Icelands president offers Keflavik airbase to Russia

[cosmicalstorm]

This was on the news here in Sweden the other day, the leaders of Iceland are really pissed off that the rest of the world is not helping them enough.

In an official lunch with foreign diplomats, Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson shocked neighboring Nordic countries with inviting Russia to take use of the strategically important airbase.

Foreign diplomats hardly believed what they heard when the Icelandic president said that his country needs “new friends” and that Russia should be invited to take use of the old U.S. airbase of Keflavik.

In the lunch which took place in Reykjavik last Friday, Mr. Grimsson accused neighboring countries of failing to support the crisis-ridden Iceland, newspaper Dagbladet reports with reference to Klassekampen.

An internal memo from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, obtained by the newspaper, describes the diplomats present in the event as “shocked” by the speech.

-The North Atlantic is important for the Nordic countries, the USA and the UK. That is a fact which these countries seem to ignore, the president said, adding that “Iceland should rather make new friends”.

According to Dagbladet, the Russian ambassador present at the lunch was rather perplexed by the invitation, saying that “Russia does not really need the airport”.

The Icelandic president has no formal powers over foreign policy issues.

Iceland does not have its own armed forces, and has been dependent on military cooperation with NATO allies. The USA in 2006 closed down its air base at Keflavik, and Iceland has since been practically without air force support.

http://www.barentsobserver.com/russia-i ... 58932.html

[Paradox_Fanatic]

This is rather bizarre. Gotta wonder what the response by the rest of the Icelandic government will be.

[fgalkin]

HA! Rather than restoring the old Soviet base that was built to counteract it (the name escapes me at the moment), which has been abandoned since the early 90s, and is pretty much not there anymore, Russia just bought itself a slightly used former NATO base, which was abandoned in 2006 and saved itself some cash.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Force Lord]

Okay, I´m really confused here.

Why would Iceland´s president make such an offer? Induce Russia to send them more loans at a time when everyone´s tightening their belts?

This is not a good time for such things.

Note: Edited for grammar.

[Force Lord]

Besides, Russia has enough problems in its military to worry about foreign bases right now.

Sorry for the doble post.

[RedImperator]

Okay, I´m really confused here.

Why would Iceland´s president make such an offer? Induce Russia to send them more loans at a time when everyone it tightening their belts?

This is not a good time for such things.

Iceland is frustrated because they feel like their friends have watched them sink into the mire (and in the case of Great Britain, actively pushed them deeper). It seems like the President was lashing out; even the Russians, judging by the article, were uncomfortable. It doesn't really matter since the President doesn't have the authority to offer the Russians a hot dog stand, let alone Keflavik.

[hawkwind]

Isnt such decision for High Thing to make ?

J.

[Stargate Nerd]

-The North Atlantic is important for the Nordic countries, the USA and the UK. That is a fact which these countries seem to ignore, the president said, adding that “Iceland should rather make new friends”.

This just made him my personal hero.

[Samuel]

They also are trying to get the Russians money to prevent their economy from collapsing... well more than it already is.

[Coyote]

It's a call for attention; Iceland is dressing-down its "friends" as the country's economy essentially melts into nothingness.

I'm surprised in the current atmosphere the Russians didn't take up the offer. Putin being who he is, I'd think he'd have a throbbing, pulsating stiffy at the thought of basing bombers right on the backbone of the North Atlantic security line, with all of NATO in range.

Unless he really is pragmatic and doesn't want to kick off what would inevitably be seen as a Cold War move.

[Axis Kast]

I'm surprised in the current atmosphere the Russians didn't take up the offer. Putin being who he is, I'd think he'd have a throbbing, pulsating stiffy at the thought of basing bombers right on the backbone of the North Atlantic security line, with all of NATO in range.

I'm not. The "offer" is properly understood as a "suggestion." The president of Iceland does not have constitutional authority to invite foreign countries onto Icelandic soil, according to RedImperator.

