

Currently released so far... 12453 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AORC
AMGT
APER
AU
AF
AS
ACBAQ
AFGHANISTAN
AFIN
AR
AE
AJ
ADANA
AEMR
AG
ATRN
ADPM
APECO
AGAO
AMED
AX
AM
AL
ADCO
AA
AECL
AADP
ABUD
AMEX
ACAO
ANET
AODE
ASCH
AY
APEC
AID
AORG
ASEAN
AFSI
AFSN
AINF
AGR
AROC
AO
AMBASSADOR
AFFAIRS
ASIG
ABLD
ASUP
AND
ARM
ARF
AQ
ATFN
AC
ACOA
AORL
ADM
AUC
AGMT
ACABQ
ASEX
AFU
ALOW
AZ
APCS
AVERY
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AER
AN
AIT
AMG
AGRICULTURE
AMCHAMS
ACS
BR
BA
BD
BL
BO
BF
BU
BILAT
BEXP
BRUSSELS
BK
BN
BM
BT
BY
BX
BTIO
BIDEN
BG
BE
BP
BBSR
BC
BTIU
BWC
BB
BH
BMGT
CH
CY
CA
CU
CS
CO
CVIS
CPAS
CMGT
CE
COUNTER
CASC
COUNTRY
CJAN
COUNTERTERRORISM
CG
CI
CD
CIDA
CJUS
CDG
CBSA
CEUDA
CR
CM
CLMT
CAC
CBW
CODEL
COPUOS
CWC
CIC
CW
CBE
CHR
CFED
CT
CONS
CIA
CTM
CDC
CVR
CF
CLINTON
CITEL
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CACS
CAN
CONDOLEEZZA
CB
CSW
CITT
CARSON
CNARC
CACM
CDB
CARICOM
COM
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CV
CKGR
CBC
CL
CICTE
CIS
ECON
EFIN
ELAB
ETRD
EIND
EC
EINV
EAGR
ENRG
ETTC
EAID
EPET
ELTN
EWWT
EAIR
EFIS
EMIN
EG
EU
ER
EUN
EPA
ENVI
EXTERNAL
ECPS
ENGR
ETRC
ECIN
EN
EI
ELN
ET
EINT
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ES
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EZ
ETRO
EDU
ETRN
EFTA
EAIG
EK
EUREM
EURN
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ENVR
ELECTIONS
EAP
ENIV
ECONOMY
ESA
EINN
ECONOMIC
EIAR
EXBS
ECA
ECUN
EINDETRD
EUR
EREL
EUC
ESENV
ECONEFIN
ECIP
ENERG
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EFIM
ENGY
EAIDS
EINVEFIN
EINVETC
EUMEM
ETRA
ETC
ERNG
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
ECINECONCS
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EXIM
ERD
EEPET
IR
IS
IZ
IAEA
IO
IAHRC
ID
IC
IT
IRAQI
IWC
IN
IL
ISLAMISTS
IV
ICAO
INDO
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IPR
ICRC
INTERPOL
IQ
IBET
IMO
INR
ITRA
INTERNAL
ICJ
ICTY
IRS
ILO
INRA
INRO
ISRAELI
IEA
INRB
ITALY
ITU
IBRD
IIP
ILC
INTELSAT
IZPREL
IMF
INMARSAT
IRAJ
IDA
ICTR
IA
IGAD
IF
IDP
ITF
ISRAEL
IEFIN
IRC
IACI
KN
KCRM
KOMC
KNNPMNUC
KIPR
KPAL
KWBG
KSCA
KFRD
KNNP
KUNR
KTIP
KWMN
KSTC
KFLU
KOLY
KISL
KPAO
KMDR
KJUS
KSTH
KDEM
KCOR
KIRF
KAWC
KU
KTFN
KWAC
KNPP
KERG
KSEO
KACT
KHLS
KZ
KGHG
KTIA
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCRCM
KE
KPKO
KCIP
KDRG
KVPR
KV
KIDE
KICC
KPRP
KBIO
KSUM
KGIT
KCFE
KG
KBTS
KFLO
KMPI
KS
KGIC
KPAI
KHSA
KTLA
KSEP
KTEX
KFSC
KOCI
KHDP
KPLS
KTDB
KHIV
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KID
KMRS
KOM
KSAF
KRVC
KR
KMOC
KNAR
KIRC
KBCT
KSPR
KFIN
KBTR
KJUST
KNEI
KAWK
KGCC
KMCA
KREL
KMFO
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVRP
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KAID
KVIR
KNSD
KHUM
KSEC
KRAD
KPRV
KCMR
KPWR
KCHG
KIFR
KCFC
KICA
KPIN
KSCI
KESS
KDEV
KTBT
KCRS
KCGC
KOMS
KRIM
KTER
KREC
KPOA
KWWMN
KRGY
KPAK
KWNM
KMIG
KDDG
KRFD
KWMM
KWMNCS
KX
KRCM
KPAONZ
KNUC
KDEMAF
KNUP
MARR
MOPS
MASS
MCAP
MTCRE
MNUC
MIL
MX
MEDIA
MO
MPOS
MU
ML
MA
MP
MY
MERCOSUR
MG
MD
MW
MK
MAS
MEETINGS
MR
MT
MI
MOPPS
MASC
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MTRE
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MQADHAFI
MAPS
MARAD
MASSMNUC
