VZCZCXYZ0013
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #2845/01 3271450
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231450Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9050
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UNCLAS VIENNA 002845 
 
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 23, 2007 
 
FPOe Wants Darabos to Resign 
 
¶1. The opposition Freedom Party (FPOe) leader Heinz-Christian 
Strache has called for the resignation of Defense Minister Norbert 
Darabos over the latter's decision to have Austrian soldiers 
deployed to Chad on a peacekeeping mission. Referring to a recent 
internal Defense Ministry report describing the situation in Chad as 
"not quiet and not stable," Strache warned the mission could turn 
out to be "disastrous" for the soldiers. The Freedom Party has been 
lobbying against Austria's particpation in the Chad peacekeeping 
efforts for week. High-ranking Austrian military representativeshave backed Minister Darabos, however, stressing tht the Austrian 
troops will not be deployed to th "hotspots" nearChad's border 
with Sudan, accoring to a report in semi-official daily Wiener 
Zetung; other Austrian media. 
 
 
Sharp Rise in DrugUse 
 
¶2. An annual report on drug use says around .5 million Europeans 
are likely to have used cocine in the past year - a million more 
than in 2006. The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug 
Addiction (EMCDDA) says the increase in cocaine seizures and 
quantities also confirms its status as "Europe's stimulant drug of 
choice." The report also contains some disturbing news on Austria: 
It says deaths from drug overdoses have risen more than 30 percent 
over recent years, stated ORF TV's prime time news Zeit im Bild I on 
Thursday. 
 
 
No Deal on Civil Servants' Pay 
 
¶3. The third round of pay talks between the government and union 
officials for civil servants has ended without a deal. The 
government has described the union's demand for a 4 percent salary 
increase as too high. Finance Minister Wilhelm Molterer (OeVP) also 
said that that a 4 percent increase was exaggerated. Likewise, Doris 
Bures, the Minister for Public Services (SPOe), said the civil 
servants' demand would cost taxpayers an additional 406 million 
Euros, but she added that she was seeking a fair deal with the 
union. Union officials have meanwhile warned they might take action, 
ORF TV's prime time news Zeit im Bild I reported on Thursday. 
 
 
Auf Wiedersehen, Oesterreich! 
 
¶4. ... says outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw in a 
PAS-facilitated op-ed published by Austria's largest daily 
newspaper. The Ambassador's "good-byes to Austria are particularly 
bittersweet. I leave grateful for the time I spent in this beautiful 
and dynamic country and for the new friends I made.  And I leave 
saddened that this rewarding and exciting chapter of my life has 
come to a close." Mass-circulation tabloid Kronen Zeitung published 
a PAS-facilitated op-ed by US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw on 
November 22. Recalling her experiences during the past two years in 
Vienna, Ambassador McCaw pointed out the 2006 U.S. - E.U. Summit, 
where US President George Bush "praised the strength of the 
Austrian-American relationship and then Chancellor Wolfgang 
Schuessel described his far-reaching vision of the trans-Atlantic 
partnership." Among her rewarding experiences in Austria, McCaw 
emphasized, were also the "often lively discussions about American 
foreign policy I had with high school and university students 
throughout Austria.  How we debated the best ways to promote freedom 
and protect the environment." During her ambassadorship, she "tried 
to meet with as many Austrians as possible.  I have spoken with and 
listened to people working in government, academia and the arts, 
with journalists and students, with homemakers, shopkeepers and 
professionals.  With each conversation, I learned a little more 
about Austria, its history, its values, its people." And with each 
conversation, the Ambassador underscored, "it became increasingly 
clear that Austria and the United States have long enjoyed a strong, 
cordial relationship.  It also became clear that despite some 
disagreements, this relationship remains vital today.  We are 
partners in countering terrorism, aiding developing nations, 
building a thriving global economy, and supporting democracies.  And 
because no nation is perfect, there is also much we can learn from 
each other." The very strength of the US-Austrian bilateral 
relationship is based "on our shared values of democracy and human 
rights, on the vibrancy of our increasingly entwined economies, and 
on our mutual understanding and respect. And it has been the 
fostering of mutual understanding and respect" that she considers 
the hallmark of her tenure as Ambassador, and one of the reasons why 
McCaw vigorously promoted "academic and professional exchanges 
between our two countries."   That is why June 5, 2007, was "one of 
the highlights of my ambassadorship." At the celebration of the 60th 
anniversary of the Marshall Plan, "Austrian Minister of Economics 
Martin Bartenstein and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding 
creating the Marshall Plan Scholarships, agreeing that this was "one 
of the best investments Austria and the United States could make to 
help ensure that our respect and friendship for each other will 
continue on for another generation." The past two years, Ambassador 
McCaw concluded, have been "a truly wonderful experience for my 
family and me, (...), and so I say good-bye to Austria.  Thank you 
for your willingness to listen and to engage, for your warmth and 
for your hospitality," the Ambassador said. 
 
