# England designates Iceland as a terrorist country **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635 "2008-11-01T21:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/41 "2008-11-02T12:47:18Z")
> [@wmfellows](#): > > Oh come now man, the last raids were just around 1000 years ago. Funny you mention 1,000 years… {ref: Revelation ch.20} ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/42 "2008-11-02T19:09:08Z")
OK, resident Icelander checking in 😉 Iceland as a nation is not going bankrupt, though some companies might. We have food in the stores, medicines in the pharmacies, gas in the tanks and at least enough booze to give me a serious headache today. > [@RandMcnally](#): > > Question about the Cod War. Why would Iceland fire on British ships. I mean, let’s say they did kill someone, would they really be able to stand up to the might of the British navy? The Icelandic Navy in the 1960.s consisted of two (2) coast-guard vessels which had enough killing power to wack a fearsome polar-beer. Not much else. The main weapon against the Brits was “scissors” which cut of the draglines of the fishing vessels and then of course they could ram them. Which, unfortunately enough, did happen. So no, Iceland would not have had much of a chance against the Royal Navy. Iceland did however have some serious pull back in those days with Washington, as we are in one corner of the GIUK\*-gap which was used to prevent the evil Commies from getting into the Atlantic with their subs. This pull, was what gave Iceland victory in the Cod-Wars (so you guys want that base here, or should we be talking to the Russkies?) The pull-out of the US Base (as mentioned in a previous reply) did not affect the Icelandic Economy in any real way. The Base was much to small to have that big off an effect. Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom > [@Szlater](#): > > To be fair, the Bank of England offered a £100m loan to Landsbanki to help them out. Then the Icelandic government said it would deal with Icelandic customers first, leaving something like £1B worth of UK public funds (councils, police forces, schools etc) and untold millions in deposits from UK citizens vulnerable. The UK treasury had no option but to seize the Icelandic assets to protect the UK public. It’s unfortunate that the law that governs the seizure of assets is in the “Anti-terrorism, crime and security act 2001” but it most certainly doesn’t “declare Iceland a terrorist nation or a supporter of terrorism”, that is just the way that the Icelandic government has chosen to portray the move because they’re going to get hammered in their next election. At the moment. Nobody knows what REALLY happened. Lots of rumors going about and lots of different explanations from the different sides. And the sides aren’t even Iceland vs. The UK - we have loads of in-faction fighting here on the island too. The Government, the Opposition, the Bankers, the Company-owners, the Unions… You name it. Everyone’s looking to come out on top of this. And everybody’s failing miserably at the moment. Which is why I’m leaving. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/43 "2008-11-02T19:30:51Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Didn’t we _lose_ the War on Terror? (And by “We” I included all nations from USA, Spain, & the UK to Australia & Palau…) > > All I know of Iceland comes from The Amazing Race, the Sugarcubes “Motorcrash” video, and various documentaries about volcanoes & glaciers & stuff. What a gorgeous country, its “moonscape” geography looks like no other place on Earth. I hope Icelanders are surviving their current Great Depression – frankly, all Americans & Europeans should breathe a sigh of relief that we did not suffer the same fate in mid-October. We came VERY close to joining Iceland; so close, you probably don’t even want to know about it. :eek: Don’t be counting your sighs of relief before they hatch - we’ve only seen the tip of the economic iceberg of woes yet. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/44 "2008-11-03T04:09:19Z")
Look, I’d LIKE to believe Iceland isn’t a terrorist state … but how else are we to account for Bjork? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/45 "2008-11-03T08:42:18Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Look, I’d LIKE to believe Iceland isn’t a terrorist state … but how else are we to account for Bjork? 😃 Now this is where we have to define the difference between a Terrorist State and a Viking State. The differences are subtle but they do exist 😉 A Terrorist State for example: seldom has one of their main enemies as main recipient of their legal export goods (fish to the UK). ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/46 "2008-11-03T09:07:43Z")
I wonder if Bjork was put on the no-fly list. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/47 "2008-11-03T09:22:16Z")
Considering she lives in London, I don’t think that would matter that much. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/48 "2008-11-03T13:29:17Z")
> [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](#): > > I elect governments to protect my rights. Governments can do that by not seizing your assets based on charges they know to be false. It might help the government to seize my assets, but for them to pretend I am a drug smuggler (knowing full well I am not) so that they can seize my assets under forfeiture laws would be an outrageous criminal act on their part. The UK government acted to protect British money invested in Icelandic banks. The comparison with a private individual convicted of drug smuggling and pre-emptive action against a bank ready to swallow billions of pounds of public and private money is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/49 "2008-11-03T13:45:33Z")