MEPP
MCC
MZ
MILITARY
MDC
MRCRE
MC
MV
MIK
MUCN
NATO
NL
NZ
NPT
NI
NAFTA
NU
NDP
NIPP
NP
NPA
NG
NRR
NO
NSC
NEW
NE
NH
NR
NA
NS
NSF
NZUS
NATIONAL
NSG
NC
NT
NAR
NK
NGO
NV
NSFO
NSSP
NASA
NW
NPG
NORAD
NATOPREL
OTRA
OAS
OPRC
OIIP
OVIP
OREP
OPDC
OEXC
OSCE
OFFICIALS
OMIG
ODIP
OFDP
OECD
OPIC
OBSP
OPCW
OFDA
OTR
OSAC
OSCI
ON
OCII
OES
OVP
OIC
OPAD
OIE
OHUM
OCS
PREL
PGOV
PK
PHUM
PINS
PARM
PA
PTER
PINR
PREF
PHSA
PBTS
PBIO
PO
POL
PE
PARMS
PM
PROG
PL
PAK
POLITICS
PORG
PTBS
PNAT
PUNE
POLICY
PDOV
PCI
PROP
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PP
PS
PAO
PG
PY
PTERE
PGOF
PALESTINIAN
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PSEPC
PREFA
PGOVE
PINF
PHUMPGOV
PNG
PMIL
PGOC
PFOR
PCUL
PLN
PSA
PGIV
POLINT
PAS
POGOV
PHUMPREL
PHUMBA
PEL
PGGV
PNR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PGOVLO
PRAM
PHUS
PDEM
PECON
PF
POV
PROV
PRL
PREO
PAHO
PHUH
PSI
PINL
PU
PRGOV
PAIGH
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POSTS
RS
RU
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RIGHTS
RO
RW
RCMP
RF
RM
RFE
RSP
RP
RICE
ROBERT
ROOD
RELATIONS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RSO
SU
SNAR
SO
SOCI
SW
SENV
SMIG
SCUL
SP
SZ
SENVKGHG
SR
SY
SA
SYRIA
SF
SI
SC
SWE
SARS
STEINBERG
SN
SG
SIPRS
ST
SEVN
SL
SPCE
SNARIZ
SSA
SNARCS
SYR
SK
SPCVIS
SHUM
SIPDIS
SHI
SH
SOFA
SEN
SNARN
SAARC
SAN
SANC
SCRS
TRGY
TBIO
TU
TF
TERRORISM
TI
TSPL
TPHY
TH
TIP
TSPA
TC
TO
TW
TX
TZ
TNGD
TT
TL
TV
TFIN
TS
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TD
TK
TR
THPY
TP
TAGS
UNGA
UN
UK
US
UNC
UNSC
USUN
UG
UP
UY
USEU
UNESCO
USPS
USTR
UZ
UNHRC
UNO
UNMIK
UNAUS
UNHCR
UNCHR
USAID
UNVIE
UAE
USOAS
UNFICYP
UV
UNEP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDC
UNCHC
UNDP
UNCND
USNC
UNPUOS
UNICEF
UNCSD
UE
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 05REYKJAVIK520, ICELAND: 2005 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #05REYKJAVIK520.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
05REYKJAVIK520 | 2005-12-20 16:04 | 2011-01-13 05:05 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Reykjavik |
VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHRK #0520/01 3541612
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADX723D5B MSI4387-623)
P 201612Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2473
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0164
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0198
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0273
RUCOPKB/COMICEDEFOR KEFLAVIK IC
RUCOPLF/NAS KEFLAVIK IC//NCIS//
REUILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS REYKJAVIK 000520
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/CT:RHONDA SHORE AND ED SALAZAR
OSLO FOR DATT
COPENHAGEN FOR LEGAT
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARAGRAPH 2 TEXT)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC IC
SUBJECT: ICELAND: 2005 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM
REF: STATE 193439 (NOTAL)
¶1. The following text updates for 2005 the Iceland
country section of the 2004 Patterns of Global
Terrorism report:
Iceland has no military forces. Nevertheless, its
leaders have offered strong rhetoric in support of U.S.
