(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
- My immediate reaction is that we will not open the Norwegian airspace for such prisoner transports, says parliamentary representative Trine Skei Grande.
The left deputy head thinks it is not surprising that the Norwegian authorities do not know that this type of transport takes place in Norwegian airspace, as the CIA uses private airlines. Regardless, she believes that a reaction to the Americans is required:
- If what Ny Tid comes up with is correct, the government must make a statement to the United States that is natural in such a case, says Skei Grande.
SV's Hallgeir Langeland states that he does not accept that Norwegian airspace and airports are used by captive aircraft operating under the guise of being ordinary civil aircraft.
- We must have full insight into what cargo or passengers all aircraft have that are to land in Norway or use Norwegian airspace, says Langeland.
He demands openness and respect for the regulations that exist internationally.
- Secrecy and violations of the Chicago Convention can not be accepted. The United States has for several years had prisoners at the Guantanamo base without a sentence. There is also reasonable suspicion that the United States is moving prisoners around the world. Norway cannot accept such schemes, and the USA must respect us and refrain from using Norwegian territory to violate international conventions and rules, says Langeland.
He says this is an issue that will obviously be addressed in the discussions in the new government. Langeland states that it will look at what Norway can do to the US and their breach of international conventions, laws and regulations.
- In SV, we are concerned about equality before the law, and that applies to everyone, including the United States.
Give the United States a clear message
The Progress Party's Morten Høglund, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the previous parliamentary term and re-elected for four new years, responds primarily to the fact that the Norwegian authorities are not aware of the transport.
- It is worrying if it is the case that the authorities do not know that there is a transport of prisoners in Norwegian airspace, then it must be cleaned up. It should be a conscious policy to allow Americans to use our airspace to transport prisoners, says Høglund.
Conservative Finn Martin Vallersnes, also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and re-elected to the Storting, is very reluctant with immediate comments on Ny Tid's revelation.
- We will look at what kind of documentation Ny Tid comes up with. Then we get to decide if we want to ask for an account, says Vallersnes.
Breach of international law
Amnesty International has long been concerned with the prisoners at Guantanamo and the violations the United States has committed against the Geneva Convention by not recognizing the prisoners as prisoners of war. Petter Eide, head of Amney International in Norway, believes that the Norwegian authorities should take every opportunity to tell the Americans that they are not accepting what is happening at Guantanamo. Amnesty has generally been concerned with the secret CIA aircraft, but Petter Eide states that it has not been known to them that these aircraft have been in Norwegian airspace.
- Norwegian authorities should refuse these aircraft to land or use Norwegian airspace if the aircraft have prisoners who are not treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention. The government should use every opportunity to inform the United States that Norway does not accept or approve the treatment of prisoners that Guantanamo detainees in particular receive. The information about these planes is a good opportunity to do just that, says Petter Eide.
He emphasizes that Foreign Minister Jan Petersen has said that what is happening at Guantanamo cannot be accepted, precisely because these prisoners are not covered by the Geneva Convention.
- We believe that what is happening to these prisoners is a violation of international law, and that in itself is a reason to raise this with the Americans. And we can mark this by telling the Americans that they are not allowed to use Norwegian airspace or Norwegian airports for these transports.
