(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Bolivia's President Evo Morales has formulated this ban on the war: "There is no worse aggression against mother earth and her children than the war. War destroys lives. No one can avoid the war or escape from it. Those who fight, suffer as much as all those who are left without food. Biodiversity is suffering. The environment will never be the same again after a war. War is the worst destroyer of life and natural resources. ”
The United States is Norway's closest ally. The United States is also the world's largest armed force, spending nearly 5000 billion on weapons and defense annually. There are more than the next seven countries on the list spending on defense, including Russia. Now, President Donald Trump has said he will ask Congress for $ 20 billion extra for the defense next year. The increase is more than 400 percent of Russia's entire defense budget. In NATO, Jens Stoltenberg urges armaments.
At the same time, Trump says he wants to modernize the United States' nuclear weapons. It is frightening that such a person can sit with his finger on the atomic button. The United States has 7000 nuclear weapons. 1730 of these are ready for launch. A single such weapon can exterminate a city in seconds. Norway has tragically said no to negotiating a ban on nuclear weapons.
Armed Forces Norway. The world does not need war-fundamentalist government leaders who, along with limping drummers, encourage war and hatred. The world needs international law, human rights and humanist fan bearers.
Since the war on terror in 2001, the United States has carried out 94 air strikes. Most of these against Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, but also against Libya, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. During Obama's last year, the United States dropped 000 bombs. More than one million people have died as a result of the West's fight against terrorism. This in turn has created more terror. Norway has participated in four of these wars, and has been a key participant in the terrorist wars and in the West's military-industrial complex. Norway is one of the world's great weapons nations. Norway was the world's tenth largest arms manufacturer in 26. Death rowers have traded with countries that torture, imprison and kill journalists; countries that persecute gays, whip women and roughly exploit their workforce.
Norway has 123 companies operating weapons. Their total turnover in 2015 was NOK 12 billion. Last year, Norway exported weapons for NOK 4400 million. Norwegian weapons participate in world wars. Since Trump became president, the Kongsberg group's shares have risen by 20 percent.
In Norway, weapons contracts are presented almost as happy news by the media: Nammo from Raufoss is allowed to move into an American military base, increasing his chances of selling more missile parts. Hurray!
The government states that the Norwegian weapons industry, led by Kongsberg Defense, is now being offered opportunities to sell newly developed rockets for ten billion kroner. Norway will buy submarines from German ThyssenKrupp for NOK 30 billion. This means repurchase agreements. It is not stated that Thyssen Krupp has been investigated for corruption in Israel, South Africa and Germany.
Since the war on terror in 2001, the United States has carried out 94 air strikes
"Outstanding Effort." Abroad, Norwegian soldiers are secretly fighting both in Syria and Afghanistan. The war expeditions are planned in collaboration with the United States. The government refuses to tell who Norwegian soldiers are training in Syria. It is not "relevant", the government writes in a letter to the Norwegian Peace Council.
VG – or the NATO post, which I think would be a more appropriate name – recently had an article about proud Norwegian special forces and a proud Norwegian foreign minister in Afghanistan. What is not stated in VG's article is that Norway is in the country together with 8000 US soldiers, 6000 other NATO soldiers and 26 mercenaries. Norway, together with 000 other fighters, is constantly involved in the occupation of Afghanistan.
To VG, the soldiers tell how they fight for life, not only against the Taliban, but also against IS. They work closely with the Afghan army. They say the fighting is "more fierce than ever," and they tell of their heroics. The wars are many, and "much more violent than most people in Norway are aware of". Hostages have been rescued and terrorist attacks have been stopped through arrests of terrorists in the districts. Brende says that the Norwegian special soldiers make "an outstanding effort".
Pointless. As a journalist, I think it is unacceptable to make a propaganda article of this type based on information from anonymous special soldiers and a Norwegian foreign minister. The article does not ask a single critical question. Not one.
But many should have been asked. For example: How many have Norway killed? How many civilians have been killed? Special forces say they have arrested "terrorists". Where are these shipped? What guarantees are given that they will not be tortured? UN reports have revealed that torture happens frequently in Afghan prisons today.
The Godal report on Norway's 14-year war in Afghanistan, which cost at least NOK 20 billion, concludes that Norway did not achieve anything beyond satisfying the United States. Why then are the special soldiers still in Afghanistan?
The Norwegian soldiers in the VG spread describe Afghanistan as "a life-threatening society". Should the Norwegian government then continue to transport refugees back to Afghanistan?
And finally, the crucial question: Is it really acceptable that Norwegian secret soldiers can wage war abroad without us knowing what is going on?
