Quotations on National Missile Defense (NMD)

 Greenland and Denmark

Lund Olsen, Deputy Mayor of Qaanaaq, the community formed by the displaced Thule Inuit
"We are fighting for the Americans to clean up Thule and give it back to us...If one day a war begins, people are afraid that if a bomb would hit Thule air base, all of the food we eat from the sea would be destroyed." (3 November 2001, San Francisco Chronicle, "Heated Artic Dispute. Greenland, Alaska Natives balk at new U.S. military plans")

Mogens Lykketoft, Danish Foreign Minister 
In an interview with Denmark's TV2 news he stated: "We have not yet adopted a stance on this question, because we do not know the implications of the anti-missile project, which could lead either to an undesirable arms race or to one of the most important disarmament treaties in the world." (5 September 2001, AFP, "US Missile Defense Experts to Visit Greenland Radar")

Jonathan Motzfeldt, Prime Minister of Greenland Homerule Government
"My personal opinion is that one should avoid NMD, that's for certain... I don't think you can find a single person in Greenland who in any way is positive towards NMD." (12 January 2001, Ritzau News Agency. Taken from Greenpeace Website, "U.S. National Missile Defense System and the Thule Air Force Base in Greenland")

Gunnar Martens, Danish High Commissioner to Greenland
On Thule's role in a missile defense system: "(It) should be in accordance with the ABM treaty. It should live up to international obligations between the United States and Russia." (18 September 2000, New York Times, "Greenlanders Wary Of A New Role In U.S. Defenses")

Jonathan Motzfeldt, Prime Minister of Greenland Homerule Government
"No one in Greenland wishes to take actions that would lead to recreating the atmosphere of the cold war era. I am content that NATO has not greeted the NMD plans with cheers." (18 September 2000, New York Times, "Greenlanders Wary Of A New Role In U.S. Defenses") 

Josef Motzfeldt, Deputy Prime Minister of Greenland Homerule Government and chairman of Inuit Ataqatigiit
"We are against the American plans which would re-launch the arms race." (23 August 2000, Agence France-Presse, "Greenland Divided Over US Missile Shield")

Maliianguaq Marcussen Moelgaard, head of the Greenland's parliamentary commission on foreign policy and security
"We firmly stand by the government's declaration last November which
stipulated that Greenland would not accept the NMD project if it violated
the ABM treaty signed in 1972 between Russia and the US and if it opens the way for a new 'Cold War' which we will be the victims of." (23 August 2000, Agence France-Presse, "Greenland says Russians must have say on US missile shield")

Jonathan Motzfeldt, Prime Minister of Greenland Homerule Government
"I can't see any problems if the Americans develop a defense system. It is neither an offensive nor a nuclear project. And it comes within the ambit of the normal use of the US radar base at Thule." (23 August 2000, Agence France-Presse, "Greenland Divided Over US Missile Shield")

Inuit Atqatigiit, Junior Party of Ruling Coalition in Greenland Homerule Government
“Greenland is a member of the global society and the Arctic community... The party (IA) cannot accept the United States’ plans for a so called National Missile Defense.” (29 May 2000, Reuters citing translated text of resolution from party congress, “Greenland Cabinet Party Against U.S. Missile Shield Monday”)

Per Stig Moeller, Danish conservative party spokesman
The ABM Treaty "must be respected... we want agreement between the USA and the USSR [sic]" and the home rule government of Greenland must be involved in any decisions [on NMD]. (March 2000)

K. Erik Tygesen, Danish Ambassador to Washington
"The ABM Treaty is a cornerstone of the international order in arms control." (30 January 2000, New York Times, “Testing a Missile and a Treaty”)

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