VZCZCXYZ0013
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #2818/01 3201609
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161609Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9024
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 002818 
 
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: November 16, 2007 
 
Austria Is Destination for Migrants 
 
¶1. According to a report on migration trends by the Austrian Academy 
of Sciences, which was published on Thursday, Austria is an 
important destination for immigrants. The authors of the study warn, 
however, that Austria is not sufficiently aware of this fact and has 
failed to create the necessary conditions for immigration and 
integration. They point out that since their first report in 2003 
immigration has reached record levels. Never before have so many 
immigrants come to Austria in such a short space of time and stayed 
here. 
 
 
Green Light for Wiesenthal Institute 
 
¶2. The Austrian cabinet has given its verbal support to plans for a 
Vienna institute to house the archives of Simon Wiesenthal, the late 
head of Vienna's Jewish Documentation Center. The project, first 
announced in 2006 and backed by Vienna's Jewish Community, the 
Documentation Center of Austria's Resistance and other groups, has 
run into difficulties over money, which could result in documents 
having to be sent to research centers in other countries. Organizers 
estimate setting up the Wiesenthal Institute will cost 10 million 
Euros and running it about 2.5 million Euros annually, semi-official 
daily Wiener Zeitung reports. 
 
 
"There Are Many Issues We Need to Work On, Too" 
 
¶3. ... outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw told a leading 
Austrian daily in an interview. Ambassador McCaw, who will be 
departing her post for personal reasons and returning to the United 
States and her career as an investment banker in late November, 
emphasized she does "not regret" her time and experiences in the 
world of politics. Being the US Ambassador to Austria has "not been 
a mission impossible," she said. In the 2008 US presidential 
elections she is going to support the Republican candidate again. 
She added that personally, she would welcome a female US president, 
but expressed her doubts that it would necessarily have to be 
Hillary Clinton. The Democrats, Ambassador McCaw suggested, would 
have made the same decisions as the Bush administration after the 
9/11 attacks; in a matter as complex and difficult as the fight 
against terrorism, mistakes could hardly have been avoided, she 
stressed. 
In an interview with liberal daily Der Standard online, US 
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw explained that she would 
"certainly support any Republican candidate running for office" in 
the 2008 US presidential elections. The Republican Party is "open 
for a whole range of differing views and approaches; but we share 
some basic values." Regarding the fight against terrorism, she said: 
"The world has changed since 9/11. There is no patent solution for 
the global threat of terrorism. I believe it will become 
increasingly difficult to address such a diffuse threat; and it will 
become increasingly difficult to win this war, because terrorism, 
too, is undergoing a development. I'm not saying it is impossible, 
but it will take time." "We are not a nation that carelessly chooses 
the military option," the Ambassador underscored. McCaw admits that 
in the past few years "mistakes have been made. But I do not believe 
that this has anything to do with the Bush administration.  9/11 
changed the world, and it changed the way we need to pursue our 
policies. This would also have been true under a Democratic 
president. It's a learning process, and we need international 
assistance in order to win the 'war on terror.'" The poor US image 
may partly be a result of the fact that America "is a superpower, 
and people always tend to view those in power with a certain degree 
of skepticism. But I think that the US is often misunderstood. That 
is why it has been one of my top priorities to talk with young 
people in particular, and to invite them to spend some time with us 
(in the United States). The planned Austrian energy provider OMV's 
gas deal with Iran "continues to be an unresolved matter." OMV did 
not break any laws in concluding this deal, "but politically, the 
matter undermines efforts towards achieving a diplomatic solution in 
the nuclear dispute with Iran."  Ambassador McCaw underscored again 
that the United States "definitely does not want military 
intervention against Iran, we want to achieve a diplomatic solution. 
That is why we need to rely on the global community (in this 
matter)." 
 
 
Ambassador McCaw Discusses US Foreign Policy 
 
¶4. In an interview with a prominent regional daily, US Ambassador to 
Austria Susan McCaw looks back on her experiences in Austria, and 
explains key US foreign policy aspects. Asked about critical issues, 
including the Iraqi prison at Abu Ghraib or the detention facility 
at Guantanamo Bay, she said that "the negative incidents (there) are 
truly regrettable, but the persons responsible for events at Abu 
Ghraib have been punished and held accountable. We did not wish for 
the terrorist attacks of September 11 to happen, but we needed to 
respond to them." Regarding the inmates at Guantanamo Bay, the 
Ambassador suggested that "you cannot simply release these people." 
President Bush "has said repeatedly that he wants to close 
Guantanamo," McCaw underscored, adding that "we would welcome more 
support from other countries in this matter."  The Ambassador also 
emphasized how much she enjoyed her time in Austria, saying that she 
is leaving her post early for personal reasons. 
In an interview with Austria's second largest daily Kleine Zeitung, 
outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw emphasized that she 
has "enjoyed Austria very much - the people, skiing, the music! My 
children are crazy about Kaiserschmarrn and Wiener Schnitzel, (...) 
and I will definitely remain a regular guest in Austria." Discussing 
options for the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the 
Ambassador pointed out that US President Bush would prefer closing 
the prison, but that would require some of the inmates being 
relocated elsewhere: "We have discussed the potential admission of 
prisoners with many countries including Austria, but have not 
received a definite answer." On anti-Americanism: "There is a 
certain underlying rejection (of the US) among the public, but I've 
never experienced it as directed against me as a person. The United 
States is the last remaining superpower, and that is regarded with 
mixed feelings. I have always sought dialogue. We are infallible, 
our democracy is not perfect either, but it is certainly worthwhile 
to work on it." McCaw emphasized that she experienced Austria as a 
very dynamic country - in every respect. Particularly in Eastern 
Europe and on the Balkans Austrians have a lot of experience and 
have achieved much. In my opinion, they could act with a lot more 
self-confidence at the international level." 
 
 
Benazir Bhutto Released 
 
¶5. In Pakistan, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been released 
from house arrest, although it has been reported there are still 
dozens of police outside her house in Lahore. She was put under 
detention on Tuesday, ahead of a planned protest march. US State 
Department spokesperson Sean McCormick described Bhutto's release as 
a first positive step." He stressed, however, that other measures, 
primarily the lifting of emergency rule, also need to be undertaken. 
Yesterday, Bhutto ruled out any cooperation with President Pervez 
Musharraf. Meanwhile, Mohammedmian Soomro has been sworn in as 
caretaker Prime Minister ahead of elections next year, which 
President Musharraf says will mark a transition to democracy, says 
ORF online news. 
 
 
Mixed Report on Iran's Nuclear Activities 
 
¶6. The International Atomic Energy Agency has given Iran a mixed 
report on cooperation regarding the country's nuclear program. The 
IAEA says Iran has disclosed more details of past nuclear 
activities, but continues to enrich uranium in violation of the UN 
Security Council resolution. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei 
has warned that the Agency's knowledge of Iran's current nuclear 
activities is diminishing at the same time that Iran has 3,000 
centrifuges enriching uranium. Iran's nuclear negotiator Saeed 
Jalili meanwhile claims that the IAEA report gave his country a 
"clean bill of health." The United States has responded by calling 
for new sanctions against Iran according to a report by ORF radio 
early morning news Morgenjournal. 
McCaw