Local residents negative toward U.S. Marine base in Norway

By Hege Eilertsen, High North News, Elisabeth Bergquist, High North News August 4, 2017
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A Boeing 747 with some 300 U.S. Marines, who are to attend a six-month training to learn about winter warfare, lands in Stjordal, Norway January 16, 2017. NTB Scanpix/Ned Alley/via REUTERS
A Boeing 747 with some 300 U.S. Marines, who are to attend a six-month training to learn about winter warfare, lands in Stjordal, Norway January 16, 2017. NTB Scanpix/Ned Alley/via REUTERS

In a poll conducted by Sentio for the Norwegian Left Socialist Party (SV), 51 percent of the residents of Trøndelag County said ‘no’ to establishing Værnes (Trondheim) as a main base for American marine soldiers in Europe.

Only 32 percent of the respondents are positive, while 17 percent remain undecided, according to Norwegian daily Klassekampen and VG Direkte.

The proposal includes doubling the number of soldiers on the base.

The Russian Embassy in Oslo earlier this summer used its Facebook to warn Norway that the decision to prolong the permission for U.S. soldiers to stay and train at Værnes would increase tension and destabilise the High North.