Confirmation of call by US-Ambassador to Austrian Foreign Ministry

[Democracyinkind]

DiK-xpost from this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023169452

http://www.salzburg.com/nachrichten/welt/politik/sn/artikel/morales-in-wien-landeerlaubnis-wegen-flugzeugdefekt-65124/

(Via Salzburger Nachrichten, a normal Austrian newspaper)

Intervention von US-Botschafter?

Wie die Tageszeitung "Die Presse" in ihrer Donnerstagsausgabe berichtet, hat es noch am Montagabend eine Intervention von US-Botschafter William Eacho gegeben. Laut "Presse" behauptete der Diplomat mit großer Bestimmtheit, dass Edward Snowden an Bord sei, der von den USA gesuchte Aufdecker jüngster Abhörskandale. Eacho habe auf eine diplomatische Note verwiesen, in der die USA die sofortige Auslieferung Snowdens verlangten. Im Außenamt wurde am Mittwochabend auf Anfrage der APA bestätigt, dass es einen Anruf Eachos gegeben habe. Druck sei dabei aber keiner ausgeübt worden.

Bolded part translated by DiK:

On wednesday evening, the Foreign Ministry confirmed an inquiry by APA (DiK: Austria Presse Agentur) that there was a call by (William) Eachos. There was no pressuring (of the Austrian Ministry).

The truth, as always, grayish and plausibly deniable...

[HooptieWagon]

1. Thats not proof unless you include a Moscow road map...

...or so I understand.

[Democracyinkind]

2. Sometimes the truth stinks, sometimes the truth sinks.

Shamelessly kicking because the content of this thread is still being denied in other threads.

[temmer]

3. C'mon - he just called because he wanted to say good night

to the Austrians. It was 11 pm.

No reason to construct conspiracy theories here.

/sarcasm

[Democracyinkind]

4. I hear US ambassadors regularly call the respective foreign ministries...

in order to heartily wish sweet dreams.

[KoKo]

5. Recommend

[frylock]

6. kick

[Recursion]

7. Nice. Just muddy enough to frustrate everyone. (nt)

[hrmjustin]

8. So they are saying the US called but did not pressure them. Am I reading this right.

[Democracyinkind]

9. Yes. "no pressure" in their words. nt

[hrmjustin]

10. Thanks!

[struggle4progress]

11. Austria summons US ambassador over spy scandal

Agence France-Presse
7:27 am | Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013
VIENNA—Austria summoned the US ambassador on Monday to explain reports that Washington had bugged European offices and embassies amid a growing diplomatic row. In a meeting with the ambassador, William Eacho, Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger expressed Austria’s worries over the spiralling espionage scandal that has threatened to damage transatlantic ties and demanded a rapid clarification. Eacho promised to transmit Vienna’s concerns to the “relevant authorities,” according to local news agency APA ...
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/436737/austria-summons-us-ambassador-over-spy-scandal


So, although on Monday Vienna summoned Washington's ambassador to demand clarifications about Snowden's allegations that the US had bugged EU offices, it is your theory that on Tuesday Vienna was Washington's lapdog?

[Democracyinkind]

12. I present no theory, not sure what you mean.

[struggle4progress]

14. On Monday, Vienna summoned Eacho to demand a US response to spying allegations

And then Tuesday, Eacho called the Austrian Foreign Ministry

What is a reasonable conjecture about the purpose of Eacho's phone call?

[Democracyinkind]

15. Given the time of the call it was probably not business as usual.

That's about all I am willing to speculate.

As to the contents of the call, I have no idea. I am waiting for the Austrian press to dig something up, which I will then post if I'm the first to see it. I'll be happy to weigh in on the issue then.

This thread was simply meant to establish that such a call took place, as their was some confusion about that on DU (given the wording of the "Die Presse" article).

[struggle4progress]

16. Morales had about a 14 hour layover in Vienna and finally left just before noon Wednesday

So he landed them somewhere around 10P Tuesday

There's a six hour time difference between Washington and Vienna: that means it was around 4PM Washington time when Morales landed

So sometime early in the workday (Washington time) on Monday, the Austrian desk at Foggy Bottom learns Eacho has been summoned and sometime before COB (Washington time) on Monday, Eacho provides DC with a detailed report. The Austrian desk needs to sort out exactly what Vienna wants: the allegations involve NSA spying, so the desk can't respond with boilerplate. It takes some back and forth to craft the response, and Eacho gets his instructions sometime before COB (Washington time) on Tuesday

This is not just business as usual, as Vienna has made clear by its Monday summons to Eacho. So he calls to set up further discussion

[flamingdem]

13. Translation: The Ambassador relayed the extradiction request that was received by

several other countries. It says nothing related to the accusations thrown about
how he said Snowden's on the plane. No proof

Meaning another pile that is being contorted by Emoprogs into a conspiracy.