Sweden change its defense policy and take part in EU battle group
After a tumultarischen voting process, the Reichstag the defense submission. Sweden changed its defence policy of a defense against an invasion and international operations. The defense debate has not changed. It is still more of the regional struggle for individual regiments characterized as being of an overall view of the security policy. Therefore, interesting, important issues of principle under the table. The fact is that the defense decision to two serious changes in the Swedish security policy:
* The general conscription exists in practice, not more. It is the greatest voluntary.
* Sweden participates in a Nordic battle group in the EU, without a UN mandate to act.
Can a war against terrorism will be pulled into it
Aftonbladet has during the last year before the change of security warned in which the government in connection with the EU. What we especially in question is the total lack of citizen participation in these major changes. Recently, the government has a solidarity clause for the Member States in a terrorist attack, and even preventively, agreed. This has great similarities with the NATO doctrine of mutual defense guarantees. This could mean that if the next time Britain against terrorism in the war moves and the EU to co-participate, Swedish soldiers are in the operation although a UN mandate missing.
The UN mandate is not important
The militarization of the EU. Unfortunately, Sweden is not the logic of war is opposed, but wording in the proposal for a new EU constitution agreed to ensure that the EU has a common defense. And now Sweden should be in an EU battle group participate without a UN mandate to act. “There must be a mandate from the UN, so all in the framework of international law happen,” said Prime Minister Goran Persson in (the news broadcast by Swedish television) “Rapport” still on 4 October. He particularly stressed that it was “terribly important.” Nevertheless, there is no such wording in the defense decision. So important was the UN mandate.
Counterweight to the U.S.
It is amazingly silent about this new security doctrine. Where are all the angry UN friends within the social democracy? Swedish soldiers have been involved in many successful operations friedensbewahrenden participated. The EU will friedensbewahrender as an international player and as a counterweight to the power politics of the United States needed. Sadly, the verteidigungsindustriellen interests of the Union towards greater militarization to steer away from humanitarian operations and rescue services. In the war against terrorism dominated all too often the military thinking. At a time when the only remaining superpower USA also has a president who is constantly engaged in the UN system to slander, and against the will of the Security Council a war starts, we need alternative voices to the international law and the UN occur. Sweden was once such a vote.
It is charged that this voice is now silent - without any more public discussion.
Helle Klein *
* Bright Klein is head of the editorial editor of Aftonbladet, the largest - socialist-oriented - Swedish Boulevard Journal.
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