Sweden is in the process of joining NATO. It has also signed an unprecedented bilateral agreement with the United States that will, in effect, paint a huge target on the Nordic nation’s forehead. If push comes to shove between NATO and Russia over Ukraine, Sweden may end up as a radioactive wasteland where it might otherwise have been left alone.
Many thanks to our Swedish correspondent LN for translating this op-ed from Aftonbladet:
Sweden has voluntarily submitted to the USA
Commentary by Jan Guillou
February 25, 2024
The defence agreement between Sweden and the US introduces American supremacy.
It looks like Sweden must have gone to war with the US and lost. At least when you read the latest defence agreement between our government and the US. It introduces American sovereignty in Sweden.
Of course, this is not the picture conveyed by the media. From Rapport’s coverage I only remember pictures of a happy little Swedish defence minister and a grumpy giant American defence minister (Minister of Defence Pål Jonson and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin) signing the secret agreement, as if it were just another routine agreement. It is not. It is unique in our history and incomprehensibly far-reaching. It is about total submission.
Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd AustinThe very beginning of the text of the agreement states that the US will have “unrestricted access to and use of agreed facilities and areas.”
And what are these agreed facilities and areas? They are listed on page 37. These are all of Sweden’s air force flotillas and all major army installations, a total of 17 listed. In practice, this is the entire Swedish defence where the US will have “unrestricted”, i.e. unlimited power.
On unspecified defence installations, certain areas will also be cordoned off where “only US forces will have access to and use” and where US jurisdiction will apply. But not only that. “Upon request”, the US will have access to and use of private land and assets, including roads, harbours and airports.
The US also gets the right to freely develop “areas and facilities” to store weapons and defence equipment. There are no exceptions for types of weapons, not even nuclear weapons (Article 14). The parties “may consult on the above to the extent necessary”.
Subsequently, a large number of pages list the rights and entitlements of US soldiers stationed in Sweden.
U.S. personnel in Sweden, their family members and civilian employees, shall be granted passport and visa exemption; U.S. military identification shall apply instead; Swedish security police shall not control [stop/search] or monitor U.S. personnel; all cars owned by serving Americans shall be equipped with Swedish licence plates, which shall not be traceable, all American personnel shall be exempt from tax, even from VAT on their purchases, and shall enjoy full exemption from customs duties on all goods they wish to bring into or out of the country, including currency without restriction; American aircraft shall be free to use Swedish airspace, just as American shipping uses Swedish territorial waters.
U.S. air or sea traffic may not be inspected by Swedish authorities, and much more in a very long list of provisions.
Furthermore, Sweden “hereby declines to exercise criminal jurisdiction” (Article 12) over US military personnel, their family members and civilian employees. Somewhat contradictorily, the same section (Article 12:3) states that “if a member of the US forces or family member is prosecuted by Swedish authorities, jurisdiction shall be exercised by Swedish courts.”
Sounds reasonable. But: “may not be prosecuted in absentia (12:4) and if the legal procedure lasts more than a year, it is invalid.” Since the Swedish police cannot arrest suspected Americans from their bases, this means in practice that the American soldiers, in the company of the Swedish head of state, enjoy immunity from prosecution.
Civil claims may not be directed against US personnel (Article 15) and so the list goes on down to small things such as exemption from any TV fees (Article 17), the right to use US stamps, but the obligation to pay bridge and ferry tolls. And finally the unsurprising provision that Swedish trade union rules and rights are invalid. On page 36.
“Upon request”, the US will have access to and use of private land and assets, including roads, harbours and airports.
The American authors of the agreement — there is no trace of Swedish authors — seem to have thought of everything. But they have long experience in all the countries they have occupied. Maybe they just took the surrender agreement with Iraq, for example, off a shelf and tweaked it a little bit.
Even the right to have their own tax-free areas for recreation, shopping, entertainment, hamburger joints and tax-free alcohol has been considered (Article 21).
This Swedish submission to a great power is not historically unique. But you have to go back to the second half of the 18th century to find something similar. Back then, it was Russia that decided Swedish foreign policy for some time.
However, this new submission is voluntary and has nothing to do with NATO; the contract is only between the US and Sweden. In the future, it may turn out that the Kristersson government has put Sweden’s defence forces in the hands of President Donald Trump, even if he pulls the US out of NATO.
This is not just any scandal. It is incomprehensible how this could happen in secret without any discussion in the Foreign Affairs Committee with the political opposition. Because that’s how it must have happened. Surely S, V, MP and C [the political parties] could not have agreed on this and kept their mouths shut? And what was the government thinking? Are the “nationalists” in SD really agreed to sell out Sweden’s independence, and shut up, too? Who really wanted to make Sweden the absolute primary target of Russia in Europe in the event of war?
