#cablegate: ICELANDIC ECONOMIC CRISIS: GOI - UK NEGOTIATIONS ON ICESAVE
►http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/10/08REYKJAVIK246.html
Ministry for Foreign Affairs External Trade Director Martin
Eyjolfsson bleakly described for Ambassador and EconOff the
difficult, ongoing negotiations with the British delegation over the
obligation and repayment connected with the Icelandic IceSave
accounts in the U.K. Eyjolfsson said the British government sent a
“technical delegation” to negotiate; the team consists of Finance
Ministry and the Bank of England officials, but no diplomatic
representatives. He said the lack of diplomatic presence has made it
difficult for the British team to appreciate the full effects of the
British authorities’ actions in seizing Icelandic assets under
terrorism legislation. Eyjolfsson said, “If the U.K. had seized
France’s sovereign gold reserves like they had Iceland’s, a war
between France and the U.K. would have broken out by now.” (Note:
Featured in the Icelandic media today is the online petition
“Icelanders Are Not Terrorists,” (www.indefense.is) which is
collecting photographs and signatures to send to PM Gordon Brown
protesting the seizure of Icelandic assets under the terrorism law.
End Note.)