 
 
 
Ambassador McCaw on Austria: The Country, the People, her 
Experiences 
 
¶5. In an interview with a mass-circulation weekly, outgoing US 
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw emphasized that during her term of 
office in Austria she "learned to place high esteem on diplomacy, 
the importance of listening to different points of view regarding 
problems that concern all of us. My stay here has made clear to me 
the necessity to talk more with each other and listen more to each 
other." Her "wonderful memories of Austria" include its "unique 
landscapes, the family orientation of the Austrian people and their 
high esteem for art and culture," and the "wonderful concerts and 
museums." In an interview with mass-circulation weekly NEWS, 
published on November 22, US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw, 
asked about criticism of the current US administration, stressed 
that she "never took criticism personally. I am proud to represent 
my country and my administration here. Concerning Iraq, I faced the 
criticism and also the charges that we are not perfect. As the only 
remaining superpower, America is measured by very high standards. 
I'm not saying that is unfair, because we also measure ourselves by 
high standards. However, we are not always perfect in living up to 
them." Discussing the 2008 presidential elections in the US, the 
Ambassador said that she "would welcome a female President very 
much. There are many good role models. Hillary Clinton is not the 
woman I would support, though. I think Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice would be wonderful. Unfortunately, traveling so 
extensively abroad she could not be involved in a stressful election 
campaign at home." 
 
 
Ambassador's Farewell Visit with Austrian Government and Business 
Representatives 
 
¶6. US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw paid her farewell visit to 
Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer (SPOe) earlier this week. 
Briefly reporting on the issue, a mass-circulation newspaper points 
out that McCaw is leaving her post for "personal reasons." The 
Ambassador described her time in Austria as "one of the most 
remarkable and rewarding experiences of her life." She will be 
succeeded by businessman Charles Gargano. On the occasion of the 
farewell meeting between outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan 
McCaw and Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, the latter 
emphasized the United States' role as Europe's "most important 
partner for a united Europe."  According to a report by Austrian 
Press Agency APA, Plassnik underscored that the US and the EU "are 
united by a mature transatlantic partnership, which enables us also 
to discuss openly those topics where we hold differing opinions. 
Close transatlantic cooperation rooted in equality is an integral 
part of our efforts towards sustainable solutions for internationals 
crisis regions, including the Middle East," Plassnik added. The 
Minister praised Ambassador McCaw's public diplomacy commitment to 
further strengthen US-Austrian ties, and emphasized the "long 
friendship" between the two countries, which was "based on the 
energetic and well-remembered American assistance in helping 
Austrians recover their diplomatic freedom and rebuild their economy 
after WWII." 
Economics Chamber President Christoph Leitl also thanked Ambassador 
McCaw for her "interest in and understanding for business matters, 
as well as her target-oriented commitment towards strengthening our 
bilateral economic ties." According to APA, the Ambassador had 
"mastered her tasks in Austria in an exemplary manner and has won 
many friends and a great deal of sympathy for her country," Leitl 
added. 
 
 
Tightened US Immigration Control 
 
¶7. A leading Austrian daily reported on November 21 that the US is 
expanding measures to collect biometric data from international 
travelers. Before the end of the year, all persons entering the 
United States from European Union member countries are to be 
finger-scanned to verify their identify, independent of whether they 
have obtained visas or not. Under the new regime, not only two (as 
currently the case), but all ten fingers are to be scanned. Affected 
by this measure are both persons from the EU's so-called "Visa 
Waiver" countries, as well as travelers from states with visa 
requirements for immigration to the US, according to liberal daily 
Der Standard on November 21. 
 
 
Pakistan Suspended From Commonwealth 
 
¶8. Pakistan has been suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations, 
after President Pervez Musharraf failed to meet a deadline to lift 
the state of emergency. The announcement was made at a meeting of 
Commonwealth foreign ministers in Uganda by Commonwealth Secretary 
General Don McKinnon, who stressed that Pakistan was being suspended 
"pending restoration of democracy and the rule of law." The 
Pakistani Ambassador to the United States has meanwhile underscored 
that any decision of emergency rule was up to Pakistan itself, and 
that the country should "respond to its internal requirements," said 
ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal. 
 
 
Europe: US Military Stays Because of Putin 
 
¶9. ... says a leading Austrian daily in an analysis of the rather 
strained relations between NATO and Russia. Reporting from a 
PAS-facilitated NATO Tour, the daily's security affairs writer 
Burkhard Bischof explains that the Pentagon "has announced it will 
stop the planned reduction of US forces in Europe for the time 
being, because of the 'reemergence of a strong Russia.'" This move 
"is a clear indication" that the US military may be beginning to 
prepare for a new confrontation with Moscow. The United States 
argues that "cooperation with Russia on all critical issues is still 
possible," but behind the scenes in Brussels NATO representatives 
have been "making no secret of their disappointment about Moscow's 
behavior in recent times." Nonetheless, even if Russia is a 
"difficult partner, NATO has no strategic alternative to cooperation 
and continued commitment," and the "good news is: for the Russians 
there is no alternative, either," centrist daily Die Presse quotes 
Bischof. 
McCaw