There are about 126 more questions to ask about this one of the biggest political scandals of my lifetime. I generously leave that job to my younger journalist colleagues.
Just attack!
“If push comes to shove between NATO and Russia over Ukraine, Sweden may end up as a radioactive wasteland where it might otherwise have been left alone.”
The most articulate and accurate summation I’ve heard to date!
Naw, the Russians could literally walk across Sweden and only a few shots fired.
“this new submission is voluntary…” – as in – “it is an offer Sweden couldn’t refuse” – wink wink
The Protektorat Bohmen und Mahren had signed identical treaty with the USA just a few months ago, therefore there is a visible global pressure by the USA to have this treaty signed with as many “national governments” as possible.
Weird thing is – the treaty basically repeats the same rights and duties that are already part of some NATO treaties, so the treaty was – in case of the Protektorat, rather redundant… Sweden’s position is a bit different but since Sweden’s joining NATO…
-> It is a failsafe for the USA in case NATO to break up – nothing would change for the US Army international.
-> It is also a “collonial treaty” signed between the ruling nation and its collony overseas.
The Collonies of the Empire send greetings to our new members, Welcome Sweden 🙂
Not every Swede, especially higher up in the north, would be sad if the madness and stupidity concentrated in their capitol and the southern cities would find a rude ending.
The convention of states is 3/5 complete. When they end up at the US Capitol, they’ll be voting on 1. Term Limits 2. Eliminate federal income tax 3. Balanced budget amendment. Time for the US military to come home and turn in the gear.
Yeah, not going to happen, we ain’t voting our way out of this mess any longer.
The Swedes have not fought in a major war since the 19th century, and they remained neutral throughout the Great War and the Second World War. They have also enjoyed the protection of the U.S. & NATO nuclear umbrella since the 1950s. Coupled with these realities, the Swedes have also enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the world these many years, and in a society which until quite recently was known as one of the most-prosperous and peaceful on earth.
It is therefore perhaps understandable how the Swedes, so sheltered and protected, might have forgotten the rules of life in the real world, as opposed to whatever they call day-to-day life there in the land of the midnight sun. Only someone with a death wish pokes a giant bear again-and-again with a sharp stick.
And no matter what one thinks of the Russians or Putin, whether ones loves them, hates them or something else in-between, it is suicidally-foolish to bait a nation armed with the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons on earth. Such a nation must be respected for that simple fact: That they can turn your country in a field of radioactive glass.
Between this and what the Muslims are doing, it seems a fair question to ask: Do the Swedes have a death wish?
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As attentive GoV followers – who nowadays, since the new standard quite a long time ago was introduced by LN, always must check the content of each day’s
Gates of Vienna News Feed: “Leave a reply” column,
have noted, this article, with additions, like so many other high quality contributions, for lack of a more appropriate location, was included in the
“Leave a reply” column, – two days ago..
One might think that the reasonably unburdened Lord of the castle Bodessey could have taken the time to reorganise the site in a small way, so that a more appropriate place for readers’ special and non-commentary contributions could be available.
This, of course, only if the proposal for this minimal reorganisation is appreciated by the Lord of the Manor himself.
What did I do wrong?
Baron Bodissey did not care to answer – he who otherwise readily answers the most stupid questions, such as whether Mr Jensson now writes under this name and not his nom de guerre: Fjordman.
Yeah, my poor eyesight which is down to less than
3 % (0.03) fran led me to misspell the Baron’s name – it was an e instead of an i – so that’s what happened? – Pardon me!
Can I rephrase my issue and make it more understandable?
Wouldn’t that be beneficial to all parties:
the Baron himself, the assumed 350,000
interested readers of GoV and the readers
who want to expand the site with their own
or borrowed contributions, if the Baron
gave them a special space, perhaps labelled “contributions” or “additions”?
The Baron can’t find everything himself, nor does he publish materirl that doesn’t interest him for the moment.
This story about the decline of Sweden apparently appealed to him
I think you significantly over-estimate the number of GoV readers!
I didn’t answer your question because I didn’t really understand what you were asking for? What specifically would you like me to do?
Hello there, lord of the Castle Bodissey!
1.
“I think you significantly over-estimate the number of GoV readers!”
I think so too.
But judge for yourself.
https://www.semrush.com/website/gatesofvienna.net/overview/
I can’t do it – I have to have 400% magnification
to be able to read the computer screen through my 250%
magnifying glass – that is, I only see 1/16 part of the
screen at a time.
2.
“I didn’t answer your question because I didn’t really understand what you were asking for?”
