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Austria Closes its Borders to US Troops, Translation of Der Spiegel Article
BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
Translated
from the following article:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,235042,00.html
If the United States wants to take troops to Iraq it will have to go around the borders of Austria. Vienna has rejected the American military drive through and fly through rights as long as there is no new UN resolution. Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld is fuming.
Vienna - In spite of Rumsfeld's criticism, Austria plans to turn away at the border US troops that are to be relocated from Germany to Italy. Austrian Defense Minister Herbert Schreiber said that without a new United Nation resolution neither air nor train transit will be permitted. On Thursday Rumsfeld had charged Austria with causing a delay of several days in a decision regarding the relocation of troops.
According to a report by the Austrian Information Agency APA, Schreiber said: "Should there be a UN mandate, this decision will be reappraised." Peter Moser, the Austrian embassador in the USA expressed surprise at Rumsfeld's criticism. He is amazed that the Defense Minister isolates a single country without referring to its long time neutrality.
On Thursday Rumsfeld had explained to the Armed Forces Sub Committee of the United States Senate in Washington that the position taken by Austria is an example of the "problems" created by the deployment of 100,000 US soldiers in Europe. The troops will probably have to travel to Italy by sea, which would mean a detour by way of Rotterdam. Rumsfeld did not want to give information as to whether these soldiers should be sent to the Persian Gulf, where the USA is presently preparing an attack against Iraq.
According to [Austrian] Defense Minister Schreiber, the US Embassy in Vienna had made an informal request asking permision for the transport of the military sector through the Austrian State Territory. The United States had "acknowledged" that Vienna could only acquiesce to such a request in the case of a UN mandated mission such as Kfor, Sfor or Enduring Freedom, said Schreiber.
Rumsfeld said that he had "only heard of the Austrian refusal this morning". The US Armed Forces had already developed two alternate routes, "two by train and two by sea - each taking several days longer". Rumsfeld again questioned the deployment of US troops on the continent in light of the latest rejections in the relationship between the USA and western Europe: "It is clear: it is better for us not to have such a high concentration of troops in Europe".
Asked if he was surprised at these remarks by Rumsfeld, using the Austrian refusal of allowing troop transport as an example of US troop deployment in Europe, Schreiber said " It is up to the Americans to say what they want". Austria's course is clear, without a mandate from the United Nations, there will be neither troop or air transport of troops through Austria.
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