Iceland is well-known internationally for being a state with no armed forces.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s no appetite for an Icelandic army,\u201d says Baldur. \u201cIt\u2019s something that Icelanders tend to be very proud of. And we wouldn\u2019t even know how to run an army. It is much better and safer to rely on the forces of our allies.\u201d<\/p>\n
So\u2014other than the obvious financial methods\u2014how could Iceland contribute to any NATO war effort? The security zone at Keflav\u00edk Airport is already used by member states conducting airborne and marine reconnaissance\u00a0for the organisation, and could be used as a transport and logistics hub linking European operations to North America. \u201cAnd you could locate a temporary hospital here, for soldiers or civilians, if you didn\u2019t want to have it on the European continent,\u201d Baldur observes.<\/p>\n
Peacekeeping and protecting infrastructure<\/h2>\n
Given the fact that enemy internet infrastructure is now likely to be a high-profile wartime target, Icelandic digital security expertise could form part of NATO\u2019s defences, Baldur suggests. And medical, police and communications functions, which have traditionally been at the core of Icelandic foreign peacekeeping missions, could also come into play. \u201cIceland contributed to the policing of Kabul airport, and the airport in Kosovo,\u201d says Baldur, \u201cand is already sending people to work in communications for NATO in the Baltic states.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what about the possibility of fighting forces using Iceland as a base? About this, Baldur is quite matter of fact.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to be seen as the weakest link. And if there is no permanent military base in Iceland, you might be seen by the enemy as the weakest link. That might lead to a request, during wartime\u2014by the Icelandic government to NATO\u2014for a permanent military base here.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Grapevine asked\u00a0Baldur \u00de\u00f3rhallsson, Professor of Political Science and Research Director of the Centre for Small State Studies at the University of Iceland, this question: \u201cIf the war in Ukraine expands to involve conflict with NATO, how would Iceland be … Continue reading