VZCZCXRO0029
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHVI #0506 1021527
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111527Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9989
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0038
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0181
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0140
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 0117

UNCLAS VIENNA 000506 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PTER AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN ALQAEDA HOSTAGES: GAO TURNS TO MUSLIM LEADERS FOR 
MEDIATION 
 
Summary 
------- 
1.(U) The fate of two Austrian tourists abducted in Tunisia in 
February 2008 by an al Qaeda-affiliated group remains unclear.  On 
April 6, another ultimatum by the kidnappers expired.  Shortly 
afterwards a message ascribed to the kidnappers surfaced calling for 
the release of two Austrian Islamists convicted recently by a Vienna 
court.  Austrian authorities believe there is still time to 
negotiate, but otherwise remain tight lipped.  Meanwhile, media 
reports suggest the GOA has also enrolled Muslim leaders inside and 
outside Austria for mediation purposes.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The latest ultimatum by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb 
(AQIM) - the group claiming it had kidnapped the two Austrian 
tourists, Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber, in Tunisia February 22 
- gave Vienna until midnight April 6 to obtain the release of some 
of its members in jails in Tunisia and Algeria.  Two similar 
deadlines had expired March 16 and 23.   Shortly afterwards, the 
group lashed out at Austrian authorities in an internet posting for 
not complying with the group's conditions and noted that "it won't 
be held responsible from now on for the fate of two Austrian 
tourists." 
 
¶4. (U) In a later message, AQIMseemed to drop these earlier demands 
and instead sought the release of a Muslim couple recently sentenced 
to jail in Austria and the withdrawal of Austrian ISAF officers from 
Afghanistan.  The jailed Austrian Islamists, Mohammed Mahmoud had 
been jailed for producing a video threatening Austria and Germany 
with attacks if they didn't withdraw military personnel from 
Afghanistan.   In a statement from jail, Mohammed Mahmoud has 
publicly distanced himself from the kidnappers and his father has 
publicly appealed to the abductors to free the Kloiber and Ebner. 
 
¶5. (U) While generally tight lipped, Austrian authorities expressed 
continued confidence ion recent days that that there was still 
enough time to negotiate the hostages' release.  A small team of 
diplomats and special task force members from Austria have been in 
Bamako, Mali, where the abductors are supposed to have gone into 
hiding, for some time. 
 
¶6. (U) News reports suggest that the Austrian government is also 
relying on mediation efforts by Muslim leaders inside and outside 
the country.  The semi-official "Wiener Zeitung" reported April 10 
that Qatar-based Egyptian Sheik Yussuf al-Qharadwi had claimed in 
the Algerian newspaper "Echorouk" that the Austrian government had 
contacted him indirectly via Islamic communities to work toward the 
release of the Austrian hostages. According to the Austrian daily, 
the head of Austria's Islamic community, Anas Schakfeh, recently 
confirmed to "Echorouk" that "Islamic circles were coordinating 
between the kidnappers and the Austrian government to obtain their 
release." Another prominent Austrian Muslim leader, Vienna SP 
deputy Omar al-Rahwi, reportedly has appealed twice so far to 
kidnappers on the TV station Al Jazeera to release Kloiber and 
Ebner.  In response, MFA spokesman Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal would 
only say that the GOA was working "at all levels" for the cause. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7. (U) The Austrian government and the foreign ministry in 
particular are under considerable public pressure to obtain the 
release of the hostages.  FonMin Plassnik and her ministry were the 
target of considerable public and political criticism when, in late 
March 2008, Austrian Bert Nussbaumer, who had been abducted in Iraq 
in 2006, was confirmed dead. 
 
Kilner, CDA