The Social Democrats of Reykjanesbær applaud former Minister of Transportation and Communications Kristján L Möller for telling the Civic Aviation Authority to give Dutch military contractor ECA Program the green light for operations in Iceland.
As reported, Kristján had, as his last official function, informed ECA Program that they were now formally welcome to begin operations in Iceland. This sparked outrage among leftists within the Icelandic government. Kristján, for his part, denied having done anything of the sort, but ECA Program wrote on their website that Kristján had, in fact, approved the sale.
It appears all pretense of who said or did what is now being dropped, as the Social Democrats of Reykjanesbær – where ECA would be basing its Icelandic operations – have released a public statement applauding Kristján.
Vísir reports that the statement says, in part, that ECA’s operations are based on the same foundation as any other foreign company seeking to do business in Iceland. They contend that the planes will be unarmed, unable to be armed, and that any war exercises will be conducted outside of Icelandic air space. ECA Program has contended the same.
Reykjanesbær is located in Suðurnes, a region that has the highest unemployment rates in Iceland. Many residents had been pinning their hopes on Magma Energy, but that matter has come to a stand-still.
Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson, in whose hands the ECA matter now rests, told radio station Bylgjan that his main concern was whether or not “the work [ECA Program does] is in harmony with the government position on a peaceful foreign policy”, adding that very little is known about the work ECA Program actually conducts.