Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.09.2008, Blaðsíða 6

6 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 14—2008
ARTIClE BY SveInn BIRKIR BJÖRnSSon — ILLuSTRATIon BY HRoTTI K
Iceland does not maintain an army; but since
2001, we have maintained the paramilitary Icelan-
dic Crisis Response Unit (ICRU), an expeditionary
peacekeeping force that is deployed on peace-
keeping and humanitarian aid missions around
the world, mostly in an effort to bolster Iceland’s
participation in NATO. While the ICRU is suppos-
edly a civilian force, due to the nature of most
of their assignments all members receive basic
military training, equipment and rank from NATO,
mostly through the Norwegian armed forces.
In 2003, the ICRU was deployed to Afghanistan to
participate in missions on behalf of the Interna-
tional Security Assistance Force (ISAF). On July
1, 2004, the ICRU took over control of the Kabul
International Airport from Germany under the
stern leadership of Col. Hallgrímur Sigurðsson,
who had 1800 soldiers and peacekeepers under
his command. This was our first notable military
venture since the Viking age.
After several uneventful months at the Ka-
bul Airport, disaster struck on October 23, 2004,
when a suicide bomber attacked Icelandic peace-
keeping personnel on Chicken Street in Kabul’s
main shopping district. The attack left three dead:
the attacker, an American woman, and an 11-year
old Afghan girl. Three Icelandic servicemen sus-
tained severe injuries to their body and face from
flying shrapnel. All of them recovered, but they
now share five testicles.
Under different circumstances, the events
surrounding the attack would best be described
as comical. Despite ISAF instructions to avoid
leaving the airport unless there was an urgency
to do so, Col. Haraldur Sigurðsson decided to take
his men shopping.
A trip was planned in advance to visit Chick-
en Street, where Col. Sigurðsson had learned of
an excellent carpet store from Turkish co-work-
ers. After scouting the surrounding area, Ásgeir
Ásgeirsson, in charge of security at the airport,
reported that Chicken Street was both narrow and
busy, and could propose serious security threats.
He recommended that the stop be kept brief, and
the merchandise should be ready for delivery
upon arrival.
SHOP N’ POP
At 13:55, Six Icelandic peacekeepers rolled out in
two vehicles, joined by an American co-worker
and a secretary from the Turkish embassy who
was invited to join them for his expertise in car-
pets and his previous relationship with the store
owner. The group took standard security mea-
sures in front of the store. According to the report,
the store owner had failed to comprehend his part
in making sure the stop was brief, possibly due to
a bad phone connection. While the group waited
as the carpets where readied, Col. Sigurðsson and
his guest enjoyed Afghan hospitality.
Meanwhile, the men standing guard outside
expressed their concerns over the delay. An hour
later when the group was preparing to leave, the
attack came. Col. Sigurðsson, whose immediate
response to the attack was to tell his men “Shit
happens!”, described the events to the Icelandic
daily newspaper Morgunblaðið: “It all happened
in less than 20 seconds. He threw two grenades
at them and as soon as they exploded a giant
cloud of smoke and dust appeared. He probably
ran into the smoke-cloud and up to them and then
exploded himself. This all happened in a matter of
seconds.” They never saw the assailant until after
the attack.
With one operational vehicle left, the group
charged to the nearest hospital, twenty minutes
away, with a short stop at headquarters to drop off
the secretary from the Turkish embassy. The Ice-
landic security force returned home soon, sport-
ing brand new T-shirts with the group’s new and
rather informal slogan emblazoned across their
chest: “Shit happens”
THE AfTERMATH
According to the report from the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs, everything indicates that the Ice-
landic security force guarding Col. Hallgrímur
Sigurðsson maintained their composure under
duress and acted in accordance with their train-
ing and standard operating procedures.
However, the committee finds that the ac-
tions of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the
Icelandic government in the days after the attack
were anything but exemplary, and shaped by their
ineptitude to deal with such matters. The report
details several mistakes in the official handling of
the incident as described by the members of the
ICRU themselves.
No independent investigation into the attack
and the events leading up to it was launched. The
Ministry handled press relations poorly and made
no attempts to correct obvious misstatements cir-
culating in the media. The attitude towards the
men upon return is described as indifferent and
more attention was directed to influence what
they said in the media, rather than provide them
with the appropriate help. Attitude towards family
members is described as “random and clumsy.”