Additionally, one would assume that Russia would be expected to "show its gratitude" by offering Iceland some loans or other financial incentives. Russia is already burning through hard currency reserves as the price of oil drops; they've had to hang Central Asian partners out to dry, letting the Chinese in. This isn't a happy time for Russia.

Unless he really is pragmatic and doesn't want to kick off what would inevitably be seen as a Cold War move.

A week ago, I'd have agreed. After Medvedev's threat vis-a-vis Kaliningrad, I'm not so sure they wouldn't take this, if they could afford it, and it if were genuine. Russia's been pushing boundaries lately.

[Sidewinder]

The North Atlantic is important for the Nordic countries, the USA and the UK. That is a fact which these countries seem to ignore, the president said, adding that “Iceland should rather make new friends”.

According to Dagbladet, the Russian ambassador present at the lunch was rather perplexed by the invitation, saying that “Russia does not really need the airport”.

Let me see if I understand this correctly.

President of Iceland: We need cash. We're offering you an ex-NATO airbase in a strategically vital area. Let's discuss details regarding the lease of this airbase.

Russian Ambassador to Iceland: We don't have that much money to throw around. You can keep that airbase so we can use the cash (which otherwise would be spent on leasing this base) on replacing and upgrading old and obsolete shit in the Russian military inventory.

Other foreign diplomats: Are you high on drugs or something, Mister President of Iceland?

[Guardsman Bass]

How much would it cost to bail-out Iceland, anyways? It's not like it's a large economy; if we threw a few billion dollars their way (peanuts when we're burning through money in the tens-to-hundreds of billions of dollars a month in bailout money), we could probably get quite a bit of goodwill.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Keflavik is a far more substantial prize than reviving any old Russian Base. None of the old Soviet bases come within a thousand miles of the Atlantic; Keflavik sits right on it. The simple fact is that Keflavik is not merely able to command the sea routes in the Atlantic, but it also brings Tu-22Ms within striking range of the US East Coast Seaboard.

[Siege]

Iceland deregulated its financial markets in the 90's, and since then its banks have gone on a decade-long debt-fueled binge, which they are now unable to finance. Frankly, Mr. President, I don't feel much in the way of sympathy - in fact, instead of looking for "new friends", how about you poney up the cash you owe your old friends first?

PS: You'd almost suspect this airbase is the President's novel way of repaying that €4 billion loan the Russian Treasury granted Iceland last month...

[Sidewinder]

You'd almost suspect this airbase is the President's novel way of repaying that €4 billion loan the Russian Treasury granted Iceland last month...

Considering the Duchess of Zeon's comments on how useful the Russians would find an airbase in Iceland, maybe this is the President of Iceland's way of making POTUS say, "We want that airbase (if only to keep it out of the Russians' hands)! Let's discuss the terms of the lease. How much money do you want for that airbase?"

[K. A. Pital]

Hey, that's cool. Basically a handwave: "Hey, NATO? You suck! Russkies, help us blackmailing NATO!!!"

[Shroom Man 777]

Iceland is free to have the option to make alliances and collaborations with countries that aren't the United States of America, such as fellow European democracies like Russia. If Iceland gets financial benefits from this, and Russia will get an extended base of operations that will allow it to provide security to the Atlantic sea routes (and thus lessening the burden of the navies of America and Britain), then I think it would be a win-win option for everyone.

Russia should take it. Of course, they can't afford to position their not-so-good navy assets there yet, but with the deed already done and signed, they can reserve the option to base Anti-Ballistic Missile shields or other assets there in the future to ensure the safety of Atlantic, to protect the European continent from potential rogue nations, and to provide peace and prosperity to all.

We can call it Operation Icelandic Independence, or Atlantic Assurance, Frigid Freedom, or Peaceful Putin or some other pomp and pretentious name. It would be great to see the Icelandic flag fly together with the Russian Red White and Blue, a sight for all freedom-loving peoples to celebrate.

And if it fucks over America and NATO, then good for them.



Bjork and the Leningrad Cowboys, with the accompanying Red Army Choir, should totally do a concert together.

