Austria Defends Waldheim With ‘White Book’

Austria has sent its embassies a document intended to guide its ambassadors in refuting allegations that President Kurt Waldheim was involved in Nazi war crimes.

The long-awaited 500-page document, called the “White Book,” was compiled in English by a Foreign Ministry task force that included Waldheim’s son, Gerhard.

It maintains that several documents purporting to show Waldheim’s involvement in war crimes “were mischaracterized in such a way as to mislead the public. . . . Thereby, an obvious effort was made to put in question the moral integrity of (Waldheim).”

Waldheim was secretary general of the United Nations from 1972-82.

The World Jewish Congress claimed last year, during Waldheim’s campaign for the Austrian presidency, that he was involved in persecuting civilians in the Balkans and deporting Jews from Greece while serving in the region with the German army during World War II.

Seen as ‘Personal Work’

In April, the U.S. Justice Department barred Waldheim from the United States. Waldheim denies any wrongdoing.

Swiss historian Hans-Rudolf Kurz, who was appointed by the Austrian government in June to organize and head an international commission to investigate Waldheim’s past, said that the “White Book” will be an important source for the investigation. However, in an interview with Austrian radio, Kurz acknowledged that the book is one-sided, “a personal work of the president that is completely written from his perspective.”

“Our commission cannot only see the one side” but must look at all sources, including those presented by Waldheim’s accusers, Kurz added.

Kurz said the commission will hold its first meeting in Vienna at the end of September. The World Jewish Congress has dismissed the commission as an effort to whitewash Waldheim’s past.

‘Not Guilty of Misconduct’

The “White Book” says in its introduction: “Waldheim was not guilty of any misconduct and, therefore, had no reason to conceal on purpose any part of his wartime record.”

The authors said allegations against Waldheim “were not always motivated by a scrupulous concern for the truth, but part of a carefully planned campaign to diminish Waldheim’s moral integrity.

“These accusers sought to damage his international reputation by a mischaracterization of facts, innuendo and outright misrepresentation,” it said.

Copies of the “White Book” sent to Austria’s embassies are intended as background information for the country’s representatives and not for general circulation.