No plan was in place in the event of such an at-
tack. The men criticised their commander, Col.
Sigurðsson for his actions on site, and his “shit
happens!” comment following the attack. The
committee finds that this event has had consider-
able negative effects, both mentally and physical-
ly, and that the men are especially hurt by the fact
that their claims for damages have been met with
indifference. To this day, only one of the injured
men has received any financial compensation.
In short, the committee finds that all complaints
by the members of the ICRU are warranted and
suggests that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs take
every measure to rectify the situation.
Of course, the larger question, what a para-
military group from Iceland was doing their in the
first place, remains unanswered. But the fact that
today, four years later, members of the ICRU are
still fighting bureaucracy over financial compen-
sation that they are lawfully entitled to shows only
one thing. Here in Iceland, shit happens!
Chickenshit Happens
Ministry report reveals shortcomings by officials in the aftermath of the Chicken Street attack.
DeSpITe ISAF InSTRucTIonS To AvoID
LeAvIng THe AIRpoRT unLeSS THeRe
wAS An uRgencY To Do So, coL.
HARALDuR SIguRðSSon DecIDeD To
TAKe HIS Men SHoppIng.
A report issued by a committee ap-
pointed by the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs finds serious faults with
the aftermath of a suicide bomb
attack involving members of the
Icelandic Crisis Response Unit. The
Grapevine takes a closer look.
ARTIClE
The qualifying rounds for the football World Cup
finals in 2010, to be held in South Africa, kicked
off last week. Iceland plays in a group with Hol-
land, Macedonia FYR, Norway and Scotland. All
these teams rank way above the Icelandic team,
which sits rather pitiable, in position number 107
in the FIFA world rankings.
The first match saw Iceland visit Norway in
Oslo and much to everyone's surprise the game
ended in a 2:2 draw. Equally surprising was the
1:0 win by Macedonia over Scotland. These results
laid the groundwork for an exciting match when
the Scots visited Iceland on the 10th of September.
The Scottish really needed a win if they were to
have any chance of making it to the finals, and the
draw against Norway fired up the Icelandic squad,
who seemed to believe that maybe, just maybe,
they could beat the Scots.
The buildup to the game started 2 days
earlier when the Scottish fans, dubbed the Tartan
Army, arrived in Reykjavik wearing their tradi-
tional kilts and their not so traditional clown wigs.
Why is it that football fans feel that it's necessary
to dress like children when they go see a game?
Never mind the kilts, that's somewhat cute and
quirky… but the wigs, the Viking helmets and the
face paint? It's weird but mostly just stupid to see
grown men parade around like that.
The Tartan Army is considered the best-
behaved group of national football supporters
around the world. Back in the seventies things
weren't quite like that. In 1977 in a bizarre act of
defiance, frustration or bewilderment, the Scot-
tish fans stormed Wembley stadium after a match
with England and tore down the goalposts. A
pretty concise statement to both teams. But since
then the Tartan Army has cleaned up it's act and
has won awards from FIFA for having a "friendly
nature" as opposed to beating up children, "do-
nating to charity" as opposed to stealing from said
children and most strangely: for "vocal support"
as opposed to being silent football fans - the defi-
nition of an oxymoron.
The Tartan Army, true to their nature, was
indeed not so silent on the streets of Reykjavík the
two days leading up to the match. They paraded
around in their kilts, drawing attention wherever
they went – which most of the time was just the
nearest pub. One member said in a drunken tele-
vision interview that he liked to drink 20 beers a
day, which made me wonder what kind of jobs
these lads have at home – for 20 beers in a pub in
Reykjavík equals most honest men's pay.
On match day most of the Army's men and
women were well sauced. True to their reputation
of being friendly and contrary to the Icelanders,
the Scottish seem to have fun when they drink and
do not see it as their immediate goal to beat up
the next unfortunate soul to cross their path. So
the Scots drank, shouted and sang all through the
game while the Icelanders cursed at their team
when nothing went their way. The shirtless Scots
behind me had made up new lyrics to some of
their old fighting songs – "we will deep fry all your
puffins" was one line. All in all I wish the Tartan
Army would visit more often.
And the match? We lost 1:2. But that was to
be expected.
The Tartan
Army Comes
to Town
BY pÁLL HILMARSSon