No problem. I too suffer from incipient senile dementia.
That is not no stop sign!
Take for example
Gates of Vienna News Feed 2/29/2024 with 11
replies. How many of these are related to
Gov News Feed? Anyone at all? Nope.
Does the above suffice as an explanation?
Or today’s with so far 7 answers, of which none
refers to GoV News Feed 3/1/2024.
3.
“What specifically would you like me to do?”
Fix the described situation/problem.
The rule is that nothing is off-topic when commenting on the news feed, nor are commenters required to refer to any particular news item or comment. This way, they can post their own news items, as long as they comply with the general guidelines for the site.
I don’t see any problem, so there’s no need to fix anything.
Second Answer
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A final argument.
Thus it has not occurred to the little old man – up there in the castle forest, that many of his visitors of the more comfortable sort as well as most others too, never look in either his News Feed or in its Leave a reply, and therefore, as it is today, missis Karl-Olov Arnsbergs
Sunday Chronicle, which they might have enjoyed reading.
Or would have missed yesterday’s “Sweden Pre-Emptively Surrenders to the USA”, if it hadn’t fallen on the Baron’s lip and therefore been taken into the
beautiful salon.
‘I say as KOA,
quote
My [fundament]!
—
Mr. FREESWEDEN/LN:
I’ve noticed that nothing I do is ever satisfactory to you.
Perhaps it has not occurred to you that by repeatedly insulting, denigrating, and belittling your host, by carping, sniping with snarky sarcasm, and complaining that nothing is to your liking, you have effectively de-motivated him. When anything I do induces nothing but contempt, why should I bother attempting to comply with what you ask?
In other words: You can take your requests and stick them up your [fundament].
With failing eyesight and deteriorating capabilities, I am running this blog as best as I can. Deal with it.
Third answer
__________
Ugh so silly!
As if Sweden needed any more No-Go Zones.
Swedes and Finns just outflanked Konigsberg . Op-ed from the Aftonbladet is just that. It is a paper owned by the Swedish trade union association. Russia’s gross miscalculations are bearing fruit. Their ice-free port is surrounded. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia can be resupplied from the new NATO countries side stepping the Sulwaki gap. Gotland is secured blocking access to the Baltic.
Putin threatens nukes every five minutes. The invasion of Ukraine has galvanized Eastern Europe and given NATO new purpose. Way to go Vladimir. You are not reaching the Besarabian/Polish passes. Transnistria won’t last . Russia can enjoy whatever ruins they manage to claw from Ukraine. Pariah status has its’ costs.
Well, I would maintain that Sweden has managed to dig its own grave, and they have done so astonishingly well without the aid of any non Swedes. They have achieved this by importing millions of third world welfare recipients who don’t share the indigenous peoples values or work ethics, while at the same time telling the other Scandinavian nations how racist they are for not being just as good and tolerant as themselves.
This mass importation of third world denizens is what’s going to cause the demise of this once prosperous nation, and not whether Sweden joins a defence alliance or not. I would even go so far as to say that if Sweden got attacked by Russia, or some other belligerent nation, the majority of these new-Swedes would leave with their tails between their legs, looking for the next imbecile-nation that they can suck dry.
I’m no fan of NATO and its neo con agenda, and I believe its leadership and certain powerful individuals in the US have caused unprecedented problems for the western world. The [excrement] show in Iraq, the destruction of the Gaddafi regime and of course, the latest debacle in Ukraine have caused immense problems for ordinary people in the EU zone.
This is of course not solely the fault of the aforementioned individuals, the leadership of the EU and the so called elected representatives of the various nation states of Europe, who are supposed to look after their constituents best interests share an equal blame for this mess.
But I also think it’s important to keep in mind that the author of this op-ed, Jan Guillou is an old left wing fanatic, who has admitted to working as a paid informant for the KGB in the past. This is also an individual who has been a staunch proponent of turning Sweden into a third world hellhole. So I don’t think he is in any position to throw any rocks.
I personally don’t take anything this cretin has to say seriously. And the only pleasure I take in seeing his name as the author of a translated text on GoV is the serious amount of flak he’ll take from his fellow left wing cretins in Sweden. Just like certain Norwegians took a lot of flak when their writings appeared in translated versions on GoV in the immediate aftermath of 22/7 in Norway.
What’s going to happen in Europe in the future is anyone’s guess. I don’t think it’s going to be pleasant, and it is definitely going to be bloody. But the problems we’re facing can no longer be solved by peaceful means. Europe has always been a theatre of war, and that’s not going to change.
That is the sad truth, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
It’s time for Swedes to hand over their country to Third World immigrants and to go and settle in Australia.