Posted on 07/22/2006 1:11:16 PM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
The Telegraph newspaper apparently cannot believe that America is gauche enough to take it upon itself to evaluate its own distribution of military forces in the world. How DARE the USA think that, in this era of unrest in the Mid East and terrorism, it can do what it wants to do with its own military!
In an article by David Rennie titled American pullout leaves Iceland defenceless, America is reported as "tactless" for its need to reevaluate keeping forces in Iceland, forces that were originally posted there for fighting the Cold War.
Apparently, many in Iceland, not to mention the offices of the Telegraph, have not caught up to the news that the Cold War is over.
In a classic example of ingratitude for years of free service, Iceland is all aghast over the United States' decision that its armed forces are best stationed in other places in the world than the land of ice.
As a result, according to the Telegraph, the USA is being nasty to the good people of Iceland.
"The United States, which had assured Iceland's defence for decades, stunned the country in March when it announced that it would be closing its bases on the island, withdrawing its F-15 fighters and thousands of servicemen in the space of just six months.How DARE those evil Americans!This bombshell was dropped in a single telephone call from an underling at the State Department, followed by a letter from the US ambassador."
Apparently the Telegraph found at least one Icelander that agrees with them that America is just being a big poopyhead. Björn Bjarnason, the minister for justice and ecclesiastical affairs, who oversees the coastguard and police, is not very happy.
"The situation could one day require the 'tactless' Americans to be invited back, Mr Bjarnason thinks."Well, THAT cinches it. We need to double the U.S. military presence. We don’t want to be thought of as jerks by ol' Björn, do we?
"The situation could one day require the 'tactless' Americans to be invited back, Mr Bjarnason thinks."
Uh, RSVP and we'll get back to you.
Iceland asked us to leave. They have demostrated repeatedly to get the US out of Iceland, AND the people treat the US soldiers and airmen terribly. Get over it Iceland you are getting what you want!
Indeed, the shame! (And I would probably be one of those gauche Americans who tip. What's the deal about tipping in Iceland?)
LOL--let's send them some Viking Kitties.
And then there are thos Icelandic ladies who will no longer be able to hook American servicemen! Have some pity on them!
The Icelandic US base has come in very, very handy over the years. It should be kept open.
I don't trust most of the human race, Europe and America included! :D
I was searching for more information and found this page of cultural tips. Many interesting things about other countries I didn't know...
The question is : "who wants to invade Iceland ?"
And don't discuss religion or politics in Ireland...LOL.
Well, it does make for a nice mid-point post between Europe and North America. Think of it as a huge, icy, fixed aircraft carrier....
(If NATO doesn't fall apart) their security should be fine. Their economy, on the other hand, will need to adjust....
I'm disappointed in this class. The real reason the USA wants to invade and/or cut-off Iceland is they are harboring Bobby Fischer. The only chess grand master on the FBI's top ten most wanted list scrambled to his hideout when the mean old US Justice Department made his a cause celebre. Crime: Playing chess in Sarajevo (where the winter Olympics had been held a few years earlier). Curling-si; castling-no
You know, there's no US entry to that list. Nobody has to worry about offending us, I guess.
Every Icelander we ran into felt that they made a living wage and didn't need tips. There is a very high tax ( I think it was 18%) called the VAT tax. Visitors got every cent paid in taxes back at the airport when you leave and give them receipts. They all get free education and health care although it isn't entirely free. You have to pay something with every doctor's visit. If you have a disease like diabetes, everything for your care is provided. They do have a young population and it will be interesting to see what happens to their health care as the population ages. They are also crazy on New Year's Eve. Fireworks are part of their gross national product. Everyone shoots them from their porches and roofs. Most of the Icelanders speak Icelandic and English.
So, are you saying because it's written in the newspaper - it's gospel
I've known about it for months...and I'm jujst a lil ole great-gramma in New England.
They've known about it longer.
They may have just gotten the final, formal notification - but it ain't "news"
In my opinion, while we won the first go-around, the defeat of that enemy has resulted in the advent of many smaller enemies who are in some ways far more dangerous, because their influence is more insidious, they are far more difficult to track, they use tactics outside of the scope of our armed forces' traditional training, and they hide under the protection of an obstructionist United Nations.
So yes, we defeated the USSR. And with regard to Russia, Iceland is no longer a key base of operations. The Icelandic shrieks of protest over our pullout are nothing deliciously ironic considering the open disdain they expressed toward our troops. Historically, the relationships between a military base and the surrounding civilian population have a tendency to devolve into a love-hate thing if a long-term military presence exists. The indigenous civilians love the influx of cash, and maybe even the protection that the base provides, but eventually begin to openly resent the military's presence. After awhile, the military personnel perceive the civilians' true sentiments, and begin to return the antipathy. I think that's what we saw, for example, in the Phillipines after WW2 (when then-Ambassador to the Phillipines Adm. Raymond Spruance orchestrated the election of a pro-US PI president), which intensified during the Vietnam conflict up to the end of our final pullout in the 1990s.
Of course it is important that we maintain forward bases in the world's potential hot spots. But does the DOD rotate units out of these areas after a certain time period, or does the same unit stay there decade after decade? Rotating units through the AO might satisfy our need for a flexible, mobile, ready military. It may also keep things fresh for the troops and the indigenous civilian population as well, and might even improve the relationship between the US military and the host population. Anyway, that's my $0.02 on the matter.
Think of it as a huge, icy, fixed aircraft carrier.
You are actually wrong about that. There is a warm current that runs on the side of Iceland. The temperatures are very moderate. It's nice there all year around unless you go up into the glaciers.
As if Germany is any different? Or South Korea? Or any other nation that saves a billion or so on defense spending?
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