Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Swedish government asked American officials to keep intelligence-gathering “informal” to help avoid Parliamentary scrutiny, American diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks show. 

The secret cables, seen by the Daily Telegraph, reveal how many workers Sweden debates on anti-terrorism operations held from public scrutiny wanted.
They describe how the officials of the Ministry of Justice and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs a "high degree of satisfaction with the current informal arrangements for sharing of information" had the U.S. government. Making formal arrangements should be announced to Parliament that they said.
They reveal the fears of workers that the intense scrutiny Swedish Parliament could put "a broad range of law enforcement and counter-terrorism" operations at risk.
Under 'visits to teams to facilitate the exchange of terrorist screening information with Sweden to discuss, "they show Dr. Anna-Karin Svensson, director of the department of police affairs, saying that the Swedish government strike controversy or their methods of intelligence are not published.
The cable stated that "the current political climate in the Swedish formal agreement of terrorist screening information very difficult." Swedish citizens are said to have a high value attached to the neutrality of the country.

 
"MJ team expressed their appreciation for the flexibility of the U.S. on a deal points out," said the corporal.
"They showed great satisfaction with the current system of informal information exchange with the U.S. and wondered whether the benefits of an alleged HSPD-6 according to the Swedes would be offset by the risk that these informal channels exist, covering a wide range of law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation, would be better and perhaps undermined by the Parliament to consider.
Dr. Svensson MFA reiterated concerns about the current political climate in Sweden. "
He continued: "They believed that in view of Swedish constitutional requirements on matters of national importance to Parliament and in the light of the ongoing controversy over the legislation in Sweden, recently deceased surveillance, it would be politically impossible for the Minister of Justice to avoid that submission of a formal exchange of information agreement with the United States to Parliament for review.
"In his view, the effect of the spotlight of public opinion also made other informal mechanisms for sharing information at risk."
The publication of new cables, sent from Washington to the American embassy in Stockholm in 2008, came after Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, was released on bail on Tuesday on the allegations of sexual abuse in Sweden.
Although a judge ordered him released with strict conditions and £ 200,000 for the reliable high-profile supporters, the Swedish authorities profession, ie, the 39-year-old remains behind bars.
Wikileaks claimed that the new cables that terrorism screening programs to discuss, give added weight to suggestions that Sweden and America were engaged in "backroom agreements."
Mark Stephens, a lawyer for Mr. Assange's, argued that his client was a "trial window dressing 'face and his case was politically motivated. The Swedish government denies the accusations.
Kristinn Hrafnsson, a spokesman for Wikileaks, said the site was "concerned about the political influence on the charge of Julian Assange.
"The new revelations in the Swedish cable ... some light on the fierceness of the Swedish criminal prosecution in this case throwing," he said.
"The prosecutor said there was" no condition "of a deposit that meets them."

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