antiterrorism policies, and the Icelandic Crisis
Response Unit (ICRU), a Ministry for Foreign Affairs-
run organization of peacekeepers, has contributed to
counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
There are no indications of the existence of terrorist
groups operating inside Iceland or of trafficking of
weapons of mass destruction (WMD) through the country's
territory. The country's top Coast Guard official has
worried publicly, however, that the surrounding North
Atlantic Ocean receives insufficient surveillance by
law enforcement.
----------
Operations
----------
During the year, two eight-person ICRU Mobile
Observation Teams deployed to Afghanistan and were
attached to PRTs in Meymana (deployed in September) and
Chagcharan (deployed in mid-October), with rotations of
personnel planned at three-month intervals. In
November, however, Foreign Minister Geir H. Haarde
announced that due to safety concerns Icelandic
civilian peacekeepers would cease to participate in the
PRT in northern Afghanistan, although they would
continue to work in the western region while the
security situation remained stable there. There are
four ICRU members in Sri Lanka with the Norwegian-led
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). Currently one
Icelandic policeman is in Kosovo with the international
police force there. These peacekeeping deployments
remain well short of the Icelandic Government's long-
stated goal of 50 ICRU peacekeepers in the field "at
any given time" in 2006. Wages and costs have
apparently far exceeded government projections, and
remaining funding has not allowed additional
deployments.
--------
Dialogue
--------
Several exchange visits in support of security and
antiterrorism occurred between U.S. and Icelandic
Government officials in 2005:
-- In January the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)'s Rotterdam-
based U.S. International Port Security Liaison Officer,
with responsibility for Iceland, visited Reykjavik to
tour port facilities and share strategies with maritime
officials. She noted: "All entities are keenly aware
of each other's roles and their successful
collaborative work is evident.Icelandic authorities are
working to centralize their emergency response efforts,
further improving communication as well as national
security, e.g. three major ports in Reykjavik have come
together to form an Association of Icelandic Ports and
also the Icelandic Coast Guard/Maritime Traffic Center
is being relocated with the Icelandic Police/Emergency
Response Center where incidents can be managed with a
more integrated approach."
-- In March the USCG provided Icelandic Coast Guard
(ICG) Director General Georg Larusson with a weeklong
orientation to USCG personnel, materiel, and facilities
on the eastern seaboard.
-- In May Embassy personnel arranged and partially
funded extensive U.S. travel and briefings for Jon
Bjartmarz, Chief Superintendent, National Commissioner
of Police Security Section, to familiarize him with
U.S. law enforcement best practices.
-- Also in May, Embassy personnel organized, escorted,
and partially funded travel of senior foreign affairs
journalists from Icelandic print and broadcast media to
Brussels, Vienna, and Sarajevo to study Alliance
transformation, post-conflict reconstruction, counter-
trafficking, and the broad work of the OSCE in Eurasia.
-- Iceland hosted USCG Commandant Admiral Thomas
Collins on a goodwill and familiarization visit July 1-
¶2. In meetings with Larusson and Minister of Justice
and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bjorn Bjarnason, Admiral
Collins proposed training and acquisitions for the ICG
as well as ways to enhance interoperability.
