Excellent addition to the missile defense news today, Eric. I'd forgotten that Greenland was a Danish colony - (Snipped) Greenland was a danish colony in 1951. Today, Greenland has home rule - except for the foreing policy and for Greenlands underground resources, which are owned by Denmark.. The danish government has promised to include Greenland in all the negotiations, but only as an observer. The government has also promised the parlament that a decision will not be taken without debate in the parlament and the press.
I think there is a lot going on re: N. Korea that isn't making the mainstream papers, and the timing of the announcement later today has everything to do with placing events during a Congressional recess. Sets the stage for what may be an 8pm news conference sometime in January, with Pres. Bush citing Hans Blix' name several times, as was predicted elsewhere. Did you see my notice about three separate news items in Reuters from Washington, London and Shanghai? (Power of the Internet 3) So, the question is, did the US manufacture this little regional affair to justify raising Star Wars now even those the tests have been generally awful? Karen Watters Cole > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rune Jorgensen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > For your information, the danish foreign minister Per Stig Møller today > > went to Washington for a meeting with Colin Powell, where USA formally > > will ask Denmark's permission to upgrade the US radar at Thule for use > > in the missile defense. > > > > Officially, the danish government has not taken the decision to allow > > upgrading the radar. But today, danish prime minister Anders Fogh > > Rasmussen said on national radio that the danish government is postive, > > and that the american missile defense project is a "project of peace". > > > > Josef Motzfeldt from Greenland's home rule will accompany Per Stig > > Møller. The newly elected Greenland home rule opposes the lending of the > > Thule radar, if 1: it endangers world peace and 2: unless Denmark and US > > re-negotiate the 1951 defense agreement, which granted the US unlimited > > use of the Thule base in the first place. > > > > Josef Motzfeldt is a member of the IA party, who are opposed to the > > american military presence and danish colonial policy. > > > > Greenland was a danish colony in 1951. Today, Greenland has home rule - > > except for the foreing policy and for Greenlands underground resources, > > which are owned by Denmark. > > > > The danish government has promised to include Greenland in all the > > negotiations, but only as an observer. The government has also promised > > the parlament that a decision will not be taken without debate in the > > parlament and the press. > > > > At the same time, a group of Greenland hunter-gatherers have sued the > > danish state for forced expulsion from the area of the military base, > > when it was established in 1953. The danish High Court will give a > > ruling some time next year. The hunter-gatherer's lawyer, Christian > > Harlang has asked the government not to make any further decisions on > > the base until the verdict, but it is doubtful whether that has any > > legal carriance. > > > > The danish opposition in the parliament has raised a series of questions > > after the american proposal. Until now, two successive governments have > > declined to answer inquieries because there was no formal, US proposal. > > The two main opposition parties, who formed the governmnet until a year > > ago, have not taken a formal decision yet. They are inclined to follow > > USA, but opposition politics and a strong danish opposition to star wars > > outside parliament just might change that inclination. > > > > The danish peace movement is fully occupied with preventing danish > > participation in a war against Iraq, but an anti-star wars intiative > > does exist, and the matter might get more urgency now. > > > > Rune Jørgensen
