Det norske militære engasjementet i Afghanistan : idealisme eller egeninteresse?

Abstract

Following the terror attacks which took place in the USA on the 11th of September 2001, USA started bombing targets in Afghanistan. The Norwegian government acknowledged the USA’s right to self defence after the terror attacks and also agreed to the American request for military support in the “War on terror”. Norwegian forces have been operating in Afghanistan since December 2001 and are still operating in the country. In this paper I focus on the Norwegian politics regarding the Norwegian military participation in the military operations in Afghanistan. I am particularly interested in unveiling which type of arguments the different political parties used in the debate pro/contra Norwegian involvement in the operations. Were the arguments dominated by idealism or national self-interest? One of my main findings is that self-interest has been the most important reason for sending troops to Afghanistan. Participating in Afghanistan ensures that Norway gets help from NATO and especially the USA in a case of emergency. Norwegian participation also helps fight terrorism that can strike on Norwegian soil. Finally, the military operations are said to be a way to decrease the flow of drugs into western countries like Norway.