WIKILEAKS: Supplying decommissioned weapons to Afghanistan was “political poison” for Finland

Despite repeated requests, Finland refused to donate old assault rifles to Afghan police

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The United States tenaciously tried to persuade Finland to donate surplus weapons to Afghanistan, but ultimately decided that the project had become “political poison” in Finland, according to US diplomatic cables made public by Wikileaks.
      The aim of handing over 100,000 old assault rifles to Afghanistan was rejected by the foreign and security policy committee of the Finnish government and President - once in 2006, and again in 2007, after the National Coalition Party had replaced the Social Democrats as the second party in the coalition government.
     
The ostensible reason for the rejection was that exporting weaponry to conflict zones was illegal.
      However, Finland had been given the assurances that it asked for that the guns would be for Afghanistan’s police force, and not for the army or paramilitary groups.
     
The US Embassy in Kabul reported in June 2006 that Finnish Ambassador Antti Koistinen had been promised a “firewall” by the commander responsible for Afghan security forces, which would prevent the weapons from being transferred from the police to the military.
      The arguments for the project were based purely on wishes expressed by Finland.
      No comment was made over the fact that the misuse of weaponry in Afghanistan is much more likely if it is in the hands of the police than with the military.
      Police weapons also find their way into the hands of the rebels.
     
In subsequent cables, the US Embassy nevertheless noted that the idea was opposed especially vigorously by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, and then by President Tarja Halonen after the change of governments in 2007.
      A visiting US official was warned in September 2007 that “this issue has become political poison, and it threatens to topple our project to get Finland to do more in Afghanistan in other areas.”
     
According to the US diplomatic communications, ministers of the National Coalition Party hoped that the government could be persuaded to agree on sending more forces to Afghanistan after giving up the weaponry plan, and on taking over responsibility for command in the joint Finnish-Swedish unit in 2009.
      Forces were increased, but no responsibility for command was assumed.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  WIKILEAKS: Release of Afghan convicts responsible for 2007 death of Finnish peacekeeper pointed to corruption (15.2.2011)

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