Reykjavík Grapevine - 28.09.2013, Blaðsíða 21

Reykjavík Grapevine - 28.09.2013, Blaðsíða 21
Reykjavík · Engjateigur 19 and Laugavegur 20b · Hafnarfjör!ur · Strandgata 34 · www.glo.is This is Solla Eiriksdottir, the winner of Best Gourmet Raw Chef and Best Simple Raw Chef in the 2011 and 2012 “Best of Raw” Awards. Come and try out one of her great dishes at her restaurant Gló. Hafnarhús Tryggvagata 17, 101 Rvk. Open 10-17 Thursdays 10-20 Kjarvalsstaðir Flókagata, 105 Rvk. Open 10-17 Ásmundarsafn Sigtún, 105 Rvk. May-Sept.: Open 10-17 Okt.-Apr.: Open 13-17 One Ticket - Three Museums Open Daily Guided tour in English available every Friday at 11am. in June, July and August at Kjarvalsstaðir www.artmuseum.is Tel: (354) 590 1200 V is it Ic el an d´ s la rg es t ne tw or k of a rt m us eu m s in t hr ee u ni qu e bu ild in gs tel. 578 8555www.gamlasmidjan.is Lækjargata 8 Opening hours: mon-thu 11:30-23 fri 11:30-06 sat 12-06 & sun 12-23 Heavenly pizzas! Home delivery See our menu at www.gamlasmidjan.is 21 But the cables don't go much past that meeting, in terms of chronology, because the above dispatch was the one Chelsea Manning leaked to prove her- self to WikiLeaks. We do know how the story plays out (or has played out thus far), with a European Free Trade Association court having ruled in Janu- ary that Iceland needn't guarantee the Icesave pay- ments, and with the IMF aid program ending in August 2011. But that narrative is incomplete due to a dearth of unfiltered official opinion. Mr. Benediktsson Tries to Go to Washington One more cable does tell us something about the Icesave deal and the IMF that's still very relevant, however, because it sheds light on the current Fi- nance Minister's approach to politics—a cable sent November 16, 2009 called “INDEPENDENCE PAR- TY LEADER SEEKS MEETING WITH WHITE HOUSE TO DISCUSS IMF” The start of the document suggests there were aspects of the meeting motivated by what Bjarni Benediktsson believed to be the best interests of Iceland—even if the Independence Party leader's proposals were ambitious. He suggested a U.S. Su- preme Court Justice could mediate the Icesave Dis- pute. He also pushed for an audience at the White House to lobby the U.S. to support Icesave media- tion. But he himself didn't seem to think it was in Iceland's best economic interests to reject the legis- lative solution: ----------------------------------- He also admitted that, were he to have his way and the bill fail in parliament, it could further stall Iceland's recovery efforts. It would certainly mean no further loans from the IMF and, without that cash inflow, the government would be un- able to lift its capital control re- strictions and would likely have to issue Euro bonds to raise the nec- essary capital. He also said he was not anxious to assume leadership of the government, but preferred to remain in opposition until after the May 2010 municipal elections to benefit candidates from his party. ----------------------------------- He then suggested that, because the Icelandic gov- ernment was on a shoestring austerity budget, the U.S. could finance an Icelandic delegation's trip to Washington to promote “bilateral cooperation”— even if that bilateral summit contained an Icelandic delegation of one: ----------------------------------- Benediktsson was somewhat vague with suggestions on how to accom- plish this but suggested that the Parlimentary Foreign Affairs Commit- tee visit the United States. He then asked whether, considering Iceland's current financial problems, there might be some U.S. financing avail- able to facilitate such a trip. (Note: Benediktsson later sent CDA a follow up email expressing con- tinued interest in meeting with an official from the White House even if he came alone. End note.) ----------------------------------- CDA Watson commented that Bjarni's “request may be a political ploy designed to embarrass his opponents in the government and make waves in the media...Given his proposed solution on Ic- esave...his angle appears more likely political than economic.” But we only know this about the current sec- ond banana thanks to Chelsea Manning and WikiLeaks. One can only hope there will be mas- sive leaks to tell us about the behind-the-scenes history of future catastrophes—Icelandic or oth- erwise—sometime after the news about them crashes.

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