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Sweden heading from neutrality to NATO
Published: 04 April, 2011, 09:41
TAGS: Military, NATO, Protest, Politics, Europe, USA, Anissa Naouai, Marina Dzhashi
Eight Swedish fighter jets will be used to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, despite the fact Sweden is not a member of NATO, prompting numerous protests and discontent among the population.
Swedes are already venting anger at their government for committing troops to Afghanistan, and feel their national interests are being sacrificed for NATO and the US.
Sweden is widely known as a voice of neutrality and peace.
“The Swedish people still believe that we are non-aligned and neutral,” says Agneta Norberg from the Swedish Peace Council.
Why then does Sweden need anti-war groups like Ofog?
“Sweden is very integrated and involved in NATO’s activities both in their administration and with over 500 soldiers in Afghanistan right now that are under NATO command, whatever the Swedish government is saying, but that’s the fact,” explains Cattis Laska from Ofog.
The Swedish Defense Ministry‘s statement about Swedish combat troops in Afghanistan said: "We see our participation in the international crisis management missions under popular mandate as an expression of solidarity and responsibility of Sweden in the world."
The question is – under whose “popular mandate”?
“When they talk about NATO’s strategic concept it is Washington’s strategic concept,” claims Agneta Norberg.
Most Swedes are not aware of how aligned Sweden is with NATO.
“The media have ignored it. You have the military and some politicians cooperating intensively with the United States and with NATO and a large mass of the population being totally unaware,” claims Al Burke from the Stop NATO organization.
The public is told it is peacekeeping under the program “Partnership for Peace”.
“Partnership for Peace is just an antechamber for NATO,” says Agneta Norberg.
“NATO is also active in Sweden doing military exercises,” adds Cattis Laska.
Sweden is home to NEAT, the North European Aerospace Testrange, with some 24,000 kilometers of restricted airspace plus ground room it is a testing playground for NATO and the US.
And as activists argue this is where war starts – at home.
Neutrality or NATO? Some say it is about time Sweden makes a choice. Critics claim there are so many ways the country is giving hands-on support to the alliance that the Nordic nation might as well join the club officially and give up its unaligned status.
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Simply Sweden is the puppet of the US.. if the US says sit they sit.. it's a joke.
As a swedish citizen I feel my country goes more and more towards George Orwells book 1984. Media doesn't report what it should report and has become a megaphone for the power. The power itself is now adapting to the globalization. Globalization means that the country's democratic legetimized power now has moved out of reach for the swedish people. We are fastly involving the country in a global system where our democratic system no longer have impact.. All that in the name of democracy!
Sweden and Finland have the same story. In both countries the conservative right wing party has the foreign and security policy power in the country. In both countries USA, CIA and NATO have made efforts in order to get the countries into NATO and since the conservative parties were and are not well experienced in foreign and security policy they were suitable offers fo USA, CIA and NATO persuading propaganda. In Sweden the foreign minister has stakes in US arm industry and in Finland the foreign ministers says he has been pro NATO from his childhood. In Sweden and in Finland they have rearmed and developed the army according to NATO standards and as a part of NATO. Furthermore in Finland the foreign minister has done a secret non parliamentary promise to US Ambassador in Finland that his conservative party will take Finland into NATO if it winns the next parliamentary elections. It is not very clear why the Swedish conservative party wants Sweden to join NATO but in Finland it seems clear. The conservatieves want confrontation with Russia.