Revenge of the Quislings--UPDATE

More finger-pointing in legacy media, this time not 'just' vs. Russia! Russia! Russia! but also vs. Sweden, Finland and their NATO ambitions

And just when I thought this entire Nord Stream thing wouldn’t get any weirder, it did. Yesterday, I brought to your attention the gaslighting committed by Norway’s intelligence and security blob, assisted, as ever, by their willing collaborators in legacy media:

Revenge of the Quislings: Norway, Nord Stream, and the Unbearable Media Silence up North

That very same article has been updated several times now, and here’s what’s quite different about it (again, translation and emphases mine):

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Intelligence Community: Expect Higher Tensions

The invasion of Ukraine has driven Sweden and Finland to apply for NATO membership. This could increase pressure on Norway, according to the Norwegian Intelligence Service.

Caption reads: ‘NORWAY IS CENTRAL: Deputy Head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service Lars Nordrum says Norway will play a key role in supplying reinforcements to Sweden and Finland through NATO.’

‘Norway will play a key role in the supply of allied reinforcements to Sweden and Finland’, Lars Nordrum, Deputy Head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, told NRK.

In this way, Swedish and Finnish NATO membership makes Russia more concerned of Norway, says the intelligence chief. [re-read this sentence—and contrast it with the next one below; talk about cognitive dissonance]

Swedish and Finnish NATO membership is valuable for NATO and Norway. This is seen in the opposite way in Moscow—and this draws Norway closer to the Baltic Sea region. [this connects Norway to the US-fuelled resurgence of Poland’s interwar dreams—delusions—of the Intermarium]

Enough Trouble in Ukraine

Nevertheless, the intelligence chief stresses that Russian reactions to Norway have been restrained and ‘very measured’ since the war broke out. [what’s not mentioned here is the outright hostility of Oslo vs. Moscow and the latter’s restraint]

‘We have to remember that Russia has more than enough in Ukraine. The warfare there is going very badly and they are spread thin along the rest of the border’, Nordrum told NRK. [this is so comically stupid that I was almost going to refrain from commenting on it. Remember how well and massive the German advance towards Murmansk was in WW2? You don’t? Well, that’s because it wasn’t. To propose this would happen with NATO’s lightly armed tactical infantry groups in (weather) conditions that aren’t exactly conducive to combined arms operations above the Artic Circle is one thing; any military operation that far north would also be far from strategically decisive, hence me calling this BS; if the dept. intelligence chief doesn’t understand this, he’s not up to the task; if he does, he’s gaslighting you]

Nevertheless, it is clear that Finnish and Swedish membership in NATO could increase tensions, adds Nordrum:

It is clear that there is great distrust between Russia and NATO, and this may result in misunderstandings and increased tensions in our neighbouring areas as well.

[I almost ‘wonder’ why, eh? NATO expansion since 1990, the many illegal US-led aggressions, and the untrustworthiness of Western gov’ts might have something to do with this; of course, the spooks can’t say that aloud, can they…?]

Terrorist Organisations’ Options Restricted

The threat of terrorism from abroad comes mainly from individuals and loose networks of sympathisers. This applies to both extreme Islamism and right-wing extremism.

‘Serious threats are constantly being uncovered, all the way up to concrete attack planning’, says Nordrum. [evidence isn’t needed; also, note that there has been a string of such domestic incidents of late, e.g., the shootings in the Oslo metro area, all of which happened before the spooks ‘uncovered’ them]

He says this often involves young people who have been radicalised online. [note, in passing, that the attack on a gay bar in Oslo on the eve of the Pride parade was committed by a radicalised Muslim immigrant from Iran; or, in the case of the deranged nutcase who used a bow-and-arrow in a supermarket last year, by a middle-aged Norwegian; shall we speak of Breivik now?]

‘The efforts of the intelligence and security services have narrowed the scope of action of terrorist organisations’, according to the deputy chief. [claims without evidence are, well, opinions]

Minister of Defence: ‘We will sleep well’

We will sleep well at night. It is important for the Government to strengthen the services, the Armed Forces and civil preparedness, so that we can continue to sleep soundly. That we are equipped and pay an insurance premium that ensures that we have the preparedness that the security policy situation requires. This is important.

Statement by the Minister of Defence Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) to NRK.

[So, more ‘defence’ spending, even though Finland and Sweden are about to join NATO; about a month ago, the Defence Ministry sent out text messages to some 4,600 private individuals informing them that their private vehicle would be subject to requisition in the event of war…]

Minister of Foreign Affairs: - More focus on the High North

Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap) says she wants to help prevent misunderstandings:

Russia should know where we are. This is an important pillar of Norwegian security policy. At the same time, we are completely dependent on deterrence. This will improve when Finland and Sweden join NATO. Then we can exercise and train more together, and there will be more focus on the High North.

[Here, the Foreign Minister spills the beans and confirms my assessment in yesterday’s post: Norway’s military and intelligence is irrelevant, for the ‘deterrence’ that is indicated is—the US strategic (nuclear) triad.]

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Bottom Lines

The rest of the piece is the article I posted yesterday.

Apart from the running commentary in the squared parentheses, here’s a few more important aspects:

The header bears little resemblance to what the quoted individuals are stating. Curiously enough, the guiding idea behind NATO’s approach to collective security was the integration of European militaries with US forces, thus providing a counterweight to the Red Army’s perceived conventional superiority.

As the Norwegians now admit in so many words, NATO membership is no longer decreasing the risk of armed conflict (if it ever did, which is another questionable assumption, I’d add). To the contrary, NATO membership increases these risks.

On an operational level, the statements by the dept. spook chieftain can only be considered delusional—or intentionally misleading. Either way, they are a testament to the stunning decay of Western institutions.

Speaking of decay, the comments offered by the Defence Minister aren’t much better. We shall continue to sleep well despite the spooks telling the public that Finnish and Swedish NATO membership increases tensions is, even if taken at face-value, a highly questionable proposition. I do wonder, at this point, whether the spooks and generals actually talk to each other (or read each others’ reports) before they make public proclamations.

Finally, as regards Norway’s prostrate position, well, the Foreign Minister (unintentionally) spilled the beans on this one:

We are completely dependent on deterrence.

This means the US nuclear stockpile. Russia has more of these weapons, better delivery systems (ICBMs, hypersonic missiles), and the best air defence system available.

I suppose that the one thing that Norway has going for itself in the event of further escalation is its low population density and the fact that, apart from the above-mentioned US strongholds (near Trondheim, Tromsø, and Bodø), there are precious few targets that warrant undue attention by Russia’s armed forces.

A consolation prize, if you will.