The Iceland Crisis Response Unit (ICRU; Icelandic: Íslenska Friðargæslan) is an Icelandicpara-military unit with a capacity roster of up to 200 people, of whom about 30 are active at any given time. It is operated by the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[1] It is primarily designated for peacekeeping operations and was established in the 1990s to participate in operations and peacekeeping projects, including in support of NATO peacekeeping operations. That role later evolved into providing an appropriate forum for deploying personnel within other organizations such as with OSCE field missions as well as with UN DPKO, and organizations such as UNIFEM, UNRWA and UNICEF.
Colonel Arnór Sigurjónsson Colonel Halli Sigurðsson Col. Gunnar Friðriksson
The ICRU personnel has been deployed to the former territories of Yugoslavia, Kosovo and Afghanistan through NATO missions and UNIFEM and to the Middle East and North Africa with UNICEF, UNRWA and UNHCR. It had a civilian observer mission in Sri Lanka in co-operation with Norway (previously a Nordic mission) and has explosive ordnance disposal personnel from the Icelandic Coast Guard to Lebanon and Iraq.
Iceland deployed its first peacekeepers in 1950, when two Icelandic police officers were sent to Palestine as a part of an UN peacekeeping operation. Though many Icelandic specialists have taken part in various peacekeeping operations since, mostly within the UN and its organizations but also within NATO, it was not until the 1990s that organized participation in peacekeeping operations was initiated, formalized with the establishment of the ICRU in 2001.
In 2008, a portion of uniformed ICRU deployed personnel still armed for self-defense returned their weapons and changed to civilian clothing. The policy since 2008, is that, unless under special circumstances, ICRU personnel do not wear uniforms or carry weapons.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Iceland oversees the roster and deployment of personnel.[2]
The deployed personnel of the ICRU were experts, including Icelandic policemen, Coast Guardsmen and others that had relative training for the concerned institutions. In addition to those mentioned above, these backgrounds range from logistical backgrounds, medical or engineering backgrounds, social sciences and so on. But now, after a law was passed in 2007 the "peacekeepers" need a college degree. In 2014, it is much more of an aid squad rather than peacekeepers.
The previously deployed doctors, nurses, those deployed as Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) as well as those working at Kabul International Airport (KAIA) were trained by the Norwegian Armed Forces (previously the United Kingdom Armed Forces as well) as they were expected to merge into a military environment and the PRT's as well as those working at Kabul airport would be armed.[3]
The ICRU roster members receive training and exercise in line with their deployment, but no military training from 2009. The legal basis for the ICRU is set in Icelandic law on ICRU, No. 73/2007
Operationsedit
The ICRU classifies its operations in the following manner:
Peacekeeping and Crisis management
Observer missions
Reconstruction
Humanitarian and Emergency assistance
Intelligence gatheringedit
The National Commissioner of Iceland is charged with intelligence gathering for national security purposes as well as expeditionary peacekeeping operations. The Defence Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs oversees military related intelligence and cooperation in that field.
Equipmentedit
Vehiclesedit
& 24 Nissan Patrol armored and modified by Arctic Trucks for driving in mountainous terrain (PRT teams previously deployed in Afghanistan)
PRT teams previously deployed in Afghanistan as well as those previously working in Kabul International Airport were supplied with the weaponry and ammunition the military forces they are cooperating with use. The standard weaponry was in most cases however of Norwegian origin.[4]
^. Utanríkisráðuneyti. Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-08-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Interview with Erlingur Erlingsson, ICRU on amongst other PRT withdrawal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iceland Crisis Response Unit.
(in Icelandic)
Reykjavík Grapevine 2004 issue 8
Ársskýrsla Íslensku friðargæslunnar 2007 (in Icelandic)
Lög nr. 73 frá 2007 um Íslensku friðargæsluna (in Icelandic)
Ársskýrsla Íslensku friðargæslunnar 2006 (in Icelandic)
Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs website on the ICRU
ICRU Yearly report for 2007
Women, peace and security. ICRU and resolution 1325
ICRU personnel clear cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance in southern Lebanon
ICRU in brief
ICRU contributes to Balkan stability
May 03, 2024
iceland, crisis, response, unit, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, require, cleanup, meet, wikipedia, quality, standards, specific, problem. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia s quality standards The specific problem is Non Military 1st sentence in the artikel or Military category Please help improve this article if you can March 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations August 2010 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message The Iceland Crisis Response Unit ICRU Icelandic Islenska Fridargaeslan is an Icelandic para military unit with a capacity roster of up to 200 people of whom about 30 are active at any given time It is operated by the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1 It is primarily designated for peacekeeping operations and was established in the 1990s to participate in operations and peacekeeping projects including in support of NATO peacekeeping operations That role later evolved into providing an appropriate forum for deploying personnel within other organizations such as with OSCE field missions as well as with UN DPKO and organizations such as UNIFEM UNRWA and UNICEF Iceland Crisis Response UnitIslenska FridargaeslanActive1990s