VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #2849/01 3301348
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261348Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9055
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 002849 
 
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 26, 2007 
 
Military's Chad Mission Delayed 
 
¶1. The departure of the Austrian Army contingent's advance party to 
Chad will not take place today, as originally scheduled. The 
Commander of the Austrian unit, which will participate in 
peacekeeping and humanitarian aid efforts in the African state, Lt. 
Gen. Guenther Hoefler, said the delay was brought about by the fact 
that several international contingents are currently being deployed 
to the area. The Austrian troops' transport by air needed to be 
coordinated with other nations first, he added. 
Reporting on the delayed deployment of part of the Austrian 
military's contingent to Chad, where the soldiers will participate 
in international peacekeeping efforts, mass-circulation tabloid 
Kronen Zeitung points out that "the 18-strong Austrian advance team 
is 'ready to go' to Africa." The unit's Commander, Lt. Gen. Hoefler, 
denies that Austrian shortfalls were the reason for the delayed 
departure. He underscored that "in fact, the EU's command staff has 
asked to postpone the troops' deployment for bureaucratic reasons." 
Thus, the Hercules transport aircraft with the advance team will 
depart for Chad next week. 
 
 
Wanted: Arabs from Linz 
 
¶2. ... headlined a leading Austrian daily, and explained that prior 
to their deployment to Iraq, US solders are learning in a training 
village in Bavaria about how to approach Muslims correctly. Some of 
the "walk-on jobs" have been given to Austrian citizens. 
According to a report by centrist daily Die Presse, the casting 
agency of German security firm DSS is also turning to Austria to 
hire "extras" to play the roles of Muslim inhabitants in the 
military's training village near the Bavarian community of 
Grafenwoehr. At the model Iraqi village in Germany, the US troops 
are "learning about Arab mentality and culture," Benjamin Reinhardt, 
the head of the casting firm explained. He added that since the 
1980s, such trainings have been carried out for missions in every 
crisis region," dismissing as "incomprehensible" some Upper 
Austrians' misgivings about what they are describing as "war 
castings." For three weeks, and in the heart of Bavaria, the 
walk-ons are playing the roles of Iraqi civilians - from grocers 
selling fruit to the local police chief, imam or the village's 
mayor. The US troops are learning how to negotiate with these 
"locals," and how to respond correctly and prudently in a variety of 
situations, including protests and demonstrations: "We are trying to 
be as real-life as possible," after all, "many of the soldiers have 
never been in contact with a foreign culture," Reinhardt points out. 
 
 
 
Muzicant Wins Majority in Jewish Community Vote 
 
¶3. Ariel Muzicant's Atid List has won the majority in Sunday's 
elections to the board of Austria's Jewish Community (IKG), securing 
slightly over 41 percent, or ten seats in the 24-seat Jewish 
Community Council. Thus, Muzicant's re-election as the President of 
the Jewish Community is considered as good as certain, Austrian 
media say, independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten 
reports. 
 
 
Interview with Ambassador McCaw 
 
¶4. Outgoing US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw gave the final in a 
series of PAS-facilitated press interviews to a major 
mass-circulation Austrian daily. The "much-liked Ambassador," who is 
returning to the United States for personal reasons, is leaving 
Austria "with sadness," the daily writes. Asked about US-Austrian 
bilateral relations, Ambassador McCaw stressed that the 
"relationship is very good. Economically, with about 10 billion in 
investment, it is as good as never before." At the political level, 
cooperation between Vienna and Washington has also been "good," 
although there have been "some challenging issues," such as the 
OMV's planned gas deal with Iran, Ambassador McCaw noted. 
On November 25, mass-circulation daily Kurier published the final in 
a series of PAS-facilitated press interviews with outgoing US 
Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw. One of the highlights of her 
ambassadorship, McCaw said, was the visit to Austria of US President 
George Bush on the occasion of the US-EU summit in Vienna during 
Austria's EU presidency in 2006 - the first time in 27 years that a 
US President visited Austria. Although cooperation between Austria 
and the US is "good, there were some challenges," such as the 
Austrian OMV's planned Iranian gas deal: "We discussed this both 
with the Austrian government and with OMV. The deal is not illegal, 
is does not break any rules. However, we very seriously want a 
diplomatic solution with Iran, not a military one." Asked whether 
sanctions could prevent a potential military operation against Iran, 
the Ambassador pointed to South Africa and Libya, "where sanctions 
did work. We do not know the psychology of the Iranian regime, but 
we need to exploit all options before moving in the direction of a 
military solution. These (options) include economic sanctions and 
economic incentives." When the OMV deal was concluded, "Iran boasted 
about it. That is why the deal was so unfortunate." On how her time 
in Austria had changed her point of view: "I learned that in 
diplomacy, it is more important than ever to go and reach out (to 
people). It is not enough to talk with fellow ambassadors. You need 
to listen and engage in discussions." 
 
