Russia invited to Former US Air base in Iceland

[Datto]

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/russi...408-58932.html

[Nemowork]

I thought the airbase was NATO property so Iceland had no legal ability to give it away even if the Russians want it which they apparently dont?

Looks more like a daft statement by a part time defence minister to annoy a few foreigners and maybe get some cash from the US?

[Harpoon]

Maybe we destroy Iceland and be done with it...

[Nemowork]

its wall to wall volcanic ash already, you could nuke the place and they wouldnt notice any difference

[Harpoon]

They'd noticed cause first thing we'd do is hump the presidents mama..

[AnthemZ]

Sure! Let them come!

But they can't cry when those slobbish drunken Russian's take over their towns and drink up all their hard liquor!

[Meursault]

I guess Mr. Ice Prez here is trying to ensure the russians help the country out financially by offering anything they might remotely want. Good thing he's merely a figurehead and not the boss over there.

[Sertes]

They're just pressing for this vote:

Economy in Shambles: IMF agrees on loan for Iceland

WASHINGTON: IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the fund had reached an agreement on providing a loan to Iceland, battered by the financial crisis, which will go to a vote next week.

Strauss-Kahn, who was speaking at a press conference on after a summit of G20 leaders, did not say how much the loan was for, but said the board would vote on it on Wednesday.

"We will complete a programme with Iceland next Wednesday at the Board. We now have an agreement for a stand-by arrangement," he told journalists.

Earlier reports have said the Nordic country was seeking some 2 billion from the International Monetary Fund.

Earlier on Saturday, some 6,000 people demonstrated in the Icelandic capital to call on government officials to resign in the wake of the financial crisis that has brought the country's economy to the brink of collapse.

Protesters, who have gathered over the past five weeks in steadily growing numbers, want new elections and the governors of the central bank to be replaced.

Iceland's once booming financial sector collapsed under the weight of the worldwide credit crunch, forcing the government to take control of the major banks as its currency nose-dived.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...t=va&aid=10997

I think this is the video of the 6-7,000 people mentioned in the article, throwing eggs and toilet paper at the parliament house... we'll get used to scenes like that.