Most likely you thinkof Sweden as neutral and non-aligned, deeply committed to the UN, to peace anddisarmament, and as the country that boasts of having kept itself out of warfor almost 200 years. If so, here is how you can update your image of Sweden,outdated as it is by about 20 years.

What I try to saybelow is that the world needs a reality check when it comes to Sweden. Pleaseread the following and study the indicated website, and then get back to me orrespond directly to that website.

Animportant initiative with international implications has been launched inSweden.

Its aim is to informthe Swedish people and everyone else about what has been going on behind thebacks of her citizens for decades - a furtive process of ever deeperinvolvement in NATO, with Sweden now facing full membership as a 'natural' nextstep.

To prevent Sweden'sbecoming a full member of NATO, we need your understanding and then your help.

Neither neutrality nornon-allignment has ever been that unequivocal. For all practical purposes,Sweden's defence and security has always been West-oriented; and secretagreements had secured that, in case of attack from the 'big threat' to theEast, Sweden would be assisted by NATO countries. Why? Because Sweden was alsoneeded in the U.S.-NATO strategic framework vis-a-vis the Big Bear.

Thefurtive accession to NATO is now on record

Sweden has remainedformally and de jure non-aligned, and still is. However, through a series ofmechanisms, manipulations, tacit agreements and lack of public debate,successive governments - including Social Democratic ones since the murder offormer Prime Minister Olof Palme - have done a lot to move the country into thearms of NATO. The so-called Swedish defence industry is heavily dependent onUS/Western technology; NATO exercises take place in Northern Sweden; Swedishsoldiers operate under NATO/US command in Kosovo and Afghanistan; its navalofficers train together with US colleagues in the U.S., etc.

It was several yearsago that then Prime Minister Göran Persson, declared in an article in - in theFinancial Times, as I recall - to the surprise of some of us, that Sweden wasno longer to be considered a neutral country (a status it has always maintainedby political decision, not by constitution decree). That was the end of that,apparently!

Sweden has now movedso close to NATO that we are hearing so-called 'high-level' voices in Swedenargue that we are so close ('engaged') that we ought to become a full member('marry') and thereby also get the - presumptive - influence on and benefits ofNATO membership.

Thelarger framework - the 3rd NATO expansion

NATO first expandedinto Eastern Europe and, secondly, into Central Asia (well it did not go sowell in Georgia, but let's seehow that develops). Now comes the third wave dueto the ice melting of the Arctic ice cap, resulting in new transport routes tomore accessible raw materials and energy resources, and posing the risk ofpossible confrontation between US/NATO and Russia up there. NATO wants Swedenin its fold, and Finland too. Nobel 'Peace' laureate, former Finnish PresidentAhtisaari long ago said he is all for it.

Swedishmilitary acting helpless with so little money. Blackmail?

Swedish militaryleaders - to a large extent supported by academia and media commentators - havefor years chanted the tune that, given Sweden's small defence budget and theincreasing cost of everything, they can not promise to protect the Swedishpeople against an attack. Last year this implicit threat - blackmail? - wasexpressed via an announcement that Sweden's defence system, per capita one ofthe strongest and most expensive in the world, could not even guarantee thedefence of Stockholm, the capital. Oooops, was the predictable knee-jerkreaction by media and people - then we had better get into NATO and getprotected there.

There is aconsiderable risk that this will work - particularly since one must not expectthe mainstream media in Sweden to ever ask a challenging question such as: Whaton earth do you spend all that money on if you are not even able to defendStockholm and the government in case of attack? Or how can this be, when youcan afford to participate on the round in a hopeless war like the one inAfghanistan? Such questions will simply not be asked. Sweden too has aMilitary-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex, MIMAC.

Aren'tyou surprised now? I've been shocked!

Surprised to learn ofthis? The old image of Sweden as a peace-loving nation struggling to supportother small countries' integrity (as once, Vietnam), devoted to the quest forcommon security, to disarmament and the abolition of nuclear weapons - thecountry that appointed a series of globally known and respected disarmament ambassadorsand whose PM, Olof Palme risked his life to mediate between Iran and Iraq (aservice made possible by Sweden's neutrality at the time), the country thatalways had the strongest of commitments to the principles and aspirations ofthe United Nations. ThatSweden is no more.

This is a serious andsad loss for us who live in the country but it is certainly also a loss for the entire world!

A Dane by birth, Ihave lived in Sweden since 1972. At that time Sweden was a unique and in manyways visionary country. Of course, I have followed the above-noted processclosely over the years and also now and then written about some of the smallsteps of it.

Nevertheless, when Irecently read Al Burke's brilliantly researched and written report that laysout all the details and documents them in a timeline, the systematic tendencyof it all became powerfully evident. I was shocked.

TFFwants you to support the initiative "Stop Sweden's Furtive Accession to NATO"

TFF and I are proud tobe associated with this initiative from its first tentative steps over a yearago, and urge you strongly to read this well-documented piece of bad news - thehope called Sweden, well on its way to becoming yet another illusion.

Please go to to"Stop Sweden's Furtive Accession to NATO" and learn more.

http://www.stoppanato.se/english/english.htm

Learn the facts, readAl Burke's revealing analysis of the tyranny of small steps towards NATO. Learn about the planned Citizen'sInquiry. And then write to help us turn around this trend before it is toolate.

As always, the toolsare knowledge, interpretation and dissemination for dialogue and formobilisation against the growing madness.

Welcome to the debate!

Jan Oberg

PS

Virtually everyrelevant editorial desk in Sweden receives this mail. Should any of them coverthis, the only, initiative of its kind - we'd be happily surprise - we'll postthe links on the mentioned website.