Off the wire
• Laos, EU seek to strengthen higher education cooperation  • Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Nov. 15  • (Sports Focus) Hosts China held 0-0 by Qatar but perform well under Lippi (updated)  • China, Djibouti vow to further strengthen bilateral relations  • ECB sees European banking sector lack of profitability rather than of stability  • Laos expects to welcome more foreign tourists  • Nigerian oil union rejects sale of oil giant's assets  • Former vice mayor of Xiamen prosecuted  • 2nd LD Writethru-Xinhua Insight: Xi casts vote as local legislative elections begin  • Senior CPC official meets foreign World Internet Conference guests  
You are here: 　 Home

Norway can't ensure loyalty of Syrian groups trained in Jordan: PM

Xinhua, November 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Tuesday the clearing process for Syrian groups to go through when being trained by Norwegian forces in Jordan does not guarantee their loyalty in the future, newspaper VG reported.

"The local groups that are supported (by Norway) go through a clearing process, but I shall still repeat that we can never have an absolute warranty about the position of the local groups' loyalty in the future," Solberg told the parliament.

She confirmed together with Defence Minister Ina Marie Soreide Eriksen and Foreign Minister Borge Brende in May that Norway would send 60 commandos to Jordan in order to train Syrian rebels.

According to VG, there was also a possibility of sending the soldiers to Syria in case of necessity, and Solberg confirmed that this is still effective.

In June it was confirmed that the Norwegian commandos had been sent to Jordan to train the rebels connected to the group New Syrian Army. They have been trained by the United States with the purpose of fighting against the Islamic State (IS or ISIL) and have not proclaimed the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad enemy.

The situation in those areas, where the Norwegian soldiers operate, changes fast. It is a difficult task in a demanding and confusing landscape, Solberg said, emphasizing that this is why Norway had sent its best soldiers to execute the task.

"We train in two places: where Kurdish Peshmerga Forces are, as a part of Iraqi security forces, and in Jordan, at the border between Syria and Iraq, where we train local Sunni Arab groups, belonging to those areas that are to be released from ISIL," she added.

"It is true that there is a big and difficult conflict in Syria. I have a big respect for those that maybe think that Noway should not participate in such conflicts, but by failing to do so, there will be no improvement, neither for Syrian nor Iraqi people," Solberg said.

The prime minister also announced that Norwegian contribution in Erbil in Iraq will be reduced.

According to Solberg, there is still a need to support Iraqi forces at other places in the country and the government is now considering these requests. Endit