NON-FICTION The Spy War: The Secret Spy Collaboration Between Norway and the USA Bård Wormdal
Aschehoug 2023, 348 pages
Tore Linné Eriksen, Klassekampen
The story of the Norwegian intelligence service’s resignation towards the USA is sharply documented in Bård Wormdal’s book.
Today, NRK and other mass media seem shocked that superpowers spy on each other, while focusing attention on Russian and Chinese activity. Therefore, it is very welcome to have a book simply titled “The Spy War,” with the subtitle “The Secret Spy Collaboration Between Norway and the USA.” The author is Bård Wormdal, who has worked at NRK’s Vadsø office for 35 years. He has previously published several books that have garnered international attention, notably “The Satellite War” (2011), which discusses Norway’s militarization of the polar regions and outer space.
With Finnmark as his specialty, the author has shown a long-standing and deep interest in security policy and Norway’s position in the Arctic. One of the recurring themes is the fear that the USA’s role as big brother—or a rich uncle paying a large part of the bill—will draw our country into conflicts arising from other parts of the world. This is especially relevant regarding preparations for cyberwarfare, in which Norwegian data systems are heavily involved. However, this does not mean that Wormdal, with his new publication, treads the same well-known path. This time, we get an in-depth examination of the bilateral connections between the USA and Norway that go far beyond what is dictated by NATO membership. This is something that literally flies under the radar of our elected officials and is systematically kept away from democratic debate. The bilateral NORUSA collaboration, for example, dates back to the 1950s but has never been discussed in the Storting.
Presentation concrete, detailed and credible
Such sensitive topics require an author who can find credible sources, identify patterns in scattered information, and conduct reports in various local communities. Because the ties between the Intelligence Service and the National Security Agency (NSA) are exceptionally intimate, Wormdal can also draw on thousands of NSA documents leaked by Edward Snowden. Together with experiences from his own journalistic work and his ability to engage people, this makes the presentation concrete, detailed, and credible. Those who wish to scrutinize the details can dive into 40 pages of source and literature references from a variety of countries.
In every single chapter, we encounter surprises. For example, we learn that the close ties to the USA are not limited to the Arctic; the Intelligence Service has also been present with agents and a stationary presence in the Balkans, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Several sources emphasize that there is hardly any other country that has been as central in providing information for US military operations. In the Afghan case, this could have led to responsibility for killings or misidentifications of individuals or families as “targets.” When it is considered news that several Russians in key positions in Murmansk have intelligence backgrounds, it is interesting that this is also the case at the Norwegian consulate in the same city. It is also highlighted how anxious many residents of Finnmark are about being chosen as strategic bombing targets, while little has been done for safety, preparedness, and shelters. In reality, this concerns US bases on Norwegian soil, such as the large Globus facilities in Vadsø. We also get examples of how the military intelligence service, contrary to its mandate, conducts surveillance even on Norwegian territory. It has also been revealed that individuals, unaware, have been directly employed by the USA instead of the Armed Forces upon reaching retirement age.
There is no reason to keep the conclusion secret: To a large extent, Norwegian authorities have relinquished national control, so in many cases it is an open question whether it is Norway’s or the USA’s interests that ultimately prevail. The book therefore arrives just in time for the debate that will follow the Defense Commission’s report. While there will surely be attempts to dismiss or overlook “The Spy War,” it is not easy to ignore or reject it as a significant contribution.