Agreed Minute

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Iceland

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Constitution President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde (Independ.) Alþing Ombudsman Political parties Politicians Elections: 2004, 2007 Foreign relations Iceland and the EU Cod War Agreed Minute Diplomatic missions

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The Agreed Minute is a statute governing the nature of the U.S. military presence in Iceland. As Iceland has had no military of its own since World War II, its defenses are manned by NATO and American forces. The Agreed Minute was last renegotiated in 2001. At the time, the U.S. Air Force committed itself to maintaining four to six interceptors at the Keflavík base, supported by a helicopter rescue squad. The Air Force, in order to cut costs, announced plans to remove the four remaining jets in 2003. The removal was then delayed to address Icelandic demands for continued presence of the jets. After an unfruitful series of negotiations and two reshufflings of the Icelandic government the issue lay dormant until early 2006 when the U.S. Air Force issued an official statement that withdrawal of the aircraft was already being prepared. U.S. officials have since then argued that Iceland is in no need of a military presence.