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Sweden Is Preparing For A "Civil War": PM Wants To Deploy Army In No-Go Zones
Link Source 1 : (Zero Hedge) https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018...ng-civil-war-pm-wants-deploy-army-no-go-zones
Links Source 2 : (New York Post) https://nypost.com/2018/01/17/sweden-is-preparing-its-people-for-war/
Link Source 3 : (BBC News) http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42733539
Link Source 4 : (CNN News) http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/europe/sweden-security-leaflets-russia/index.html
For the first time since World War II, Sweden is preparing to distribute a civil defense brochure to some 4.7 million households, warning them about the onset of war.
The booklet will serve as a manual of "total defense" in case of a war, and provide details on how to secure basic needs such as water, food, and heating, the FT reported. The manual also covers other threats such as cyber attacks, terrorism, and climate change.
"All of society needs to be prepared for conflict, not just the military. We haven’t been using words such as total defense or high alert for 25-30 years or more. So the knowledge among citizens is very low," said Christina Andersson, head of the project at the Swedish civil contingencies agency.
What if the threat is not from Russia, but one that is domestic?
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that Sweden would do whatever it takes, including sending in the army, to end the wave of gang violence situated in the no-go zones around the country. Sweden’s murder rate has been relatively low over the years, but thanks to the migrant crisis, police are powerless in many areas across the country.
"It’s not my first action to put in a military, but I’m prepared to do what it takes to ensure that the seriously organized crime goes away," Lofven said after the party leadership discussion in parliament.
“But it is also obvious that there are social problems. Last year 300 shootings occurred, 40 people were killed. The new year has begun with new launches. We see criminals with total lack of respect for human life, it’s a terrible development I’m determined to turn around,” he added.
Even the Swedish Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson “declared war” against organized crime and suggested that Sweden should deploy the military to no-go zones to counter the out of control violence.
“People are shot to death in pizza restaurants, people are killed by hand grenades they find on the street,” Akesson said in parliament on Wednesday.
“This is the new Sweden; the new, exciting dynamic, multicultural paradise that so many here in this assembly … have fought to create for so many years,” he said sarcastically.
Peter Imanuelsen, an independent journalist in Sweden, summed up the recent developments in a timeline:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sweden has grown worried about Russia’s motives following the country’s annexation of Crimea, its support for Ukrainian separatists and its decision to conduct military exercises near the Baltics and Scandinavia, the newspaper reported.
In response, Sweden ramped up its military spending, reintroduced the draft and placed permanent troops on Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea, for the first time in 10 years.
Sweden also engaged in war games with the United States, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, France and Norway in September 2017.
It was the country’s largest military exercise in 23 years.
The Nordic country has also renewed debate on whether to join NATO, the alliance of European countries and the United States created after World War II.
“What was unthinkable five years ago is no longer unthinkable, even if it’s still unlikely. This has very different policy implications,” Martin Kragh, head of the Russia program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, told the Financial Times.
---------------------------------------------------------
The country suspended conscription in 2010 and instead adopted a recruitment system which relied on volunteers.
But it changed tack in March 2017, announcing conscription would return in 2018.
The decision to boost defense spending by $720 million over five years was taken in February 2015 -- but Sweden is lacking suitable numbers for its defense forces.
According to government figures provided in March, the armed forces were 1,000 troops short in terms of full-time squad leaders, solders and sailors.
The plan aims to ensure there are 6,000 full-time members serving with 10,000 available on a part-time basis.
In May 2017 Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told CNN: "The Russian regime has showed they are ready to use military powers to fulfill political goals."
Sweden is not a member of NATO but it has contributed to NATO-led operations and enjoys bilateral ties with the alliance through the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.
Link Source 1 : (Zero Hedge) https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018...ng-civil-war-pm-wants-deploy-army-no-go-zones
Links Source 2 : (New York Post) https://nypost.com/2018/01/17/sweden-is-preparing-its-people-for-war/
Link Source 3 : (BBC News) http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42733539
Link Source 4 : (CNN News) http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/europe/sweden-security-leaflets-russia/index.html
For the first time since World War II, Sweden is preparing to distribute a civil defense brochure to some 4.7 million households, warning them about the onset of war.
The booklet will serve as a manual of "total defense" in case of a war, and provide details on how to secure basic needs such as water, food, and heating, the FT reported. The manual also covers other threats such as cyber attacks, terrorism, and climate change.
"All of society needs to be prepared for conflict, not just the military. We haven’t been using words such as total defense or high alert for 25-30 years or more. So the knowledge among citizens is very low," said Christina Andersson, head of the project at the Swedish civil contingencies agency.
What if the threat is not from Russia, but one that is domestic?
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that Sweden would do whatever it takes, including sending in the army, to end the wave of gang violence situated in the no-go zones around the country. Sweden’s murder rate has been relatively low over the years, but thanks to the migrant crisis, police are powerless in many areas across the country.
"It’s not my first action to put in a military, but I’m prepared to do what it takes to ensure that the seriously organized crime goes away," Lofven said after the party leadership discussion in parliament.
“But it is also obvious that there are social problems. Last year 300 shootings occurred, 40 people were killed. The new year has begun with new launches. We see criminals with total lack of respect for human life, it’s a terrible development I’m determined to turn around,” he added.
Even the Swedish Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson “declared war” against organized crime and suggested that Sweden should deploy the military to no-go zones to counter the out of control violence.
“People are shot to death in pizza restaurants, people are killed by hand grenades they find on the street,” Akesson said in parliament on Wednesday.
“This is the new Sweden; the new, exciting dynamic, multicultural paradise that so many here in this assembly … have fought to create for so many years,” he said sarcastically.
Peter Imanuelsen, an independent journalist in Sweden, summed up the recent developments in a timeline:
- Government sends out leaflets to 4.7 million households telling them how to prepare for war
- Leader for Swedish Democrat party says “A war is being waged on Swedish society”
- Swedish PM is considering deploying the army in no-go zones
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sweden has grown worried about Russia’s motives following the country’s annexation of Crimea, its support for Ukrainian separatists and its decision to conduct military exercises near the Baltics and Scandinavia, the newspaper reported.
In response, Sweden ramped up its military spending, reintroduced the draft and placed permanent troops on Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea, for the first time in 10 years.
Sweden also engaged in war games with the United States, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, France and Norway in September 2017.
It was the country’s largest military exercise in 23 years.
The Nordic country has also renewed debate on whether to join NATO, the alliance of European countries and the United States created after World War II.
“What was unthinkable five years ago is no longer unthinkable, even if it’s still unlikely. This has very different policy implications,” Martin Kragh, head of the Russia program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, told the Financial Times.
---------------------------------------------------------
The country suspended conscription in 2010 and instead adopted a recruitment system which relied on volunteers.
But it changed tack in March 2017, announcing conscription would return in 2018.
The decision to boost defense spending by $720 million over five years was taken in February 2015 -- but Sweden is lacking suitable numbers for its defense forces.
According to government figures provided in March, the armed forces were 1,000 troops short in terms of full-time squad leaders, solders and sailors.
The plan aims to ensure there are 6,000 full-time members serving with 10,000 available on a part-time basis.
In May 2017 Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told CNN: "The Russian regime has showed they are ready to use military powers to fulfill political goals."
Sweden is not a member of NATO but it has contributed to NATO-led operations and enjoys bilateral ties with the alliance through the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.