[JointStrikeFighter]

Bjork and the Leningrad Cowboys, with the accompanying Red Army Choir, should totally do a concert together.

IIRC the Cowboys and the Red Army Choir already have.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Backfires based at Keflavik could potentially carry a couple of gravity bombs to Rhode Island (New London, CT would be just out of range), Boston, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and of course all of the eastern Canadian coast and any NORAD facilities there, or say a couple nuclear-tipped cruise missiles could strike other high-value targets along more of the eastern seaboard. And that's without midair. And here we've slashed the F-22 order down to nothing! Oops. Do that while sending in the Blackjacks over the pole with the Bears toting cruise missiles following in their wake, and you've at least got enough of a bomber threat to upfuck our current (i.e., functionally nonexistant with no plausible expenditures likely) IADS.

It would be utterly hilarious if the years we've endured of the Bush administration's irrational hard-on for beating on Russia with no plausible cause has the sole "result" for the United States of a Russian air base within medium bomber striking distance of Boston...

[K. A. Pital]

Peaceful Putin

Come on! Peaceful Papa Putin it also abbreviates to PPP, which is cooler than "OIF" or "OEF" both of which are lame. "Who's your daddy now"

[Shroom Man 777]

You know how I love alliterations!

The Peaceful Papa Putin Plan! P4!


By the way, I love the dissonance in describing Russian actions with typical American-type adverbs and descriptives.

[Col. Crackpot]

Backfires based at Keflavik could potentially carry a couple of gravity bombs to Rhode Island (New London, CT would be just out of range), Boston, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and of course all of the eastern Canadian coast and any NORAD facilities there, or say a couple nuclear-tipped cruise missiles could strike other high-value targets along more of the eastern seaboard. And that's without midair. And here we've slashed the F-22 order down to nothing! Oops. Do that while sending in the Blackjacks over the pole with the Bears toting cruise missiles following in their wake, and you've at least got enough of a bomber threat to upfuck our current (i.e., functionally nonexistant with no plausible expenditures likely) IADS.

It would be utterly hilarious if the years we've endured of the Bush administration's irrational hard-on for beating on Russia with no plausible cause has the sole "result" for the United States of a Russian air base within medium bomber striking distance of Boston...

Duchess, while an irradiated shipyard would aid in illuminating my nightly commute over the Claiborne Pell Bridge, The boys in Moscow, would have to be on one hell of a Stolichaya fueled bender to nuke New England. Seriously Woman! You sound like Stuart on bad 'shrooms sometimes.

[Ma Deuce]

And here we've slashed the F-22 order down to nothing! Oops.

And what, the F-15s are somehow useless at intercepting Backfires? And 184 F-22s may be "nothing" to you, that's still as many as the Russians have Tu-22Ms and Tu-160s in active service.

[Surlethe]

Backfires based at Keflavik could potentially carry a couple of gravity bombs to Rhode Island (New London, CT would be just out of range), Boston, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and of course all of the eastern Canadian coast and any NORAD facilities there, or say a couple nuclear-tipped cruise missiles could strike other high-value targets along more of the eastern seaboard. And that's without midair. And here we've slashed the F-22 order down to nothing! Oops. Do that while sending in the Blackjacks over the pole with the Bears toting cruise missiles following in their wake, and you've at least got enough of a bomber threat to upfuck our current (i.e., functionally nonexistant with no plausible expenditures likely) IADS.

It would be utterly hilarious if the years we've endured of the Bush administration's irrational hard-on for beating on Russia with no plausible cause has the sole "result" for the United States of a Russian air base within medium bomber striking distance of Boston...

Duchess, while an irradiated shipyard would aid in illuminating my nightly commute over the Claiborne Pell Bridge, The boys in Moscow, would have to be on one hell of a Stolichaya fueled bender to nuke New England. Seriously Woman! You sound like Stuart on bad 'shrooms sometimes.

I don't think she's saying it's likely Russia will nuke the US; it sounds more like she's saying that our foreign policy decisions, in conjunction with letting Iceland slip under financially, has the potential to damage our strategic situation with respect to Russia.