U.S. to Withdraw Most Forces From Iceland
By KRISTA MAHR
Associated Press WriterMarch 16, 2006, 12:02 PM EST
REYKJAVIK, Iceland -- The United States, which has long provided Iceland with its only military forces, has decided to withdraw most of its service members and all of its fighter jets and helicopters from the country later this year, the U.S. ambassador said Thursday.
Iceland's government, which recently had offered to take over some of the cost of its defense from the United States to keep U.S. forces here, said it regretted the decision.
In an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Ambassador Carol van Voorst said she and Nicholas Burns, the U.S. under secretary of state, had informed Iceland's Prime Minister Haldor Asgrimsson and Foreign Minister Geir H. Haarde of the unilateral decision on Wednesday.
LOL! So, pulling our troops out of Iceland is "unilateral". I'm sure they hate to lose the economic support, but what an idiotic yet predictable way for AyPee to report it.