US ambassador to Norway: Norway should increase defense spending

[mogster]

Translation of this article.

USA: Norway should increase defense budget



The US ambassador, Benson K. Whitney, asked Norway to increase the defense budget in a speech to Oslo Militære Samfund (Oslo Military Society) tonight. He also expressed discontent with the desicion not to send more troops to Afghanistan.

- Norway is number 14 on the list of NATO-countries regarding defense spending in relation to income. I ask that Norway, as the richest of the NATO countries, sets a good example and raises defense spending to the NATO demand of 2% of national budget, said Whitney.
He stressed that Norway is far from being the only country to spend less than 2% on defense, and that this is a problem.

- I'm not gonna tell Norway how to spend their money, but if Norway - and other countries - could increase their spending to 2%, we'd get a more effecctive NATO, said Whitney.

The US ambassador used the Monday speech in OMS to highlight the important part played by both Norway and the US inside NATO.
He was dissatisfied with the Norwegian desicion not to send special troops to southern Afghanistan, which NATO had asked for.

- Norway's desicion to pull out of Iraq and not to send special forces to Afghanistan is an exception from the leading role Norway traditionally has had in NATO. I hope Norway will participate with such troops in the future, said the ambassador.

In his speech he also expressed concern for the lack of support for NATO in Norway, and referred to a fresh poll that showed the number of Norwegians supporting NATO down with 5 %.

- I hear some people say that Norway primarily should look to the EU or the UN regarding security policy. I can only hope the government, political leaders and leading intellectuals takes upon themselves to explain to the population why a NATO cooperation is necessary for Norway, also after the Cold War is over, said Whitney to a rapt audience.

The ambassador made a special point that the requests to spend more on defense and send special forces to Afghanistan was not to be seen as criticism of the Norwegian effort.

- Norway do a great effort in Afghanistan. But the question is not wether one participates with one's share, but how much one has the possibility to contribute. To meet the future's challenges it's not enough to do just enough - we need to do everything we can, said the ambassador.

(NTB)

See also this debate, from May 2006.
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I think we should increase spending on Afghanistan, but not in the military sector - as long as there's no change in policy. But to rebuild that country money is needed, and Norway has too much of it.

[nealmhughes]

1. Anothere Bush Pioneer gets "Your Excellency" as a title....

A Minnesota venture capitalist who was appointed by Bush after leading the CheneyBush cabal in 2004 in Minn.

I'm sure he knows all about NATO and foreign relations between Norway and the US. Not.

[leesa]

2. Kaaaaching! We're the world's arms dealers, after all...

[EFerrari]

3. I apologize for our mafia frontmen.

[Tanuki]

6. It reminded me of an old "Untouchables" episode

where a racketeer was trying to shake down a legitimate business owner for "protection money". I guess we are looking to extortion as a means of dealing with the * misadministration's massive budget deficit.

[EFerrari]

16. That's what I thought of, too. Sure looks like extortion. n/t

[mogster]

10. Lol, well

If you take away the illegitimate Bush govt. and two FUD wars, I'd be on line with the ambassador. NATO is important for Norway, and the US and Norw. has a long tradition of cooperation. The problem is that the ambassador speaks with the wrong mantle on, as if this version of the US govt. did it's foreign politics the multi-cultural, reason-based, internationally acclaimed way it used to. Or, correct that; the way we used to think the US foreign policy was, I know now that much of it was lies.

Remember this?
"Because the attacks on the United States were judged to be within the parameters of its charter, NATO declared that Article 5 of the NATO agreement was satisfied on September 12, 2001, making the US war on terror the first time since its inception that NATO would actually participate in a "hot" war"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11,_2001_attacks

Gawd, we've come a long way since then, no?
But as a principle I think that if we're a member of an org. like NATO, we should pay the dues.

[EFerrari]

15. I'd managed to forget that NATO is part of this insanity, too.

When George Bush leaves office, it will be interesting to see if American diplomats can ever sound sincere again.

[hippiechick]

4. Yeah those polar bears and harp seals are forming an insurgency ...

:eyes:

[stellanoir]

8. good one hippiechick

LOL

[ToeBot]

13. Don't forget the whales!

Perhaps Norway and Iceland need to form some sort of Arctic Ocean treaty organization. "Fighting the whales there so we don't fight them here", or something.

[pooja]

5. Please take your money and invest in war... our private companies

are making so much money.

[itsmesgd]

7. Norway...

"we'll make lotion, you go make war. It's been working fine for us for a while now".

[tanyev]

9. Norway gives considerably more in foreign aid. STFU, Whitney.

Foreign Aid as percentage of Gross National Income:

Net ODA in 2005 as percent of Gross National Income

Norway 0.93
Sweden 0.92
Luxembourg 0.87
Netherlands 0.82
Denmark 0.81
Belgium 0.53
Austria 0.52
UK 0.48
Finland 0.47
France 0.47
Switzerland 0.44
Ireland 0.41
Germany 0.35
Canada 0.34
Italy 0.29
Spain 0.29
Japan 0.28
New Zealand 0.27
Australia 0.25
Greece 0.24
USA 0.22
Portugal 0.21

http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Debt/USAid.asp

[MikeNearMcChord]

11. Only fair that the Norwegian Ambassador tells the US

STFU or they may reccomend that OPEC starts using Euros for oil.

[indepat]

12. Shame on Norway for spending their money on things like health-care and a better life

and environment for their people. That's what happens when ingrates don't spend their resources on empire, hegemony, and dominion.

[tabasco]

14. That puts it all in focus right there.

I just wonder if this country is on the path to do the same things, i.e., take care of its people.

I am sickened to see the war profiteering industries ruin this country.

I am very disillusioned right now and do not think I will see an enlightened USA in my lifetime.

[indepat]

18. A great majority of our societal ill have roots in the far right having controlled the national

agenda for more than 50 years when Dems and moderate Republicans have been afraid they would shit their pants if labeled soft on communism, soft on national defense, soft on crime, or soft on drugs and afraid to implement some reasonable national health system like almost all other first world countries, to increase the minimum wage to some reasonable level, to implement a fair and equitable tax system wherein Warren Buffet would pay more of his income to Uncle Sam than his lower-level employees do, et al. The joke has been on America but especially on the some 80%-90% or more of those who consistently vote Republican but are greatly harmed by Republican agenda. :rant:

[Ganja Ninja]

17. You can never have too many implements of destruction.

And don't forget to buy American!:sarcasm: