Resurrection
02-05-2006, 03:47 PM
http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=554&a=519053&previousRenderType=6
Already last Monday, the foreign ministry together with the government ordered the Swedish embassies in the muslim world to tighten the security due to the tense situation following the publishment of the Muhammed cartoons.
"After the recent events however, the Swedish embassies will go through additional security measures," explains Mikael Westerlind, head of security.
.....
Special attention will be paid to the embassies in Jakarta, Indonesia and Dakka, Bangladesh, where as in Damascus, Sweden and Denmark share a building.
After the attack in Damascus, a fire bomb that had failed to catch fire was found inside the Swedish embassy.
"It was a molotov cocktail, a bottle filled with ignitor fluid, which had been thrown into a room near the balcony," says Catharina Kipp, Sweden's ambassador in Syria. The staff is now working on trying to clean up so the embassy can resume its normal function on Tuesday.
DN asks Mikael Westerlind, head of security, these questions:
1. What can Sweden do to contribute to the security of its embassies?
"We are dependant on the resources of the host nation. And that includes things such as security units to protect the building. Increasing the security can be done by hiring more security guards, or maybe by using contractors. But it is important to make it clear to the host nation that we are in a vulnerable state and need the protection that has been asked for."
2. Why don't we use Swedish soldiers to protect our embassies, similar to what the US does?
"We haven't been exposed to the type of latent threat that for example the US always has. If we were to use our own troops, a new law would have to be legislated.
This is however an issue that will be reviewed by the government."
3. So it is an ongoing discussion?
"You can say that it's an issue that has been talked about, yes. Not sending soldiers though, but police units.
However nothing is written in stone, these are just thoughts that have been discussed. At the same time, we need to remember that we are not as exposed to threats as say the USA or Israel."
Even the readiness of Säpo has increased since the attacks, but nothing indicates an overall heightened threat towards Sweden.
Already last Monday, the foreign ministry together with the government ordered the Swedish embassies in the muslim world to tighten the security due to the tense situation following the publishment of the Muhammed cartoons.
"After the recent events however, the Swedish embassies will go through additional security measures," explains Mikael Westerlind, head of security.
.....
Special attention will be paid to the embassies in Jakarta, Indonesia and Dakka, Bangladesh, where as in Damascus, Sweden and Denmark share a building.
After the attack in Damascus, a fire bomb that had failed to catch fire was found inside the Swedish embassy.
"It was a molotov cocktail, a bottle filled with ignitor fluid, which had been thrown into a room near the balcony," says Catharina Kipp, Sweden's ambassador in Syria. The staff is now working on trying to clean up so the embassy can resume its normal function on Tuesday.
DN asks Mikael Westerlind, head of security, these questions:
1. What can Sweden do to contribute to the security of its embassies?
"We are dependant on the resources of the host nation. And that includes things such as security units to protect the building. Increasing the security can be done by hiring more security guards, or maybe by using contractors. But it is important to make it clear to the host nation that we are in a vulnerable state and need the protection that has been asked for."
2. Why don't we use Swedish soldiers to protect our embassies, similar to what the US does?
"We haven't been exposed to the type of latent threat that for example the US always has. If we were to use our own troops, a new law would have to be legislated.
This is however an issue that will be reviewed by the government."
3. So it is an ongoing discussion?
"You can say that it's an issue that has been talked about, yes. Not sending soldiers though, but police units.
However nothing is written in stone, these are just thoughts that have been discussed. At the same time, we need to remember that we are not as exposed to threats as say the USA or Israel."
Even the readiness of Säpo has increased since the attacks, but nothing indicates an overall heightened threat towards Sweden.