 
Letter to the Editor 
 
¶5. Austria's largest mass-circulation daily published a letter to 
the editor by US Embassy Vienna's Charg d'Affaires Scott Kilner 
expressing  "strong concern and regret over a November 11 column on 
US Ambassador-designate Charles Gargano," which was written by the 
newspaper's New York correspondent, Hans Janitschek. The Charg 
pointed out that among the key elements prompting the response to 
the correspondent's column were the facts that the daily is "one of 
the most widely-read in Austria and one with which the US Embassy 
has always had good relations." 
Mass-circulation tabloid Kronen Zeitung published a letter to the 
editor by Charg d'Affaires Scott Kilner in response to a recent 
negative column in the newspaper about Ambassador-designate Charles 
Gargano. The United States, Kilner stressed, "is a strong supporter 
of press freedom," but the column in question "has nothing to do 
with serious journalism.  It unfairly defames an outstanding 
American public servant, who served for 12 years as Chairman of the 
New York State Economic Development Corporation and as Commissioner 
of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, with responsibility 
for rebuilding 'Ground Zero' in Manhattan." Moreover, Mr. 
Janitschek's article is "simply wrong about several supposed 
'facts,'" Kilner continues, and explains: "There is no court case by 
New York Governor Eliott Spitzer against Mr. Gargano. Mr. Gargano 
was never proposed as ambassador to the Italian government. There 
has been no Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing yet on his 
nomination." The Charg emphasized the Embassy's "desire to continue 
a professional relationship with a paper as important as the Kronen 
Zeitung." 
 
 
Charles Gargano: Case Dismissed 
 
¶6. ... says a mass-circulation daily, reporting that an inquiry into 
alleged incorrect financial practices within the Empire State 
Development Corporation against US Ambassador-designate Charles 
Gargano was dismissed. After two years, investigations were 
abandoned, the case was closed, and no charges ever filed. 
Mass-circulation daily Kurier published a portrait of US 
Ambassador-designate Charles Gargano, who "loves Europe," according 
to John Cahill, the former chief of staff of New York Governor 
George Pataki. Cahill underscored that "US President George Bush's 
nomination of Gargano as the new US Ambassador to Austria was a 
fantastic idea." It was former New York Governor Pataki, who, at the 
beginning of his term of office, appointed Ambassador Gargano, "the 
real-estate czar and hobby actor to the post of top business advisor 
for his administration and as CEO of the Empire State Development 
Corporation." After all, the Kurier noted, Gargano was "one of 
Pataki's key campaign fundraisers." Cahill continues: "Gargano is a 
wonderful person; he is charming and has an excellent reputation. 
Moreover, because of his diplomatic skills he has excellent ties and 
contacts among Democrats and Republicans alike." Regarding rumors 
floated in the US media about Gargano's alleged ties with people 
"suspected of deceptive business practices," the daily reports that 
an "inquiry into Gargano's business practices was dropped after two 
years." 
 
 
Run-Up to Annapolis Mideast Peace Conference 
 
¶7. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been holding 
last-minute talks with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to try to 
bring about agreement on a joint document ahead of the Middle East 
peace conference in Annapolis tomorrow. US President George Bush is 
also holding meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert separately at the White House 
today. Yesterday, Syria announced it will be joining the more than 
40 countries expected to attend the conference. The meeting is the 
first large-scale round of talks on Middle East peace in seven 
years, ORF radio early morning news Morgenjournal says. 
 
 
Former PM Sharif Back in Pakistan 
 
¶8. After his return from exile yesterday, former Pakistani Prime 
Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to file nomination papers today 
for general elections scheduled for January 2008. He has said he may 
boycott the election, however, unless President Pervez Musharraf 
ends emergency rule. Pakistani media have meanwhile been floating 
rumors of an alleged clandestine agreement between the two 
"arch-enemies" Sharif and Musharraf, and the Pakistani Chief Public 
Prosecutor Malik Mohammed Qayyum suggested Sharif's participation in 
the January poll is "unlikely," liberal daily Der Standard reports. 
 
Kilner