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Viewing cable 06VIENNA2313, AUSTRIAN REACTIONS TO THE LEBANESE CRISIS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06VIENNA2313 2006-08-01 15:40 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Vienna
VZCZCXRO7263
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHVI #2313/01 2131540
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011540Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4472
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 002313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN LE AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN REACTIONS TO THE LEBANESE CRISIS 
 
REF: (A) VIENNA 2295  (B) VIENNA 2256 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (SBU)  Austrian leaders remain divided over whether the country 
should participate in a UN-led intervention force in Lebanon. 
Meanwhile, public opinion, outraged over the death of an Austrian UN 
observer and the civilian casualties in Lebanon, is clearly tilting 
against such engagement.  Defense Minister Platter, reacting to 
calls that Austria should withdraw its peacekeeping troops 
altogether from the region, stressed that the country's principal 
commitment remains unchanged.  On the diplomatic front, Austrian 
Foreign Minister Plassnik summoned Israel's ambassador to Austria to 
express her "outrage" over the killing of the UN observers.  The 
junior coalition partner BZO and the right-wing Freedom Party have 
called on the GOA to "send the Israeli Ambassador home."  So far, 
Austria has pledged 500,000 Euros in aid to Lebanon.  On July 28, 
two demonstrations took place in Vienna against Israel's war against 
Lebanon.  End summary. 
 
President, Chancellor Disagree Over Intervention Force 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
2. (SBU)  In an interview with the news daily "Salzburger 
Nachrichten" on July 25, Austrian President Heinz Fischer (SPO) said 
that Austria could conceivably contribute peacekeepers to a future 
UN-led protection force in Lebanon.  Shortly afterwards, however, 
Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel (OVP) expressed strong reservations 
against such participation and said that Austria's multiple 
peacekeeping missions were already stretched thin due to its 
commitments in the Golan Heights (370 peacekeepers in UNDOF) and in 
the Balkans (about 800 blue helmets).  Schuessel's foreign policy 
spokesman, Michael Spindelegger, and a chorus of other party 
spokespeople expressed similar reservations. 
 
Outrage Over Death of UN Observer and Civilian Casualties 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
3. (SBU)  Two recent incidents in Lebanon continue to dominate 
public discourse in Austria: the July 26 death of four UN 
peacekeepers, including 44-year-old Austrian Major Hans-Peter Lang, 
and the attack Sunday in Qana and the subsequent civilian 
casualties.  (COMMENT: The GOA has not yet officially identified the 
body of the Austrian peacekeeper.  He was part of three Austrian 
UNTSO monitors in South Lebanon.  The UN temporarily removed the 
remaining two observers from their posts.  END COMMENT.) 
 
4. (U)  Austria reacted strongly to the death of the four UN 
peacekeepers.  Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik (OVP) called her 
Israeli counterpart, Tzip Livni, on July 27 and also summoned the 
Israeli Ambassador to Austria, Dan Ashbel, to convey the "outrage of 
the Austrian Government" over the "unacceptable attack."  Plassnik 
demanded "immediate and comprehensive clarification" of the 
incident.  On July 31, Ashbel spoke with journalists and defended 
Israel's actions in Lebanon.  He said the civilian deaths in Lebanon 
amounted to a "plus in the PR war" for Hezbollah.  Ashbel held 
photos, according to press reporting, which he claimed showed 
civilian buildings in Qana being used as launch pads by Hezbollah 
for rocket attacks.  He implied that the UN was partly to blame for 
the deaths of the four peacekeepers for sending unarmed observers 
into a war zone.  He criticized the European Union for not adding 
Hezbollah to its terrorist list. 
 
5. (U)  On July 31, Defense Minister Guenther Platter (OVP) reacted 
to several statements across the political spectrum, which 
questioned the wisdom of Austrian participation in peacekeeping 
missions.  He reconfirmed Austria's unwavering commitment to UN 
peacekeeping operations. 
 
