norway reacts to us child abuse in iraq

Norway reacts to alleged American child abuse in Iraq

07/06/04 "Norway Post"
The Norwegian Government and individual politicians have reacted strongly to the alleged abuse of children in Iraqi prisons by American soldiers, as reported in a German TV documentary on Monday evening.

The leader of the Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, Thorbjoern Jagland (Labour), calls for those politically responsible in the US to step down.

-It is completely atrocious and contravening international law, if this is true, and it is difficult to understand if this should not have the consequenses that someone in the US take direct political responsibility and step down, Jagland says.

He says that US cerdibility within the international community has been weakened by the reveleations.

The Norwegian Government said earlier on Tuesday that they will bring up the matter with the US authorities at the earliest covenience.

-Such abuse is unacceptable. It is in violation of International Law. We will take the matter up in a very sharp and direct way, said Undersecretary of State at the Prime Minister's Office, Odd J.Saeter, to public broadcaster NRK.

The Socialist Left Party (SV) has also reacted, and states that the alleged child abuse must have repercussions for the US authorities, but also for the relationship between the US and Norway.

-If this turns out to be true, it must have consequenses for our relationship to a close ally in military operations. It will be very difficult to participate with an ally who is willing to carry out such a breach of International Law, says SV's Secretary General, Baard Vegar Solhjell.

Leader of the Agrarian Party, Aaslaug Haga, says the Government should react vis-a-vis the US immediately, and at the same time she proposes a discussion among NATO member countries to avoid that similar things should happen in Afghanistan.