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