Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 3891 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Yemen Jordan

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10
2002/02 2002/03 2002/11
2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone
Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AF ASEC AE AR AG AJ AFIN AU AM APER ABUD ATRN AORC AEMR AMGT ACOA AEC AO AX AMED ADCO AODE AFFAIRS AC AS AL ASIG ABLD AA AFU ASUP AROC ATFN AGMT
BU BR BL BO BM BE BH BTIO BEXP BIDEN BK BY BA BG BF BB BC BBSR BRUSSELS BILAT BX
CJAN CH CU CASC CVIS CMGT CO CI CLINTON CIA CG CF CN CS CAN COUNTER CIS CA CBW CM CE CONDOLEEZZA COE CR CY CD CTM COUNTRY CLEARANCE CPAS CWC CT CKGR CB CACS COM CDG CJUS CARSON COUNTERTERRORISM CACM CDB CV
DR DA DHS DOE DEA DK DJ DISENGAGEMENT DS DOD DEAX
EU EFIN EG ETTC EINV ENRG EI ECPS EINT ECON EIND ETRD EPET EUN EZ EMIN ELAB EAID EAGR ET EC EAIR ENVR ES ECA EWWT ER ELTN EFIS EN EXTERNAL ECIN EINVETC ENIV EINN ENGR EUR ESA ENERG ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL
FR FINR FAO FTAA FREEDOM FI FARC FBI FJ FMLN
GM GG GH GE GV GT GR GTIP GOI GCC GAZA GZ GA GTMO
HA HILLARY HR HUMAN HO HYMPSK HU HURI HK
IR IZ IS IT INRB IRAJ IN INRA INRO IO IC ID IIP IAEA ITPHUM IV IPR IWC IQ ICTY ISRAELI IRAQI ICRC ICAO IMO IF ILC IEFIN INTELSAT IL IA IBRD IMF ITALY ITALIAN INTERPOL
JO JA JOSEPH JP JOHNNIE JUS JAMES
KE KTFN KDEM KJUS KNNP KGHG KZ KIPR KWBG KIRF KPAO KDRG KHLS KCRM KSCA KPAL KISL KG KACT KN KS KGIC KRAD KU KCOM KBIO KMCA KCOR KV KHDP KTIP KVPR KDEV KWMN KSPR KTIA KHIV KPRP KAWC KOLY KCIP KCFE KOCI KMDR KPKO KTDB KMRS KFRD KLIG KBCT KICC KGIT KSTC KUNR KPAK KNEI KSEP KPOA KFLU KNUP KNNPMNUC KOMC KAWK KO KTER KSUM KHUM KRFD KBTR KDDG KWWMN KFLO KSAF KBTS KPRV KMPI KNPP KNAR KWMM KERG KFIN KTBT KCRS KRVC KR KPWR KWAC KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KGCC KPIN KNUC KPLS KIRC
LE LY LU LG LH LI LO LOG LT
MARR MOPS MU MASS MY MNUC MCAP MA MO MTCRE MG MASC MX MCC MZ ML MK MTRE MP MIL MDC MTCR MAR MEPI MRCRE MI MT MR MQADHAFI MD MAPS MUCN MPOS MEPP MOPPS MAPP
NATO NIPP NL NO NG NI NPT NE NS NAR NZ NU NPG NK NSG NA NT NASA NGO NATIONAL
OFDP OVIP OPRC OREP OIIP ODIP OTRA OSCE OAS OPIC OPDC OEXC OECD OPCW OSCI OTR OVP OFFICIALS OSAC
PGOV PREL PINR PO PINS PTER PK PHUM PARM PL PE PREF PHSA PBTS PGOF PROP PARMS PA PM PMIL PTERE POL PF PALESTINIAN PY PGGV PNR POV PAK PAO PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PNAT PROV PEL POLITICS PEPR PSI PINT PSOE PU POLITICAL PARTIES PBIO PECON POGOV PINL PKFK
QA
RS RU RW RP RIGHTS RICE RO ROBERT RF RFE REGION
SU SA SY SP SNAR SENV SCUL SW SOCI SF SO SR SG SMIG SL SN SHUM SZ SYR ST SANC SC SAN SIPRS SK SH SI STEINBERG
TI TIP TBIO TR TX TU TSPA TS TRGY TH TT TW TERRORISM TO TFIN TD TSPL TZ TPHY TK TNGD TC
UK UNSC UG US UZ UP UNO UNMIK UY UN UNGA UE UNESCO UAE UNEP USTR UNHCR UNDP UNHRC USAID UNCHS UNAUS USUN USEU UV
VZ VE VT VM VTPREL VN
WA WI WMO WTRO WTRQ WHO WWARD WB WBG WTO
XA XT XM XY XG XC XH XL XF XZ XW XR XD XS XK
YM YI YE
ZI ZP ZK ZF ZB ZANU ZOELLICK ZR ZU ZA

