Norway’s AFTENPOSTEN newspaper claims to have received the entire cache of Cablegate diplomatic cables. So far they’ve restricted themselves to releasing correspondence relating to US-Norwegian relations, revealing particular Norwegians doing America’s bidding, from those with “strong pro-US instincts, to another considered by “some very senior U.S. officials” to be “weasily.”
From the cable about weasily Norwegian Ministry of Defense State Secretary Espen Barth Eide who’s played a key role in keeping Norwegian troops in Afghanistan and tried to manipulate his Government to support US machinations in Haiti, these misgivings:
Senior Norwegian officials, with strong pro-U.S. instincts, have also told the Embassy in private that Barth Eide is not to be relied upon to promote U.S. priorities. One key test of Barth Eide´s inclinations will be the MOD recommendation on which fighter plane to purchase, the Joint Strike Fighter or the Saab Gripen.
News as well to Norwegians is a cable about Oslo’s regional governor collaborating with US plans to move/expand its embassy which had been meeting with severe resistance from the public.
Although the AFTENPOSTEN is published in Norwegian, the cables are being reprinted in their original, Here’s a listing of what’s out so far:
Dokumentene fra USAs ambassader
OSLO REGIONAL GOVERNOR OFFERS SUPPORT FOR NEW AMERICAN EMBASSY PROJECT (15.12 2010)
NORWAY: A POTENTIAL HAVEN FOR WAR CRIMINALS?
(15.12 2010)
ESPEN BARTH EIDE, POWER IN NORWAY´S MOD AND RISING STAR IN THE LABOR PARTY (16.12 2010)
RISING NORWEGIAN ANTI-SEMITISM AFFECTING ITS ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST? (15.12 2010)
13.2.2009: CONSTRAINTS ON NORWAY´S MIDDLE EAST ROLE? (15.12 2010)
NORWEGIAN LAWYERS SUE ISRAEL FOR WAR CRIMES ABUSES (15.12 2010)
NORWAY WILL NOT PUBLICLY SUPPORT UN 1267 KREKAR DESIGNATION (15.12 2010)
GOJ TO APPROACH DUTCH TO ASK THAT MULLAH KREKAR NOT BE EXPELLED TO NORWAY (15.12 2010)
MULLAH KREKAR CASE: STATE OF PLAY IN JORDAN (15.12 2010)
OSLO NEC – THE HIGH COSTS OF FREEZING THE PROJECT (15.12 2010)
21.5.2003: Tigers issue hard-edged letter demandinginterim structure in north/east (19.12 2010)
11.2.2009: Norwegian FM Stoere: The world at his feet (15.12 2010)
16.6.2003: Tensions notch up over sinking of Tamil Tigership and latest slaying of a Tiger opponent (19.12 2010)
15.7.2003: Tigers still refusing request from monitors tovacate forward base (19.12 2010)
11.8.2003: LTTE base issue; Tigers get ready for Paris meeting (19.12 2010)
4.11.2003: Provoking political crisis, President fires three key ministers and suspends Parliament (19.12 2010)
23.10.2003: President demands removal of chief monitor, but it is not clear how far she wants to push matter (19.12 2010)
5.11.2003: President Affirms Commitment to Negotiated Settlement and Cease-fire (19.12 2010)
12.11.2003: Sri Lanka update: No resolution in “cordial” President-PM meeting; Norwegians here to meet all sides (19.12 2010)
17.11.2004: Possible ways forward in political standoff between Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister (19.12 2010)
6.3.2004: Ignoring orders of LTTE leadership, rebel commander remains ensconced in east (19.12 2010)
9.6.2004: Recent meetings show the way forward for Sri Lanka peace process is troubled (19.12 2010)
15.4.2004: In meeting, Norwegian Ambassador reviews recent discussion with President on peace process (19.12 2010)
17.6.2004: Talks about Talks in Stasis while Norwegians Ponder Next Moves (19.12 2010)
23.6.2004: Norwegian peregrinations for peace (19.12 2010)
20.4.2004: Norwegian envoy Solheim finds GSL and LTTE committed to peace process (19.12 2010)
6.12.2004: “Low key” Norwegian visit to Wanni (19.12 2010)
29.11.2004: Norwegians concerned by JVP-orcheastrated campaign against them (19.12 2010)
23.1.2006: U/S Burns reviews Sri Lankan peace process with Norwegian facilitator Erik Solheim (19.12 2010)
Here’s an excerpt about the US ambassador’s concern about “growing anti-Semitic” criticism of Israel’s attack on Gaza:
4/27/2009 12:55
C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000315 SIPDIS E.O. 12958:
DECL: 04/27/2019
TAGS: PREL, PINR, PHUM, IS, NO
SUBJECT: NORWEGIAN LAWYERS SUE ISRAEL FOR WAR CRIMES ABUSES…
More recently, the Israeli Ambassador formally protested Norwegian Foreign Minister Stoere’s decision to stay in the room at the UN Racism Conference in Geneva during the Iranian President´s speech. The Ambassador also confidently told us that the embassy will likely sue the Norwegian National Broadcasting Company for what they perceive to be very biased news magazine reporting on Hezbollah and the Gaza war.
WHITNEY
