Transatlantic Diplomacy after 9/11: The U.S. and Norway

How did Norway’s political leaders navigate the rough trans-Atlantic waters and tricky European cross-currents in the early and mid-2000s? What considerations guided decisions about the extent to which Norway would join the Global War on Terror? What role did individual personalities play in shaping Norway’s relations with the US and other European allies? How did foreign policy demands in the midst of increasingly negative Norwegian public opinion about the US impact Norway’s domestic politics? What does Norway’s experience teach small state actors about managing big power tensions? These interviews with many of Norway’s policy-makers, security experts, and diplomats seek to answer the above questions. In doing so, they also further understanding of the impact of US foreign policy at home and abroad.

SMU Project Leaders and Editors

LaiYee Leong (Project Leader) and Brian Franklin (Editor)

For a detailed description of this project, click here

Interviewees:

Kjell Magne Bondevik Prime Minister of Norway (1997-2000, 2001-2005)	Espen Barth Eide Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2000-2001) Deputy Minister of Defense (2005-2010) Minister of Defense (2011-2012) Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-2013)
Jan Petersen Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2005)	Kristin Halvorsen Minister of Finance (2005-2009) Minister of Education (2009-2013)
Kristin Krohn Devold Minister of Defence (2001-2005)	Morten Wetland Ambassador to Germany (1998-2003) State Secretary, Prime Minister's Office (2005-2008) Ambassador to the United Nations (2008-2012)
Knut Vollebæk Foreign Minister (1997-2000) Ambassador to the U.S. (2001-2007)	Rolf Tamnes Director of Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies (1996-2012)
Hilde Frafjord Johnson Minister for International Development (1997-2000, 2001-2005)	Asle Toje Research Director at the Norwegian Nobel Institute (2014-2018) Member of Norwegian Nobel Committee (2018-present)
Sven Erik Svedman Ambassador to France (2003-2005) Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005-2007) Ambassador to Germany (2007-2014)	Kristoffer Egeberg Editor-in-Chief of Faktisk.no and author of Fredsnasjonen Norge (The Peace Nation Norway, 2017)
Jonas Gahr Støre Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005-2012) Minister of Health (2012-2013)	John Ong U.S. Ambassador to Norway (2002-2005)
Benson Whitney U.S. Ambassador to Norway (2006-2009)

These interviews will remain sealed from public viewing until a date specified in the agreement with each individual.