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 09REYKJAVIK221, ICELANDIC DEFENSE AGENCY TO BE INTEGRATED INTO NEW

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09REYKJAVIK221.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09REYKJAVIK221 | 2009-12-18 16:04 | 2011-01-13 05:05 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Reykjavik

`

    VZCZCXRO0636
    RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
    DE RUEHRK #0221/01 3521658
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    R 181658Z DEC 09
    FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4239
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 REYKJAVIK 000221

    SIPDIS

    SECDEF FOR A.M. FENTON, OSLO FOR R. SMITH

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2019
    TAGS: NATO PREL PGOV IC
    SUBJECT: ICELANDIC DEFENSE AGENCY TO BE INTEGRATED INTO NEW
    MINISTRY

    REF: REYKJAVIK 158

    Classified By: CDA SAM WATSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

    ¶1. (C)  Summary.  On December 4, the Government of Iceland
    announced plans to dissolve the Icelandic Defense Agency
    (IDA) and to integrate its duties into a new Ministry of the
    Interior.  The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Permanent
    Secretary at the MFA later offered assurances that the merger
    will be carried out in a responsible manner and that Iceland
    will continue to meet all of its NATO commitments.  The
    current director of the IDA, Tinna Vidisdottir, however,
    expressed grave reservations about the idea.  She said the
    government was playing politics with defense issues and that
    key commitments could fall through the cracks in this
    government reshuffling.  Two government officials have said
    that this step was an effort to placate the Left Greens.  The
    discussion on the new ministry will avoid the broad topic of
    defense lest it spur debate on whether Iceland belongs in
    NATO.  For this reason, the working group will focus on safer
    operational decisions, rather than strategic ones. End
    summary.

    The Creation of a New Ministry of the Interior
    --------------------------------------------- ---
    2.(U)  On December 4, the Government of Iceland announced its
    plans to dissolve the Icelandic Defense Agency (IDA) and to
    integrate its duties into a new Ministry of the Interior.
    The new ministry will merge two current ministries - the
    Ministry of Transportation, Communications and Local
    Government and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.  The
    ministry will also incorporate portions of other public
    agencies, such as the IDA, which currently falls under the
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    ¶3. (U)  The MFA, in a public statement, tasked a five person
    committee with organizing the merger and ensuring that it
    occurs in a responsible manner.  The committee will consist
    of one member from each of five government entities (the
    Ministries of Justice, Transportation, Finance and Foreign
    Affairs, and the Office of the Prime Minister).  The
    committee is expected to reach a decision on the logistics of
    the merger by February and the task should be completed by
    the end of 2010. (Comment.  The committee includes members of
    entities directly affected by the merger and also those with
    political interests in the matter, i.e. the Ministry of
    Finance. End comment.)

    ¶4. (C)  The general approach to this reorganization is
    largely consistent with what Foreign Minister Ossur
    Skarpedinsson described to us in September (reftel).  At that
    time, the Minister indicated that the plan would be set in
    motion by the end of the year.  In recent weeks, however, key
    MFA contacts had not indicated that the announcement was
    imminent, no doubt because it was with the Minister.  The
    Minister's Political Advisor told Charge on December 10 that
    three people had made this decision: the Prime Minister, the
    Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister (who is chairman of
    the Left Greens).  (Note: Given the Prime Minister's general
    deference to the Foreign Minister on such matters, it is
    likely that the latter was the real decision maker and that
    he sought to move the issue forward quickly.  End note.)

    A Pledge to Continue NATO Commitments
    --------------------------------------
    ¶5. (C)  The Permanent Secretary at the Icelandic Ministry of
    Foreign Affairs, Einar Gunnarsson, told Charge and Poloff on
    December 11 that the creation of the new ministry is, first
    and foremost, the coalition fulfilling its promise to
    streamline the government and make it more efficient.  The
    government, he said, had pledged to reduce the total number
    of ministries from twelve to eight and is now fulfilling this
    campaign promise.  Gunnarsson acknowledged that there is also
    a modicum of politics involved in the decision and did not
    dispute the idea that the Left Greens, the junior partners in
    the government coalition, have supported the dissolution of
    the IDA for quite some time.  Nonetheless, he stated that the
    process would occur responsibly and transparently.