presentCountry IcelandRolePeacekeepingSize200 roster 2007 30 deployed 2007 EngagementsOperation Enduring FreedomISAFKFORCommandersPrime MinisterKatrin JakobsdottirMinister for Foreign AffairsBjarni BenediktssonNotablecommandersColonel Arnor Sigurjonsson Colonel Halli Sigurdsson Col Gunnar Fridriksson The ICRU personnel has been deployed to the former territories of Yugoslavia Kosovo and Afghanistan through NATO missions and UNIFEM and to the Middle East and North Africa with UNICEF UNRWA and UNHCR It had a civilian observer mission in Sri Lanka in co operation with Norway previously a Nordic mission and has explosive ordnance disposal personnel from the Icelandic Coast Guard to Lebanon and Iraq Iceland deployed its first peacekeepers in 1950 when two Icelandic police officers were sent to Palestine as a part of an UN peacekeeping operation Though many Icelandic specialists have taken part in various peacekeeping operations since mostly within the UN and its organizations but also within NATO it was not until the 1990s that organized participation in peacekeeping operations was initiated formalized with the establishment of the ICRU in 2001 In 2008 a portion of uniformed ICRU deployed personnel still armed for self defense returned their weapons and changed to civilian clothing The policy since 2008 is that unless under special circumstances ICRU personnel do not wear uniforms or carry weapons The Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Iceland oversees the roster and deployment of personnel 2 Contents 1 Personnel 2 Operations 3 Intelligence gathering 4 Equipment 4 1 Vehicles 4 2 Small arms 5 Ranks of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit 5 1 Officers 5 2 Enlisted 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksPersonnel editThe deployed personnel of the ICRU were experts including Icelandic policemen Coast Guardsmen and others that had relative training for the concerned institutions In addition to those mentioned above these backgrounds range from logistical backgrounds medical or engineering backgrounds social sciences and so on But now after a law was passed in 2007 the peacekeepers need a college degree In 2014 it is much more of an aid squad rather than peacekeepers The previously deployed doctors nurses those deployed as Provincial Reconstruction Teams PRT as well as those working at Kabul International Airport KAIA were trained by the Norwegian Armed Forces previously the United Kingdom Armed Forces as well as they were expected to merge into a military environment and the PRT s as well as those working at Kabul airport would be armed 3 The ICRU roster members receive training and exercise in line with their deployment but no military training from 2009 The legal basis for the ICRU is set in Icelandic law on ICRU No 73 2007Operations editThe ICRU classifies its operations in the following manner Peacekeeping and Crisis management Observer missions Reconstruction Humanitarian and Emergency assistanceIntelligence gathering editThe National Commissioner of Iceland is charged with intelligence gathering for national security purposes as well as expeditionary peacekeeping operations The Defence Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs oversees military related intelligence and cooperation in that field Equipment editVehicles edit nbsp amp nbsp 24 Nissan Patrol armored and modified by Arctic Trucks for driving in mountainous terrain PRT teams previously deployed in Afghanistan nbsp Santana Anibal nbsp Iveco Trakker Small arms edit PRT teams previously deployed in Afghanistan as well as those previously working in Kabul International Airport were supplied with the weaponry and ammunition the military forces they are cooperating with use The standard weaponry was in most cases however of Norwegian origin 4 nbsp nbsp Heckler amp Koch G3 AG 3 battle rifle nbsp Glock 17 pistol nbsp Diemaco C8 assault rifle nbsp Heckler amp Koch MP5 submachine gun nbsp FN Minimi light machine guns nbsp Rheinmetall MG3 general purpose machine gunsRanks of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit editOfficers edit NATO code OF 10 OF 9 OF 8 OF 7 OF 6 OF 5 OF 4 OF 3 OF 2 OF 1 OF D Student officer nbsp Iceland Crisis Response Unitvte nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ofursti Undirofursti Major Hofudsmadur Lidsforingi Undirlidsforingi Enlisted edit NATO code OR 9 OR 8 OR 7 OR 6 OR 5 OR 4 OR 3 OR 2 OR 1 nbsp Iceland Crisis Response Unitvte nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Flokkstjori 1 Flokkstjori 2 Korporall obreytturSee also editMilitary of Iceland Icelandic Coast Guard Iceland Air Defence SystemReferences edit Iceland Crisis Response Unit Annual report 2007 PDF Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs 2008 ISSN 1670 7974 Archived from the original PDF on 5 October 2017 Retrieved 5 October 2017 Fridur oryggi og throun Islenska fridargaeslan THrounarsamvinna Malefni Utanrikisraduneyti Archived from the original on 2014 10 20 Retrieved 2014 10 16 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 03 Retrieved 2015 08 05 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Interview with Erlingur Erlingsson ICRU on amongst other PRT withdrawal http www utanrikisraduneyti is frettaefni frettatilkynningar nr 4431 dead link External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iceland Crisis Response Unit THatttaka Islands i althjodlegri fridargaeslu in Icelandic Reykjavik Grapevine 2004 issue 8 Arsskyrsla Islensku fridargaeslunnar 2007 in Icelandic Log nr 73 fra 2007 um Islensku fridargaesluna in Icelandic Arsskyrsla Islensku fridargaeslunnar 2006 in Icelandic Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs website on the ICRU ICRU Yearly report for 2007 Women peace and security ICRU and resolution 1325 ICRU personnel clear cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance in southern Lebanon ICRU in brief ICRU contributes to Balkan stability 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Iceland Crisis Response Unit amp oldid 1197564346, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