6. (U)  Similarly, the news about civilian casualties from Israeli 
bomb attacks on the town of Qana triggered sharp words of criticism 
from the foreign ministry, as well as from the body politic and the 
Austrian press.  FM Plassnik called the incident "inexcusable" and 
said she was deeply shocked by events in Qana and by the "incredible 
suffering of defenseless people."  Plassnik added that, "it is 
unacceptable that Israeli air raids, whose main victim is the 
civilian population, are repeatedly described as errors and 
misunderstandings."  Plassnik called for an end to the "blind 
violence" and appealed to both Israel and Hezbollah to cease their 
attacks and stop resisting international efforts for an immediate 
ceasefire.  Plassnik will attend the ad-hoc meeting of EU foreign 
ministers in Brussels on August 1. 
 
Political Party and Jewish Community Reactions 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
 
VIENNA 00002313  002 OF 002 
 
 
7. (SBU)  The head of the junior coalition partner BZO, Peter 
Westenthaler, called the July 26 attack on the UN observer post "a 
detestable assassination," while de-facto BZO leader and Carinthian 
governor Joerg Haider railed against the U.S. and Israeli "war 
criminals" and called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to 
Austria.  Social-democratic spokesman Caspar Einem noted that an 
army "capable of target killing should be abl to distinguish a 
clearly designated UN post fro a Hezbollah position."  SPO MEP 
Hannes Swoboda ttacked the U.S. for "accepting Isral's military 
intervention without any criticism."  The right-wing opposition 
Freedom Party pressed the government to suspend diplomatic relations 
with Israel. 
 
8. (SBU)  The Austrian Jewish Community expressed "deep regret" over 
the "tragic accident" on July 26.  In an interview with "Der 
Standard," Ariel Muzicant, President of the Austrian Jewish 
Community, fired back at the BZO and FPO by calling their statements 
against Israel a "disgrace to Austria."  At the same time, Muzicant 
said he regretted the deaths of the UN observers and demanded a full 
investigation.  He added that a UN presence in Lebanon, however, 
only made sense if it is armed and has a clear mandate. 
 
9. (U)  On July 28, hundreds of people, in two separate 
demonstrations, protested in Vienna against Israel and the war in 
Lebanon.  The police, according to press reports, estimate that 900 
people joined the demonstration organized by the Austrian Islamic 
Community.  About 150 people joined a protest organized by left-wing 
activist Thomas Langthaler, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Vienna 
(Ref A). 
 
Austrian Relief Efforts 
----------------------- 
 
10. (U)  In other developments, the GOA last week pledged 500,000 
euros in aid to Lebanon (Ref B).  Austrian media are also reporting 
on a private Austrian-Syrian relief initiative, which a Syrian-born 
hospital director in Melk, Abdulrahman Aburumieh, is organizing. 
Aburumieh is collecting medical supplies, which Syrian Air is 
reportedly flying twice a week from Vienna to Damascus.  According 
to Aburumieh, the supplies are then trucked to refugee camps in 
Syria and northern Lebanon.  Aburumieh, according to press reports, 
said there are three Austrian doctors working with the Lebanese Red 
Cross, the Red Crescent, and the Austrian relief organization 
"Hilfswerk" out of Damascus.  He said his relief effort does not 
have access to Southern Lebanon. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
11. (SBU)  Austria's outrage over the death of the four UN 
observers, in particular, and against the Israeli campaign in 
general, should be seen in the context of the country's decades-old 
commitment to UN peacekeeping, its proud identity as one of three UN 
sites, and its high regard for UN policies in general. 
Additionally, Austria, while carefully crafting good relations with 
Israel in the 1990s, has a record of pro-Palestinian/pro-Arab 
policies ever since the late SPO Chancellor Kreisky opened up a 
dialogue with the PLO in the 1970s amid international protests. 
These national parameters set the framework for the current 
political and public outrage over what a majority of Austrians 
increasingly sees as Israel's disproportionate campaign in Lebanon. 
The media, which have been particularly careful to appear non-biased 
so far, are increasingly embracing emotional reporting about 
civilian victims in Lebanon.  Moreover, with the campaign for 
national elections October 1 around the corner, the populist parties 
are competing to echo public anger over the killing of the UN 
monitors and the latest civilian casualties in Qana. 
 
Kilner