    ¶6. (C)  Gunnarsson underscored that the new Ministry of the
    Interior would maintain Iceland's commitments to NATO.
    Iceland, he said, will continue to maintain the Icelandic Air
    Defense System (IADS) and all other NATO infrastructure in
    the country.  According to Gunnarsson, Iceland will also
    continue to participate in exercises such as Northern Viking
    and the NATO air policing missions.  This merger, he said,
    represents a change in form, but not in substance, for the
    country's defense activities.

    REYKJAVIK 00000221  002 OF 002

    ¶7. (C)  According to the British Ambassador, Foreign Minister
    Skarpedinsson offered similar reassurances at a luncheon of
    EU member embassies on December 14.  He reported to Charge
    that the Minister had said the restructuring was a "machinery
    of government" issue and not part of coalition horse trading.

    Concerns Regarding the Merger
    ------------------------------
    ¶8. (C)  On the other hand, the current Director of the
    Icelandic Defense Agency, Tinna Vidisdottir, expressed grave
    reservations to Emboffs regarding the decision to dissolve
    the IDA and said she doubts that the process will occur in a
    responsible manner.  The decision, she said, was undertaken
    for the sole purpose of mollifying the Left Greens.
    Vidisdottir said that the Left Greens have historically
    opposed Iceland's involvement in any organization with
    military connotations and the dissolution of the IDA is their
    reward for going along with their coalition partners, the
    Social Democrats, on controversial measures such as EU
    membership and the Icesave bill.

    ¶9. (C)  Vidisdottir opined that the merger would occur in a
    reckless manner.  The committee tasked with this undertaking,
    she posited, will largely be comprised of technocrats who
    lack the necessary qualifications to handle the task.  She
    feared that decisions would be made based upon finances
    rather than Iceland's strategic interests and shared with
    Emboffs a rumor that, she said, supported this contention.
    The responsibility for monitoring the IADS, she said, could
    potentially be transferred to Iceland's emergency hotline
    system, primarily as a means to pump extra funds into that
    cash starved entity.  "Can you imagine," she asked, "the 911
    dispatchers in the United States taking over the duties of
    NORAD?"  (Comment: While Vidisdottir is competent, she has
    alienated many people with her outspoke style.  She may not
    be totally objective in assessing this matter.  End comment.)

    Comment
    ---------
    ¶10. (C)  The truth regarding the merger probably lies
    somewhere in between the assurances of Gunnarsson and
    Skarpedinsson and Vidisdottir's warnings.  There is little
    doubt that the merger is politically motivated.  It is hard
    to say, however, whether this decision followed the
    government's original timetable or was a more desperate step
    by a weak government confronting tough votes on Icesave, tax
    hikes and the budget.  The shift of most IDA functions to a
    new ministry rather than leaving them at MFA and Justice as
    Skarpedinsson had predicted in September, would appear to
    indicate the need for the Social Democrats to show some
    support for their coalition partner.  One former MFA official
    who is still in government confirmed that the shape and
    timing of the reshuffle was a concession to the Left Greens
    to bolster the coalition as it faces key votes.  If the
    dissolution of the IDA were to occur, it would be the first
    issue on which the pacifist Left Greens won support for their
    position.  So far the Left Greens have yielded to the Social
    Democrats on joining the European Union, supporting the
    government on Icesave, and lowering taxes on energy use.
    Nonetheless, despite the political rationale behind the
    decision, there is no reason to suspect that the undertaking
    will not be carried out responsibly.

    ¶11. (C)  We have discussed the matter with like-minded
    counterparts in the diplomatic community and agreed to
    monitor closely the situation to make sure that no key
    commitments fall through the cracks during this government
    reshuffling.  We have also mentioned to MFA officials the
    possibility of inviting strategic experts to come to Iceland
    and share their expertise during this transitional period.
    MFA officials, however, have cited a lengthy study (2007)
    which concludes that Iceland faces no military threats and
    needs to consider only nonconventional threats as a basis for
    their strategic approach.  There is concern on their part
    that any discussion, private or public, on the broad topic of
    defense could backfire and reopen a debate on whether Iceland
    belongs in NATO.  For this reason, the working group will
    focus on safer operational decisions, rather than strategic
    ones.  End comment.
    WATSON

`