Cablegate: Austrian Media Highlights: October 17, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: October 17, 2007

More Money for Asylum Cases

1. Austria is to significantly improve its handling of asylum cases,
the government has said. Funds will be released to provide more
staff to process applications for asylum, according to Finance
Minister and Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer of the People's Party
(OeVP). The coalition government has meanwhile set 2010 as the
deadline for the backlog of cases to be cleared.
"More German for immigrants," headlines semi-official daily Wiener
Zeitung, reporting like all Austrian media on the ongoing asylum and
immigration debate in Austria. Interior Minister Guenther Platter
from the People's Party has suggested improving immigration by
doubling to 600 the number of hours immigrants will be required to
take German classes. Experts are warning, however, that such
extended German courses would also result in increasing the
financial burden on immigrants. In contrast, centrist daily Die
Presse quotes experts as welcoming the Interior Minister's proposal
as a "very sensible approach" and a "sensible development." The
OeVP's coalition partner SPOe has meanwhile signaled cautious
approval of Platter's plan. Floor leader for the Social Democrats
Josef Cap said his party "would not say no categorically," but that
their backing also depended on Minister Platter's concrete
proposals.

Government Agreement on Online Searches

2. Following lengthy and tough negotiations, the SPOe-OeVP coalition
government has reached agreement, which will allow Austrian police
to conduct online searches on private computers under certain
conditions. According to Interior Minister Guenther Platter from the
OeVP, such searches would only be permissible in cases of suspicion
of terrorist activities or severe crimes. A joint statement on the
proposal will be presented in today's Council of Ministers.
Independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten, however, points
out that Justice Minister Maria Berger from the SPOe has been
"trying to slow down" efforts at permitting Austrian authorities to
conduct online searches on private computers. She insists that such
measures only be applied in the most severe of cases and if there is
reasonable and probable cause, Berger told the daily. The Minister
also said she does not understand the urgency with which her
colleague Interior Minster Platter wants to push through the
respective law. "The terrorist threat for Austria is not that
imminent; a few weeks more or less won't matter," she argued.

Shakfeh to Step Down

3. The President of Austria's Islamic Community, Anas Shakfeh, has
said he will not seek re-election. At an event on the occasion of
the end of Ramadan, Shakfeh told Austrian President Heinz Fischer
that he plans to retire in late 2008, after the end of his current
term. Shakfeh has been the Islamic Community's President since
1999.
Semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung repots like several Austrian
media that President of Austria's Islamic Community Anas Shakfeh has
announced his retirement at the end of 2008. In a speech, Shakfeh
said he had accomplished much during his term of office. In addition
to the Islamic-Theological Faculty which is planned to open at the
University of Vienna, he referred to the establishment of an Islamic
cemetery, which will open soon. Also, a planned reform of the
Islamic community envisages voting for representatives at all
Austrian mosques said Shakfeh. He concluded that he would prefer a
"younger" representative from the Islamic Community to succeed him.

Ambassador at Museum Dinner

4. US Ambassador to Austria Susan McCaw was among the guests
attending a sponsors' dinner for the Vienna Museum of Fine Arts
earlier this month, which was hosted by Museum Director Wilfried
Seipel. Meanwhile, an Austrian tabloid publishes a portrait of the
Ambassador, pointing out that Mrs. McCaw is "wrapping up" her
ambassadorship in Austria. She has decided to return early to the US
for "personal reasons," mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich wrote
on October 16.

Putin Backs Iran

5. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a visit to Tehran, told the
United States that Russia would not accept military action against
Iran. An Austrian daily quotes the Russian leader as stressing: "We
should not even think about using aggression in this region." Putin
attended a meeting focusing on economic interests and geopolitical
issues with other Caspian Sea states, who ruled out any strikes on
Iran from their region.
Meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Russian
President Vladimir Putin underscored he supports Iran's right to a
peaceful use of nuclear energy. On Monday, Putin also urged for more
patience in the international dispute over Tehran's atomic program,
independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten writes. With
Putin so massively backing Iran, Tehran is basking in the
implications of the Kremlin bosses' visit. The trip is regarded as a
"victory of Iranian diplomacy," and as proof that the United States'
efforts at completely isolating Iran have failed dismally, the daily
says. In truth, however, Putin's visit only serves to boost Russia's
profile, both internationally and among states in the region, the
Salzburger Nachrichten suggests.

Turkey Seeking Green Light on Iraq Incursion

6. Iraq has warned Turkey of the "grave consequences" of an
incursion into northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels based there.
The warning comes as the government in Ankara is seeking
parliamentary approval today for a cross-border operation to pursue
PKK members. However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has underscored this does not mean an attack is imminent, but added
that Ankara's "patience is wearing thin." According to Turkey, the
PKK is a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of at
least 50 soldiers earlier this month.
"Turkey is increasing pressure on Iraq," liberal daily Der Standard
headlines. According to the daily, the EU and the US have warned
Ankara against taking action against Kurdish PKK rebels in Iraq,
though. The Iraqi central government's problem in the matter is that
it does not have the means to move against the PKK in the
Kurdish-controlled north. Only the two Iraqi Kurdish leaders, Massud
Barsani, the head of government of the autonomous region, and Jalal
Talabani, the Iraqi President representing Kurdish interests in
Baghdad, could accomplish that, says the Standard. Ankara, however,
does not want to negotiate with either of them, and both Barsani and
Talabani have so far ruled out taking action against the PKK. The
daily believes that only the United States could change that: They
and the Kurds in northern Iraq need to succeed in "keeping calm" the
PKK until mid-November, when Turkish Premier Erdogan meets with US
President Bush in Washington. After that, the approach of winter
will largely rule out active hostilities anyway, says the daily.

US President Meets Dalai Lama

7. US President George Bush has met with the exiled Tibetan
spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, at the White House despite strong
protests from the Chinese government. China regards the meeting as
interference in its internal affairs, and has warned US-Chinese
relations could deteriorate over this. White House spokesperson Dana
Perino, however, underscored that the US President was not trying to
provoke China.
When it comes to the Dalai Lama, China "sees red," mass-circulation
provincial daily Kleine Zeitung says. That is why the Tibetan
spiritual leaders' visit with US President George Bush could led to
serious tensions between the US and China. The fact that the US
President has labeled the meeting a "private visit," does not help
much: For the leadership in Beijing, the Dalai Lama remains a
traitor and a proponent of Tibet's secession from China.
McCaw

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