Wikileaks - DXXVIII

85868 11/16/2006 10:35 06VIENNA3341 Embassy Vienna CONFIDENTIAL 06STATE186256 VZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHVI #3341 3201035 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 161035Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5563 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1099 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0785 RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU PRIORITY 0335 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 1691 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 1085 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA PRIORITY 1984 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 1176 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 1385 RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST PRIORITY 1194 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0207 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 0471 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN PRIORITY 0217 RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 0424 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0442 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0097 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0376 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 1458 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0682 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG PRIORITY 0121 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0764 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0454 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0471 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0775 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 1430 RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK PRIORITY 0100 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA PRIORITY 0634 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 2662 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0160 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 1254 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 1102 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0467 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN PRIORITY 0565 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 1011 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 1036 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS PRIORITY 0587 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 1332 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0085 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 1756 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0485 C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 003341

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STATE FOR EUR/AGS - SAINT-ANDRE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2016 TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, NATO, PINS, AG, AU SUBJECT: AUSTRIA ON NATO/AFGHANISTAN -- CONTINUATION OF PRESENT COMMITMENT

REF: STATE 186256

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips. Reaso ns: 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (SBU) EconPolCouns delivered reftel demarche on November 18 to Thomas Hajnoczi, the Austrian MFA's A/S-level Director for Political-Military Affairs.

2. (C) Hajnoczi said the importance of the NATO mission in Afghanistan was clear. He noted that the Austrian government had announced on November 17 that it would recommend that parliament authorize the extension of Austria's overseas military missions for another year. This includes authorization for "up to ten" staff officers to participate in ISAF activities in the Kabul area. He said ISAF requirements had called for the actual deployment of four officers, and he expected this to remain the case in the future.

3. (C) Hajnoczi said he would share our points with the government leadership. However, he noted, it was highly unlikely that Austria would increase the level of its commitment, especially in the short term. The current government, which is acting in a caretaker role while Austria's political parties attempt to organize a new government, had only been able to win approval for larger missions on a temporary basis (such as last Fall, when Austria sent almost 100 troops to provide security for the elections). It will not be able to undertake such an initiative in its caretaker role. One could expect a new government to be less likely than the previous one to enhance the Austrian military presence in Afghanistan, he said. MCCAW