Sweden Wants EU to Use its Battle Groups

European Union Tower of Babel Poster
EU Poster

Sweden has raised concerns that the EU structure has not allowed the EU to deploy its battle groups yet:

Sweden seeks scrutiny of EU battle groups

EUobserver – Sept 8, 2009 excerpt…

BRUSSELS – The Swedish EU presidency wants defence ministers to have a closer look at the bloc’s quick response forces, which so far have never been deployed due to a lack of consensus among member states. “The concept of EU battlegroups is good, but they have not been used until now. We want to have a political discussion on why this is the case,” Olof Skoog, a diplomat representing the Swedish EU presidency told members of the security and defence committee in the European Parliament on Monday (7 September).

Since January 2007, the EU has in theory always had two battlegroups on call, each comprising at least 1500 combat soldiers from one or several member states. The two battlegroups on call rotate every six months and are selected from a total of 18.

Set up for deployment within 5-10 days, the battlegroups are designed as rapid response forces in emergency situations, when the United Nations or Nato cannot intervene quickly enough. They need the unanimous approval of all EU member states in order to be deployed, which is the main reason why they have not been used so far.

Defence ministers will discuss the matter at the end of the month and possibly consider ways of making the mechanism more “flexible”, for instance by deploying just parts of a battlegroup when needed.

The Swedish diplomat talked about “variations” in the political commitment of member states when it comes to making the battlegroup they contribute to really deployable.

The lack of sufficient strategic airlift in most member states meant that “you might have the troops, but no means of putting them on the ground” – which defeats the very rationale of a quickly deployable force…

British Conservative MEP Geoffrey van Orden called the EU battlegroups, as well as the whole European security and defence policy “a distraction from Nato and what is really meaningful” and deplored the Europeans’ lack of interest in Afghanistan.

Coat of arms

Last year, Stockholm co-ordinated the set-up of the Nordic battle group in the first half of last year, comprising 2,800 soldiers mostly from Sweden and also from Finland, Norway, Ireland and Estonia. The endeavour cost Sweden more than €100 million.

“We made the investment in order for the battlegroup to be used,” he said, noting that not all member states saw this in the same way.

Back then, Sweden had hoped to see the Nordic battlegroup deployed in the context of the Darfur crisis, but the EU countries could not agree on sending it. Instead, the EU took months to deploy the EUFOR mission to Chad and the Central African Republic. http://euobserver.com/9/28627

The situation will change. Similar to how Germany gave Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers in order to run Germany, the EU will ultimately give power to a European dictator (biblically called “the beast” and “the King of the North“) who will run things his way.

And for a while, he will be quite victorious.

The power transfer is prophesied in the Book of Revelation:

12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast (Revelation 17:12-13).

The military success of the beast is prophesied as well:

3…And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months (Revelation 13:3-5).

So the time will come when Europe will use its “battle groups”.

Perhaps I should add that those in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and later the Arab lands will feel, this force quite dramatically. Especially towards the beginning of the forty-two months.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe? Is it destined to rule?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?