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U.S. put a very hard pressure on Norway to prevent the split in NATO, and to the coalition government to accept missile shield and take the open away from Russia and Russian claims of missile defense.

Wikileaks documents Aftenposten have access to show the pressure and reveal duplicity from central ministers and state secretaries in the Stoltenberg government to meet the United States.

In its government platform, the Soria Moria Declaration In 2005, the Government had pledged to "work to abandon the current plans for missile defense."

Extensive pressure

United States used in 2007 and 2008, significant resources to influence the commentators and journalists, research groups and leading parliamentary and government politicians.

"We're pushing our interlocutors, both within and outside government, to at least to refute Russian misinformation and to separate the Norwegian and Russian positions to avoid damage to alliance solidarity," wrote former U.S. Ambassador Benson K. Whitney in a memo from March 2007 .

Here it was listed a number of prominent Norwegian actors embassy has had a meeting with. It included the leader of the defense committee in Parliament, which then was Jan Petersen (H), the then State Secretary Espen Barth Eide at the Defense Department, various officials in both the foreign and defense ministry, researchers and "prominent journalist", which was not named.

It is within easy reach to influence the political elite
U.S. ambassador in a letter

Influenced journalists

The embassy was also in contact with other Allied embassies in Oslo, to get these to influence the Norwegian government to respond to "provocative Russian statements."

The embassy announced that they would take up the issue in meetings with the right leader Erna Solberg, Parliament's president, who was then Jagland, and a second of the leaders of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

The embassy would continue the influence of journalists "to encourage them to present a broader picture of the case, with emphasis on Russian attempts to undermine alliance solidarity."

"It is within easy reach to influence the political elite", note U.S. ambassador.

In June 2007, visited the head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering Norway to maintain pressure. When Benson K. Whitney wrote that the government and commentators in the media "shows a better understanding of the U.S. missile defense plans" and the increasing willingness to contradict Russia.

Later in June the Foreign Minister and Ambassador Whitney for lunch.

According to Whitney's meeting between Minister rejected that wording in the coalition government platform was a problem.

"Minister does not see NATO missile defense activity for which a real problem for the government," he wrote.

The influence continued in 2008. When NATO defense ministers meeting in Lithuania in February 2008, said former Defense Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen to the media that Norway doubt on the need for missile defense, and that it may increase the risk of an arms race.

Minister does not see NATO missile defense activity for which a real problem for the Government
U.S. ambassador in a letter

Government change

It was not many days before the then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Raymond Johansen, nuanced it all to Ambassador Whitney.

Johansen pointed out a solution for Norway. He emphasized that a NATO decision on missile defense would ensure that all the alliance's member countries received protection from the shield. This solution will allow a change of Norwegian politics.

Some weeks later, in March 2008, the Socialist Left Party leader Kristin Halvorsen interviewed by Bergens Tidende on missile defense. Then, she stated that the Government's opposition to the plans were firm, and she stressed that there was no difference whether the missile defense was established under the auspices of the United States or NATO.

- It is important that Norway does not signal that the battle is lost, but that we are trying to find new ways of how to avoid this spiral arms, "said Halvorsen - and promised to continue fighting NATO.

Domestic political considerations

In August 2008, visited the U.S. NATO ambassador Kurt Volker Norway. When he met with State Secretary Espen Barth Eide at the Defense Ministry and Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

The minutes indicate internal disagreements since the Norwegian Minister stressed that he remained skeptical of missile defense, while Barth Eide gave a different impression.

Barth Eide said, according to minutes of the conversation, that the government's skepticism mainly due to domestic political situation in Norway, and that missile defense would not be so controversial after the United States had entered into agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland.

He also suggested that Norway would adapt to a decision to develop missile defense in Europe.

Norway's turnaround was not completed until Barack Obama had joined the new U.S. president.

When Obama announced his new strategy for missile defense, was a radar in the Czech Republic and missile silos in Poland shelved. He however, maintained that it should establish a comprehensive missile defense.

Minister supported the

In a meeting with U.S. NATO ambassador Ivo Daalder in August 2009, a month before the new strategy was announced, did Jonas Gahr Store it clear that Norway accepted the missile. In the minutes of the meeting states that the Norwegian "the government will welcome a new strategy for missile defense that places emphasis on a multilateral approach."

Minister supported the idea of a territorial missile defense system that covers the entire NATO area. He also supported Daalder's views about the urgency to realize that to meet the Iranian threat.