but mentioned "potential military means." This 
seems to contradict previous statements on the part of Deputy US 
Secretary of State John Negroponte and South Korean Foreign Minister 
 
SIPDIS 
Song Min Soon. In the meantime, South Korea seeks talks with the 
Taliban. [ORF online; Oe1 radio morning news] 
 
 
US Wants Stronger UN Role in Iraq 
 
¶3. The US and Britain favor a stronger UN mandate in Iraq. A joint 
resolution draft, which was circulated on Wednesday, provides for a 
considerably extended mandate. So far, the UNAMI (United Nations 
Assistance Mission for Iraq) has been chiefly restricted to support 
and advisory roles with regard to election procedures, human rights 
and humanitarian issues. The new mandate will be more political - it 
will include conflict management on the regional and national 
levels. 
Independent daily "Der Standard" reports on a plan put forward by US 
Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalizad, who envisions a stronger 
mediator role for the UN in matters of border security and energy 
supplies. However, UNAMI is also supposed to be more involved in the 
redrafting of the Iraqi constitution - there, its role had been 
marginalized by the US in the course of the 2005 constitutional 
process. The outcome was a highly deficient text which now has to be 
repaired, analyzes the daily. The UNAMI has to choose a new 
leadership in the fall when its present head Ashraf Qazi withdraws - 
according to "Der Standard," the US is already trying to influence 
the choice of a successor. The latest US plans for a new UN role in 
the pacification of Iraq is very critically seen by senior editor 
for independent daily "Der Standard" Gudrun Harrer:  "If the US is 
now ready to agree to a separate UN role, this is not because it is 
following genuine multilateral impulses, but because it wants to 
share the disaster with someone at least. It would be interesting to 
learn whether the US and Britain really believe that the UN is 
capable of saving the sinking ship, or whether their strategy is 
simply "devil-may-care." ... No, there is no reason for mockery. 
Everybody wishes that the UN will make the miracle happen:  Start a 
national dialogue, establish institutions, and organize regional 
support. The question of whether it would have been capable of this 
if it had been granted a real role earlier remains unanswered. It is 
questionable. However, it could hardly have done a worse job than 
the US." 
 
Palestinian State Closer 
 
¶4. In the controversy around a separate Palestinian state, Israel 
and the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank are coming closer to 
each other. Israel's Prime Minster Ehud Olmert has proposed a joint 
declaration where the principles underlying a future Palestinian 
state are defined. This was made public by US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice during her visit at Ramallah in the West Bank. 
Hamas accused Rice of wanting to "pit the two Palestinian parties 
against each other and thus support the Zionist occupation." 
While there is a rapprochement between Israel and Palestinian 
President Abbas, the Hamas is increasing their weapons arsenal in 
the Gaza Strip with Iran's help, writes centrist daily "Die Presse." 
So far, the Hamas is excluded from the international peace efforts - 
which is the reason why the Saudis only hesitatingly agreed to 
attend the Middle East peace conference in the fall, which was 
initiated by US President Bush. The daily points out that the new 
special envoy of the Middle East group consisting of the US, the UN, 
EU and Russia, Tony Blair, is planning a conference focusing on the 
issue of business cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis. 
When Blair paid his courtesy call on Israel's Prime Minister, he 
also raised the issue of a tunnel that would connect the Gaza Strip 
with the West Bank and would not just create numerous jobs, but also 
advance the inner-Palestinian reconciliation process. 
 
Pressure on Sarkozy Because of Libyan Deal 
 
¶5. There is mounting pressure on the French government on account of 
the alleged secret agreements and weapons deals with Libya in 
connection with the liberation of five Bulgarian nurses and one 
doctor from a Libyan prison. On Thursday, the Socialist opposition 
and the conservative government party UMP demanded that the facts 
around the agreements be made public. On Wednesday, the daily "Le 
Monde" had reported on a statement made by Gaddafi's son, who 
claimed that the agreements with France on weapons supplies had been 
instrumental in the liberation of the prisoners. 
In the meantime, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has denied the 
conclusion of weapons deals with Libya, stating that there had been 
no agreements for military cooperation between France and Libya, 
reports semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung." This was confirmed by 
his Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, although he admitted that 
there was always a "small hidden aspect" in prolonged negotiations 
of the kind that took place between France and Libya, writes ORF 
online. The weapons deals mentioned in the French press were already 
rather concrete:  They ranged from rocket-propelled grenades to the 
modernization of the Libyan bombers of the type "Mirage -F1." 
Kouchner did not rule out that further agreements with Libya are in 
the making, aside from the agreement about the civilian use of 
nuclear energy. This agreement already caused severe disagreements 
within the EU with Sarkozy being heavily criticized for his 
go-it-alone policy. 
Kilner