Following these exchanges Minister Bjarnason announced
in September that the Government would purchase a new
patrol vessel and a new airplane to replace aging
existing assets. Two additional patrol vessels will be
refitted. Larusson has maintained political pressure
on his government to increase its spending on maritime
security. Referring to the 1.8 million square
kilometers of Icelandic territorial waters, he warned a
civic group in November, "This is probably the only
ocean area in the world that is so little monitored."
He added that those sailing in the region were probably
aware of its vulnerability and could plan "unsuitable
acts." He pledged to revise ICG regulations to make
weapons available on board patrol vessels and for the
first time to give police training to crews, who
already enjoy police authority.
-- In November, a team from S/CT briefed senior
officials from the Icelandic MFA, Justice Ministry,
Police and Coast Guard on State's Foreign Emergency
Support Team and other interagency crisis response
capabilities. Later that month, the Icelandic Police
special forces unit carried out a hostage rescue
exercise inside the U.S. Embassy. The Icelanders
undertook to continue to work through the Embassy to
strengthen counterterrorism contingency planning.
-------------
Moral Support
-------------
Icelandic Prime Minister Halldor Asgrimsson condemned
the July 7 terrorist attacks on the London transit
system by saying they were great acts of cruelty
against innocent citizens. He also stated, "These were
attacks not only on the British nation but also on our
shared democratic and national values." Minister of
Justice Bjarnason, responding to questions about
Icelandic anti-terror preparedness in the wake of the
London bombings, outine a multi-pronged Icelandic
approach, including:
-- updating police organization to reduce the number of
districts nationwide and achieve economies of scale;
-- strengthening the Special Unit (an elite SWAT-type
police organization) by increasing manpower;
-- increasing monitoring of foreigners;
-- maintaining Keflavik International Airport's
preeminence in use of the most advanced security
technology; and
-- devising plans on how to respond to chemical,
biological, or radiolical attack.
Iceland is a party to all 12 international conventions
and protocols relating to terrorism; and has signed the
Nuclear Terrorism Convention. In May Iceland signed
both the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention
of Terrorism CETS No. 196 and the Council of Europe
Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and
Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the
Financing of Terrorism CETS No. 198; both are slated
for ratification by the Althing (parliament) in 2006.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, both
Asgrimsson and then-Foreign Minister David Oddsson
supported adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism. "Such a convention must
unconditionally condemn terrorism. For it to be fully
effective, it must include a legal definition of
terrorist acts," Oddsson declared. Asgrimsson
reiterated, "(A) universal definition is still
needed. Terrorism is a threat to us all and must be
condemned in all its forms."
---------
Exercises
---------
The Icelandic Coast Guard hosted its fourth annual
explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training exercise,
Northern Challenge, from August 29 to September 2.
This year's exercise was attended by teams from
Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom and Sweden (the
first Partnership for Peace team to attend) for a total
of 47 EOD technicians. The exercise objectives were:
(1) to provide a realistic training exercise, where
NATO/PfP EOD teams could hone their skills and
procedures in dealing with a number of EOD/IEDD tasks,
and (2) provide a platform for discussion and exchange
of ideas regarding EOD and Innovative Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (IEDD) operations. Formally the
exercise fulfilled the requirements of the 2000
Implementing Agreement Pursuant to the Memorandum of
Understanding between Iceland and the U.S. regarding
ICD EOD and IDF cooperation, specifically in the areas
of EOD training and exercise.
In support of maritime security, the ICG has given
increased attention to scenarios involving large
passenger and cargo vessels. In August, the ICG EOD
unit conducted a bomb disposal exercise at Sundahofn
port in Reykjavik on an American cruise liner, the
Seven Seas Navigator. The exercise was a cooperative
effort between members of the ICG, the Maritime Control
Authority and the ship's security officer. On
September 28, the fuel tanker USNS Gianella arrived at
the Helguvik NATO fuel pier carrying 9.8 million
gallons. For maritime security, the Iceland Defense
Force (IDF) requested ICG assistance in pier sweeps and
harbor patrol. The ICG EOD unit conducted pier sweeps
from September 25 to 27. The ICG cutter Baldur
patrolled the harbor during the fuel transfer from
September 28 to 29.
-------
Contact
-------
¶2. Embassy point of contact for this report is
Political Officer Lisa Kierans, tel. 011-354-562-
9100x2294, fax 011-354-562-9139, e-mail
kieransl@state.gov.
KOSNETT