SWEDEN: THE NEW POST "CIA PLANES" REALITY --

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000527

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NB, EB, AND DS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2016
TAGS: PREL EAIR MARR PGOV PINR SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN: THE NEW POST "CIA PLANES" REALITY --
POLITICIZING A DEPORTATION FLIGHT CLEARANCE

REF: HQ ICE DRO WASHINGTON DC DTG 281545Z MAR 06

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Stephen V. Noble, reason 1.4 (b)
and (d).

Summary
--------------

1. (c) What could have been a routine diplomatic flight
clearance for a 4/4 Department of Homeland Security
deportation "ICE" flight to land briefly and refuel in Sweden
enroute to final destinations in the Middle East developed
into an urgent situation when late in the game Swedish
authorities began questioning the procedures for and the
substance of the flight. The Government of Sweden concern
appears to have grown out of reports of "CIA Planes" landing
at European airports. The GoS has signaled that a higher
level of scrutiny and more specific requirements will be
applied for the clearance of certain categories of state
aircraft -- including any future ICE charter flights -- and
that these flights will not be deemed to be covered by a
bilateral blanket clearance. Any future ICE clearance
requests should include the same categories of information
demanded by the GoS for this flight (see below),and this
should be provided at least 20 days before the flight. End
Summary.

Background
--------------

2. (c) Polcouns was summoned to the MFA 3/30 by Americas
Department senior adviser Olof Hultgren, who said that the
MFA had been made aware of a USG-chartered flight scheduled
to stop at Arlanda airport late 4/4 for refueling. Hultgren
asked us to confirm the nature of the flight (deportations to
third countries beyond Sweden),and informed us that the GoS
viewed this flight as a state aircraft. The charter company,
ATA, reportedly had filed a routine flight plan, which Sweden
viewed as not appropriate or adequate in this case, Hultgren
said that according to the requirements for clearance of
state aircraft flights in Sweden, "Block 18" of the flight
plan was to be filled in. Hultgren referred to the blanket
authorization agreement for state aircraft and provided a
copy of it, indicating this would provide a basis for a state
aircraft clearance. (DAO note: In hindsight, it appears
that the MFA officer was not familiar with the proper use of
blanket clearances, nor the specific requirements that our
blanket clearances were authorized for.) Hultgren said
Sweden's MOD had told the MFA that they were surprised to
learn that a February charter ICE flight also had not been
submitted as a state aircraft, and that this did not meet the
requirements of the MOD and the GoS. He said the
then-pending 4/4 flight must meet the state aircraft
requirements as indicated. We replied that we would pass the
request to Washington.


3. (c) After 3/31 consultations with the Department (EB, PM,
L),Econcouns was informed by L that the chartered flight met
the definition of "state aircraft." Econcouns provided the
Department the number listed in the blanket authorization for
state aircraft. Late in the evening of 4/3, MOD Lt. General
Johnsson advised the DATT that the blanket authorization
would not be valid for this flight. On 4/4, the day the
flight departed, Econoff was advised by the MFA that we would
need to apply to the MOD for a specific clearance for this
flight. He said it was considered a state aircraft, but was
not covered by the blanket agreement. Neither the MFA nor
Sweden's Civil Aviation Authority could help; the matter was
under the control of the Swedish defense authorities.


4. (c) When DAO submitted a request for a specific
diplomatic flight clearance for this flight, MOD required
answers to the following questions:

a. Which American agency is doing the transporting?
b. What categories of persons are being transported?
c. Are they being transported willingly or with force?
d. Is there a reason for Swedish authorities to help with
security?
e. Are there going to be local authorities at their final
destinations?

After answers to these questions were provided, supplemental
questions were posed:

a. For which specific types of illegal activities are they
being deported?
b. How are the passengers restrained while onboard?
c. To which local authorities will they be turned over at
their destinations?

STOCKHOLM 00000527 002 OF 002



Comment
--------------

5. (c) The questions appear to be directed at finding out
whether this flight was for renditions or prisoner transfers
connected with the war on terror -- a sensitivity Hultgren
mentioned to us explicitly. The press did not report on this
flight, but picked up on the February flight, which was
correctly reported as being a deportation flight. Any
subsequent flights should anticipate the same questions, and
be prepared to provide answers at least 20 days ahead of the
flight. What is not yet clear is whether the new
requirements are simply an indication of a government
sensitive to the renditions/prisoner transfer issue in the
run-up to general elections in September, or if Sweden wants
to make the clearance process so difficult that we will seek
other refueling venues. What is clear is that if we wish to
continue using Sweden as a refueling point, we will have to
become accustomed to these and perhaps more questions.
NOBLE