The Vardo radar makes the Parliament
A possible Norwegian link to the US national missile defense program and
remains of the Star Wars program is a very serious matter which I will
raise in the Parliament over Easter, the socialist party parliamentary
leader Erik Solheim said, commenting the news that the HAVE STARE radar
is to be deployed in Vardo, Norway.
"First of all I will ask our defense minister if it is correct that the
new Globus II radar in Vardo has an affiliation to the rests of the Star
Wars program. This program was very dangerous because it contributed to
making nuclear war thinkable, although as wishful thinking", Solheim
said in an interview in the Sunday 5 April edition of the newspaper
Bergens Tidende.
"Secondly I will ask why full and confident information about the radar
has noe been presented. This creates uncertainty in Norway and fear in
Russia. And thirdly I want to know how Norwegian defense can claim full
national control over the project when the American defense earlier
selected a classified overseas location to deploy the radar", Solheim
said.
He is afraid that Norway can become a piece in a geopolitical game. -
Both in Russia and US big structures has survived after the cold war
with their wish to have something meaningful to do. These structures kan
start activities which undermine the more relaxed East-West
relationship.
Asked what consequences it will have if the Globus II radar is a part of
the NMD program, Solheim said : "It is interesting to know whether the
information that the radar will collect will be passed on to the
Americans. We then can suppose that the radar also will collect
information which Norwegian sources cannot interpret easily. It is
unclear to me what is meant by "national control here". There is reason
to believe that some information will go to the US".
The parliament has been informed
"The Norwegian parliament as parliament has been informed about Globus
II in connection with budget proporsitions. The Norwegian defense
committee as defense committee, not necessarily involving the
Parliament, was briefed by the defense minister some weeks ago. This is
the official part of this issue", the parliamentary defense committee
chairman Hans J. Rosjorde said.
In an interview in Bergens Tidende he confirms that the American name of
the radar (HAVE STARE) was not mentioned in committee briefing. "That
has to do with what I will call the heritage of Globus I and is more
site-related than function-related".
BT : Did you know that the radar has participated in National Missile
Defense tests ?
HR : I was not aware of that in detail, but I would like to add that
there is considerable interest both in the US and in Russia for creaing
a worldwide defense again socalled loose missiles carrying chemical,
bacteriological or nuclear warheads.
BT - Can the radar have a missile defense function ?
HR : That depends on which systems will make use of the radar and where
it is located in relation to potential threats. I will not exclude that
the radar can have a missile defense function, however, the US defense
authorities have not mentioned any wish in that direction.
BT : Why did the Norwegian defense not state that the radar is American
?
HR : In retrospect one always can present more details. My comment in
this case is : much of the material used for these purposes has been, is
and will remain American.
BT : Are you surprised that there is discussion about the radar ?
HR : Actually we expected a discussion when the press release was
issued. We were kinda surprised that no one objected. Now when the
discussion stars, we have nothing to fear - or hide. This proejct is
totally under Norwegian national control.
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