> [@RoOsh](#): > > wow. > > Vikings are the new Axis of Evil? One can only hope that the New Power of Goodness would include Ninja’s. War films would again, be awesome. Ninja’s vs Vikings. Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/50 "2008-11-03T15:31:36Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Considering she lives in London, I don’t think that would matter that much. So the government has seized Bjork? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/51 "2008-11-03T15:40:04Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > So the government has seized Bjork? If we want to go for the Conspiracy crowd, sure 😉 She’s married to an Englishman (some director) and has been living in the UK for quite a few years now. They even have a little daughter. Her son from a previous relationship lives in her grand house in Reykjavik. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/52 "2008-11-03T17:43:02Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > The UK government acted to protect British money invested in Icelandic banks. The comparison with a private individual convicted of drug smuggling and pre-emptive action against a bank ready to swallow billions of pounds of public and private money is ridiculous. I confess on reflection the analogy wasn’t a good one. But the point remains the same–the rule of law requires that you don’t trump charges you know to be false even if desirable consequences might result from this. That is implicit in the notion of rights. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/53 "2008-11-03T17:45:31Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > She’s married to an Englishman (some director) and has been living in the UK for quite a few years now. They even have a little daughter. Her son from a previous relationship lives in her grand house in Reykjavik. Another crush smashed by the harsh voice of reality. When, O when, will this cruelty end? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/54 "2008-11-03T17:46:44Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Ninja’s vs Vikings. Discuss. I’m sure that the pirates will be most interested in this. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/55 "2008-11-03T17:49:01Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Which is why I’m leaving. Wanna trade houses? **Nashiitashii** and I are kind of sick of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/56 "2008-11-03T17:52:43Z")
> [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](#): > > I confess on reflection the analogy wasn’t a good one. But the point remains the same–the rule of law requires that you don’t trump charges you know to be false even if desirable consequences might result from this. That is implicit in the notion of rights. What charges? The law allows for the freezing of assets to protect UK citizens and their property. The actions of the Icelandic government were a direct threat to both private and public depositors, and the UK government had no option but to freeze those assets to prevent them disappearing. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/57 "2008-11-03T17:59:17Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > Wanna trade houses? **Nashiitashii** and I are kind of sick of the US. At least wait till after the election… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/58 "2008-11-03T18:02:29Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > At least wait till after the election… 🙂 We’re not hopping any planes yet. one more day…one more day… ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/59 "2008-11-03T18:22:48Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > Wanna trade houses? **Nashiitashii** and I are kind of sick of the US. No jobs, bad weather, horrible currency - if you want it, you got it 😉 (though I’m renting a 2 b/r with another guy, so you might not want it) > [@Szlater](#): > > What charges? > > The law allows for the freezing of assets to protect UK citizens and their property. The actions of the Icelandic government were a direct threat to both private and public depositors, and the UK government had no option but to freeze those assets to prevent them disappearing. That’s the thing. Darling said the Icelandic government had said that, while the Icelandic government claims to have said no such thing. In any way, those demands from the British government, which included several billion moneys\* “right now” led to the fall of Kaupthing, since there was no way to get that much that fast. It’s a mess. And I hope someone will write a darn good book about it in a few years, sorting the shit out. \*I don’t remember the actual amount. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635/60 "2008-11-03T18:33:07Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > What charges? > > The law allows for the freezing of assets to protect UK citizens and their property. The actions of the Icelandic government were a direct threat to both private and public depositors, and the UK government had no option but to freeze those assets to prevent them disappearing. Well, I can’t claim to be an expert on international law, but from the NYTimes: > [@](#): > > The troubles between the countries began three weeks ago when Britain took the extraordinary step of using its 2001 antiterrorism laws to freeze the British assets of a failing Icelandic bank. That appeared to brand Iceland a terrorist state. This seems like a case of using a law to seize assets based on the deliberately false premise that Iceland violated the UK’s antiterrorism statutes. If someone can explain to me (a) how Iceland violated said statutes or (b) how it could be legitimate to write a law so broadly that Iceland’s actions could count as terrorism, then I will gladly concede the point. (And no, I’m not being a smartass; I really will concede the point.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/england-designates-iceland-as-a-terrorist-country/470635.md?page=4)