Posted on 03/16/2006 12:33:55 PM PST by knighthawk
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — The United States, which has long provided Iceland with its only military force, 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 had recently offered to pay some of the cost of its defense to try 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 told Prime Minister Haldor Asgrimsson and Foreign Minister Geir H. Haarde of the unilateral decision on Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
So who would we be going to war with in Europe?
Maybe Canada will protect them. (this is a joke)
1200 personnel does seem like alot, maybe we should just scale back.
SOP planning from the White House and the Pentagon. Doesn't appear to be well thought out, especially so since the Navy has begun to re-emphasis ASW training with new sunmarine threats coming on line.
considering that Europe will be "Eurabia" in a couple of decades due to their muslim uprisings - you might want to rethink that.
I've talked to some of the guys stationed in Iceland..... many were ahem...bragging on the local ladies.
why not tell Iceland that they most cooperate with us to fill the logisitcal and support positions in the ranks at that base, we would keep the pilots, equipment, ship personnel - and reduce our numbers accordingly?
Nice, we pull troops from where they openly want us and keep them where they openly loathe us.
is there an "Icelandic Girls Gone Wild" DVD available?
anyone?
I was waiting for spmeone to state this as I started to scroll down. If the article read the entire base was pulling out, then I would be a bit more concerned. Since a number is still going to be there. It still is that "Outpost". IMO...
How were the broads?
... that I wouldn't have to ping you! ;-)
"Iceland is located near vital sea lanes. Control Iceland, your well on your way to controling the north Atlantic."
P-s-s-t. WW II ended sometime ago.
Yes, set up a recruiting office and let them supply 3000 personnel and interoperable equipment. They are a NATO member, and like others spend their money on welfare while we pay for their defense. It is a suckers deal, and I am glad we are stopping. Western countries need to get real.
I'm not sure they (and other like countries) WANT us for our military protection as much as they DESIRE the economic influx that goes along with the military presence.
I knew a guy who was stationed there and he said the locals treated him like crap. But then again, he was one of these guys that nobody liked.
Iceland is a strategically important location with a population of one quarter of a million people. Not much money available to pay for anything.
The story is that the Vikings would plunder Europe of their most beautiful women and take them off to their settlements in Iceland.
Thus, today's Icelandic women are the offspring.
The one thing I have noticed among young ladies from Iceland (having the pleasure to have met a few) is that there are so many beautiful females there, many lack the Primadonna attitude because they don't consider themselves perticularly attractive - if that makes any sense. The ones I came into contact with partied like wild animals (these are not them but they are on the same level). 
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