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P 101333Z AUG 07
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UNCLAS VIENNA 002113 
 
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DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR YVETTE SAINT-ANDRE 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: August 10, 2007 
 
 
Wabl Appointed Climate Representative 
 
¶1. Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer of the Social Democrats (SPOe) has 
appointed Green Party politician Andreas Wabl as his personal 
representative for climate issues. Gusenbauer said Wabl will oversee 
projects to combat climate change and manage special funds allocated 
by the coalition government for environmental protection issues. The 
OeVP and the opposition parties FPOe and BZOe have harshly 
criticized the Chancellor's move. Criticism of Wabl's appointment 
has also come from Gusenbauer's own party, the SPOe. 
Semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung writes that while discussing the 
appointment of Andreas Wabl from the Greens as his personal climate 
representative, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer (SPOe) pointed out that 
in the past ambitious targets had been set for greenhouse gas 
emission reductions, but they had been poorly implemented. 
Gusenbauer added that his coalition partners in the People's Party 
(OeVP) had not been consulted about Wabl's appointment since "the 
position was entirely my responsibility." The 56 year old Wabl is a 
founding member of the Greens Party in Austria and a former MP. 
Wabl's previous engagement in climate policy was very ambitious, 
according to Gusenbauer, who stressed that Wabl was quite competent 
in environment and climate matters. All other Austrian media also 
report on the issue, emphasizing that the Chancellor's decision was 
met with harsh criticism, not only from the Social Democrats' 
coalition partner OeVP, the opposition parties FPOe and BZOe, but 
also from within the SPOe itself. In an interview with 
mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich, Wabl says that "hopefully, the 
Chancellor's efforts will trigger a dynamism, which might even give 
support to others responsible for climate issues, as for example 
Environment Minister Josef Proell. There's a lot on the agenda, but 
with the assistance of experts, and an excellent team, we will be 
able to do much." 
 
 
Interview with Gabi Burgstaller 
 
¶2. Leader of the Salzburg provincial Social Democrats and SPOe 
deputy leader Gabi Burgstaller in an interview with a leading 
Austrian daily criticizes what she describes as the coalition 
parties' "petty wars." 
In an interview with centrist daily Die Prese, SPOe deputy leader 
and Salzburg Governor Gabi Burgstaller says she had expected the 
grand coalition "to be much more focused on goals and objectives. 
Just like the Austrian people, I have no appreciation for the many 
petty wars and squabbles." However, "when it comes to the really big 
issues, there usually is [cooperation], as for example on the double 
budget for 2007 and 2008. So, all the coalition partners would have 
to do after summer recess is to cut back on the squabbling and get 
some serious work done." Asked about a first-past-the-post voting 
system, Burgstaller suggested there were "very interesting 
discussions about it. Any democratic system should be scrutinized 
closely from time to time. Personally, I have always preferred the 
broadest possible cooperation of all forces, but more often than not 
that is just plain theory. In reality, the majority (of parties and 
groups) would rather emphasize how they differ from others." 
 
 
No State of Emergency in Pakistan 
 
¶3. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has rejected calls to 
declare emergency powers, and wants Pakistan's elections to go ahead 
as planned. There has been growing speculation Musharraf was 
considering declaring a state of emergency after he called off a 
visit to Afghanistan earlier this week. Pakistan is currently facing 
an increasingly volatile security situation, as well as internal 
political problems. US President George Bush has meanwhile urged 
Pakistan to hold free and fair elections. 
ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal quotes US President 
George Bush, who was pleased at President Musharraf's announcement 
rejecting calls to declare emergency powers, and to go ahead with 
the Pakistani elections as planned: "My focus in terms of the 
domestic scene there is that they have a free and fair election, and 
that's what we've been talking with [Musharraf] about and hopefully 
they will," the US President said. Centrist daily Die Presse in an 
analysis suggests that the Pakistani "rulers cannot shake off the 
Islamic ghosts any more." The "military's control of the country's 
political life engendered resistance, including that of radical 
Islamist" groups, the daily says. Following the siege of the Red 
Mosque in Islamabad, Pervez Musharraf has "become himself 
increasingly isolated. Nevertheless, the situation offers the chance 
for a formation of a coalition of anti-Jihadist forces in Pakistan, 
which would have to include the country's generals and democratic 
parties." After all, Musharraf can "bank on the support of the 
people, who are opposed to a further Islamization of the country." 
Still, the Presse warns, it remains to be seen whether Pakistan has 
not already embarked on a course eventually leading to an Iraq-like 
situation." 
 
 
Earlier Passenger Information Checks 
 
¶4. The US Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it 
is changing its handling of aviation security: For international 
flights, air carriers flying to and from the United States will have 
to provide passenger manifest information 30 minutes prior to 
departure, which will then be checked against watch lists. 
Previously, the US government was not receiving that information 
until planes were en route. According to DHS Secretary Michael 
Chertoff, the new regulation will give US Customs and Border 
Protection authorities more time to check names, says ORF radio 
early morning news Morgenjournal. 
 
 
Gadhafi's Son Says Medics Were Tortured 
 
¶5. The son of Libya's leader, Seif al-slam Gadhafi, has said the 
six medics from Bulgaia and Palestine, who were imprisoned for 
allegely deliberately infecting children in Libya with HV, were 
tortured in captivity. Gadhafi told al Jzeera televsion that 
Libyan investigators had totured the medics with electric shocks 
and had theatened to target their families.  However, he dened his 
country would face legal action for mistrating the medics, 
according to independent provicial daily [Salzburger Nachrichten. 
Kilner