Posted on 06/14/2018 4:48:10 PM PDT by Mariner
OSLO (Reuters) - Russia vowed on Thursday to retaliate for a plan by Norway to more than double the number of U.S. Marines stationed there.
Oslo announced on Tuesday that it would ask the United States, its NATO ally, to send 700 Marines to train in Norway from 2019, against 330 at present, and said the additional troops would be based closer to the Russian border.
"This makes Norway less predictable and could cause growing tensions, triggering an arms race and destabilizing the situation in northern Europe," the Russian Embassy said in a statement on its Facebook page.
"We see it as clearly unfriendly, and it will not remain free of consequence."
Oslo has grown increasingly concerned about Russia since Moscow annexed of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, while adding that it does not regard its much larger neighbor as a direct threat.
The U.S. Marines were scheduled to leave at the end of this year after an initial contingent arrived in January 2017 to train for winter conditions. They are the first foreign troops to be stationed in Norway since World War Two.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Don’t forget the American fashion. Norwegian chicks love American fashion.
There could be some value in preserving those genetics.
But existential National Interest?
Coincidently, the US Army is involved in Operation Atlantic Resolve which puts Army forces from the Baltics to Poland. I guess it’s sort of like the old Reforger era. I do miss being stationed in Europe.
1) “Russia drills nuclear forces, strategic bombers along coast of Norway”
2) “Russia’s large-scale military exercise “Zapad,” held in September together with Belarus, was neither an “anti-terror exercise” nor “purely defensive,” but rather a dry run for a full-scale conventional war against NATO in Europe, German daily, citing two analysts.
The drill rehearsed the capture of the Baltic states and Belarus as well as a “shock campaign” against Western European NATO member states such as Germany and the Netherlands, but also against Poland, Norway and the non-aligned states of Sweden and Finland.
At the same time, Russia rehearsed “neutralizing or taking under control air fields and harbors in the Baltic states, so there are no reinforcements arriving from other NATO states there.”
Read more: https://news.err.ee/649905/bild-russia-rehearsed-war-against-nato-capture-of-baltics-during-zapad
3) The Russian government has launched a nationwide civil defence training exercise to ensure the country is properly prepared in the event of a nuclear, chemical and biological attack from the West.
Amid growing international tensions, particulary over Russia’s conduct in Syria, the Defence Ministry-run Zvezda TV network announced last week: “Schizophrenics from America are sharpening nuclear weapons for Moscow.”
Norway want the US protection due to perceived Russia threat yet invites more refugees. Stupid.
“That’s why 9 out of 10 small countries choose...American Defense”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEy5vIWCJLQ
and yet Germany cannot build that additional pipeline to make themselves more dependent on Russian Gas fast enough for their liking....and still can’t even be bothered to spend 2% of GDP on Defense as they promised to do. For that matter neither can Norway.
Enough of these freeloaders. Bring the boys home and withdraw from Nato.
Russian aide: “Sir, Norway has doubled it’s forces.”
Russian general: “No big deal.”
Russian aide: “Sir, Norway has added 300 US Marines there.”
Russian general: “Call the Kremlin! Get reinforcements here ASAP! And bring me my brown pants...”
Ah, hell, Vlad. Maybe Norway just invited them over for a friendly little game of laser-tag!
It’s not at all intimidating, or unusual for a big power to regularly exercise their forces.
We do it all the time too.
Have they threatened Norway, Finland or Sweden directly?
You’re trying to make something out of nothing. The Russians are not a threat to Western Europe. They would be hard-pressed to get a division into Belarus against zero resistance.
They are a shell of a power. Except their nukes, which they would never use except in defense or retaliation. They are not in the suicide business.
“700 Marines is no threat to anyone except the local beers and possibly the virtue of any willing ladies in that AO.“
You underestimate the capabilities of the USMC. No willing lady anywhere in Norway is safe.
Oh, and The Norwegian beer industry should double production just to be on the safe side. We are talking about 700 Marines after all.
Semper Fi.
L
Because it costs money and discourages them from meeting their NATO commitment.
I’m sure somebody wants us in Yemen too.
But we have no interests in either country, so the real question should be: Why should we go?
No, Norway is not a “Crimea” but - the psychological preoccupation Russia has with these shows/antics is what’s irritating.
Some background:
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2017/10/27/norwegian-leaders-want-to-know-why-us-marines-are-stationed-in-the-country/
Interesting, though not definitive, and short.
Norway ordered 52 f-35s, maybe the Marines are tied into that.
This makes Norway less predictable and could cause growing tensions, triggering an arms race and destabilizing the situation in northern Europe,”
*************
1-Russia is full of *&*&!
2=Russia’s economy is the size of Italy.
300 Marines?
Agree ..... great point !
Marines were training for Winter ops - seems like Russia is getting a bit testy since the story is about Norway intending to ask us to send some “trainer” troops and nothing has been decided one way or the other....IMHO, if any Nation opts to go the bellicose route and make threats for the mere potential of a relatively insignificant action, we should shove it back down their throats.
“For the entirety of the Cold War there were no US Troops in Norway.”
This assertion is incorrect, U.S. Marines routinely trained in Norway during the Cold War. The Marines will be on a semi-permanent rotation to Norway which has plenty of challenging terrain in which to conduct tactical training,
“The US has no interests in Norway.”
Again incorrect.
Norway sits adjacent to routes Russian warships and military aircraft, to include submarines, must take to reach the open ocean. This is critical to protecting our lines of communication with Europe during a crisis.
It is also a longstanding ally of the U.S. with whom we have a binding mutual defense treaty relationship.
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