Iceland set to take over US base, defence cooperation to continue

Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa
Published: Friday September 29, 2006

Reykjavik- Iceland was due to take over defence force facilities evacuated by the United States this weekend marking a new era, Icelandic officials said Friday. The US was Saturday to withdraw the remaining few dozen military personnel from the Keflavik Naval Air Station, and mark the end of a 45-year permanent military presence in the North Atlantic nation.

A simple ceremony during which the flags of both nations were to be lowered was planned at Keflavik base.

US forces were slated to conduct military exercises in Iceland in future, but would no longer be based there, according to the terms of a joint understanding agreed on by Reykjavik and Washington.

"The first military exercises could perhaps be next year, in June," Albert Jonsson, foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Geir H Haarde, said.

The joint understanding on the defence and security agreements - that says the US remains committed to defend Iceland as stipulated in a 1951 defence treaty - were to be signed next month when Haarde and the Icelandic foreign minister were slated to visit Washington, Jonsson, who was chief negotiator for Iceland, said.

During the Cold War, Iceland's strategic position in the North Atlantic gave the country a key role in the US defence strategy and at their most the US forces on the island numbered 45,000.

The end of the Cold War and new security challenges including the war on terrorism contributed to the US announcement last March that it would close its remaining military facilities in Iceland.

Iceland has plans to lease two more helicopters in addition to two currently in use to cope with sea rescue operations, Jonsson said.

Rekykavik was also planning to review closer cooperation between the police, coast guard, fire service and rescue groups.

Reykjavik was also to take charge of clean-up operations at the evacuated defence facilities but the government was aware of what was needed to be done as well as the kind of waste, including "PCBs in some places" and some asbestos in buildings, Jonsson said, adding costs were estimated at some 30 million dollars.

Iceland has a population of 300,000 on an island roughly the size of South Korea or Cuba. Most of the almost 600 local Icelandic staff that remained at Keflavik were expected to find new jobs.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa