Redaktionen

Den japanske grasrotorganisasjonen fekk tysdag overlevert Nobels fredspris til storslått seremoni.

Prisen heidrar innsatsen deira for å oppnå ei verd fri for atomvåpen, og vitne om kvifor atomvåpen aldri må brukast igjen.

– Når vi no går inn i år 2025, beveger verda seg inn i det mange skildrar som ein ny og meir ustabil atomalder, sa leiaren for Den norske Nobelkomite, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, i opningstalen. […]

17 av representantane som har kome til Noreg er sjølve «hibakusha», det japanske ordet for overlevarar av bombene i Hiroshima og Nagasaki. Nihon Hidankyō har vore nominerte mange gongar før, først allereie i 1985. Men mykje har endra seg i nyare tid, sa representant Terumi Tanaka i takketalen.

– Sjå det føre dykk, dersom de kan: i dette augneblikk står 4000 kjernefysiske stridshovud klare til å bli fyrte av, heldt han fram.

– Fleire hundre, fleire tusen gongar større øydeleggingar enn dei som råka Hiroshima og Nagasaki, kan skje når som helst. Läs artikel

Riksdagens försvarsutskott blev på tisdagen klar med sin behandling av regeringens totalförsvarsproposition.

I utskottets betänkande har partierna enats om nya formuleringar vad gäller det fortsatta arbetet inför beslutet om vilket stridsflyg som ska ersätta Gripen runt år 2050. Riksdagen vill skynda på beslutet. I propositionen står att beslut ska fattas senast 2030, och utskottet vill att det ska tas mellan 2028 och början av 2030.

Flera partier är oroade för att processen ska dra ut på tiden, så att alternativet att utveckla ett nytt svenskt stridsflygsystem inte blir praktiskt genomförbart.

– Drar man ut för långt på tiden kan det vara så att man i Saab tappat så mycket av utvecklingskompetens att detta inte är möjligt att genomföra i praktiken, säger utskottsordförande Peter Hultqvist (S). […]

Utskottet betonar också vikten av att värna svenskt kunnande och svensk förmågeutveckling i processen inför vägvalet.

Enligt Mikael Oscarsson (KD) kommer nu mer fokus i beredningsarbetet inför stridsflygbeslutet att läggas på alternativen att framtidens stridsflyg ska utvecklas i Sverige eller tillsammans med utländsk aktör.

– Det vi har i form av stridsflyg exempelvis i Linköping är något som är av yttersta vikt för Sverige. I det säkerhetsläge vi har är vår försvarsindustri av väldigt stor vikt, säger han. Läs artikel

[…] For å få det til må forholdet til omverdenen gjøres mindre belastende. Med allianser i Europa og Asia, og 750 militære baser og støttepunkter rundt om i verden, er kostnadene store. Trump har søkelyset på penger og mener amerikanerne blir lurt og utnyttet, ikke minst av allierte og partnere som blir beskyttet uten å betale for det. Heretter blir de alliertes verdi definert som det de betaler for å få den amerikanske beskyttelsen og hvor mye de kjøper av amerikanske varer. […]

Trump vil avslutte de krigene USA er involvert i. Det springer ut av samme tankegang: Krigene koster, og i den grad det lykkes å stoppe dem gir det dessuten politiske og personlige fjær i hatten. Involvering i nye kriger vil han også unngå, av samme grunn.

Dette betyr ikke at Trump-administrasjonen vil nedprioritere investeringene i militær makt. Tvert om: Trumps første presidentperiode viste at han var fast bestemt på å opprettholde USAs militære styrke – ingen over og ingen ved siden – og at han er tilbøyelig til å gjøre det mer enn andre. Militær overlegenhet er viktig for avskrekkingsformål og for å minne omverdenen om at USA er sterkest blant sterke. Mindre stater tilpasser seg maktforholdene og har en tendens – bevisst eller ubevisst – til å føye seg etter den sterkeste. […]

Den økonomiske tvangsmakten vil han derimot utnytte til fulle. Vi kan forvente omfattende bruk av sanksjonsvåpenet og høye tariffer mot venner så vel som fiender. Han er nullsumorientert og mener at det som skader andre, er til fordel for USA. At alle kan tape på proteksjonistiske tiltak, er fjernt for ham. Maktgrunnlaget hviler på kontrollen med finanssystemet. Her er det imidlertid en kilen innebygd motsetning. For aggressiv bruk av den økonomiske tvangsmakten gjør andre land ekstra motivert til å undergrave dollaren.

Nato og alliansene i Asia står på leirføtter. Det skyldes de nevnte økonomiske prioriteringene, men også den generelle motviljen mot multilateralt samarbeid både i sikkerhetspolitikken og handelspolitikken. Trump foretrekker bilaterale avtaler. Bilaterale forsvarsavtaler er allerede inngått med de europeiske frontlinjestatene og alle de nordiske landene, og til forskjell fra Nato kan de bli stående uendret. Läs artikel

Uppskattningsvis hundratusentals värnpliktiga har sedan 1980-talet fått Försvarsmaktens automatkarbin AK5 i handen när de ryckt in.

Vapnen har uppgraderats genom åren, men enligt handlingar SVT tagit del av har Försvarsmakten i flera år larmat om att vapnen är uttjänta.

– Det är klart att de var slitna, men de har underhållits på en nivå, säger Jonas Lotsne på FMV. […]

Sedan 2023 finns ett avtal med den finländska vapentillverkaren Sako som ska leverera Försvarsmaktens nya eldhandvapen i en gemensam upphandling med Finland. Upphandlingen beskrivs i handlingar som central för försvarsförmågan:

”Utan upphandlingen hade Sveriges stridbarhet och förmåga att försvara Sveriges gränser riskerats i många år framöver”, skriver företrädare för FMV i ett dokument.

– Om vi tittar på hela Försvarsmaktens behov är det oerhört akut på många områden. Armén ska fördubblas till 2030 och samma sak gäller för eldhandvapen. Vi behöver jättestora antal.

Men de finländska vapnen kan inte levereras i den takt som Försvarsmakten har behov av, bland annat eftersom direktupphandlingen med Sako har överklagats av den tyska konkurrenten Heckler & Koch. Läs artikel

Embattled Syrian President Bashar al Assad, who had survived attempts to overthrow his government throughout a civil war that began in 2011, has reportedly been forced out and slipped away on a plane to parts unknown (later reports have said he is in Moscow).

Washington says it raced (in the words of the Washington Post) to help secure the country by engaging in airstrikes against ISIS weapons stockpiles and operatives Sunday night, and that it ”strongly supports” a ”peaceful transition” via an ”inclusive Syrian-led process.” According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. […]

As for the rebels who have overthrown the government, ”We have taken note of statements made by rebel leaders in recent days, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions.” […]

It is not clear, however, how the news is being taken by the Alawite and Christian populations, Assad’s support base, in Damascus, and how the new dynamics will affect the Kurdish advances (supported by the U.S.) in the northeast, the Turkish moves against both Assad and the Kurds, and Israel’s interests in maintaining its control over the disputed Golan Heights (though there have been reports of Tel Aviv bombing Assad military assets in Damascus this morning and taking over the Golan Heights UN buffer zone ). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly called the overthrow of Assad an ”historic day.”

Russia, too, has been involved in the war all along, and was providing airstrikes on behalf of Assad in recent days. Läs artikel

As reports continued to emerge from the Syrian capital, Damascus, where opposition forces declared victory overnight on State television, the UN chief said in a statement: The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine.

There is much work to be done to ensure an orderly political transition to renewed institutions, Mr. Guterres, and noted that his Special Envoy, Geir Pedersen, will be working with all Syrians to this end.

Mr. Pedersen, who has been attending a high-level meeting of Arab States in Doha this weekend, has called for “urgent political talks” in Geneva to secure a peaceful future for Syria.

There was widespread backing for his appeal, he said on Saturday, from Iran, Russia and Türkiye along with the United States, France, Great Britain, Germany and the European Union.

In the meantime, the Secretary-General renewed his call for calm and avoiding violence at this sensitive time, while protecting the rights of all Syrians, without distinction. He also noted that the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law.

“We will need the support of the international community to ensure that any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity,” Mr. Guterres said and underscored that: “Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity must be restored.”

The UN, he said, will honor the memory of those who have borne the brunt of the 14-year conflict.

“We remain committed to helping Syrians build a country where reconciliation,  Läs  pressmeddelande

Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian President Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate cease-fire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.

“Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO, in a television interview that aired Sunday.

Asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if he were actively working to end the nearly 3-year-old Ukraine war, Trump said, “I am.” […]

Asked in the “Meet the Press” interview taped Friday whether he would consider pulling out of NATO, Trump said, “If they’re paying their bills, and if I think they’re treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely I’d stay with NATO.”

But if not, he was asked if he would consider pulling the U.S. out of the alliance. He responded, “Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.” Läs  artikel

The General Assembly,

[…] 1. Requests the Secretary-General to reappoint the Eminent Person appointed
pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/252 to continue to review the information received and possible new information made available by Member States, including by individuals and private entities, to assess its probative value and to draw conclusions from the investigations already conducted;
2. Urges all Member States, in particular those referred to in the report, to
release any relevant records in their possession and to provide to the Eminent Person and the Secretary-General relevant information related to the death of Dag
Hammarskjöld and of the members of the party accompanying him, and to ensure that they have conducted a full review of their archives and records;
3. Calls upon those Member States referred to in the report to cooperate with and assist the Eminent Person fully, including by appointing without delay independent and high-ranking officials to determine whether relevant information exists within their security, intelligence and defence archives, and encourages the Eminent Person to remain engaged with all high-ranking officials, including those who have concluded their work; Läs resolutionen

Läs också tidigare resolution från Generalförsamlingen.

If there are names in international diplomacy that have become synonymous with statesmanship and conflict resolution, Hans Blix is certainly one of them. The former director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) turned 96 in June, and although his life in retirement means he no longer plays an active role in nuclear non-proliferation and arms control, his legacy has left an indelible mark on the institutions where he served, elevating the causes for which he fought.

Blix was most prominent globally as the person Bill Swainson, a former senior editor at Bloomsbury London, described as “the one unimpeachable inside witness to the events leading up to the war in Iraq.” It was the crescendo of Blix’s career, as chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, mandated with finding out if Iraq had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction. In the sensitive role, he established that the dreaded weapons widely assumed to be possessed by Saddam Hussein didn’t exist. Läs artikel

[…] So I’d like to talk today about what the Department has achieved in the past four years. And I’d like to focus on a few key areas: renewing our alliances and partnerships; meeting the ”pacing challenge” of the PRC; rallying the free world to stand up for what’s right in Ukraine; and supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and preventing full-scale war in the Middle East; investing in our capabilities; taking care of our people; and defending our values.

First, we know that our unmatched network of alliances and partnerships is one of America’s great strategic advantages. […]

NATO now brings together 32 countries. In the Indo-Pacific, we have longstanding alliances with Australia and Japan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. We have 14 other major non-NATO allies, including Israel and Brazil. India and the UAE are outstanding major defense partners. And they are joined by many steadfast friends and partners worldwide.

We have access agreements with more than 40 countries. We have logistics agreements with more than 120. And that helps us project power with our partners where we need to, when we need to, and how we need to. Läs artikel