Photography

Photos: Peace activists and US troops meet during military exercises in S. Iceland

By Staff

Þjórsárdalur Several hundred troops participated in the exercises, a couple of dozen peace activists protested their presence. Photo/Eyþór





























On Friday and Saturday several hundred military personnel descended upon Þjórsárdalur valley in South Iceland to participate in military exercises aimed at preparing the soldiers for deployment in cold sub-Arctic conditions. Part of the exercise was setting up camp in the barren landscape. The troops were met by a group of peace activists who handed out flowers and engaged some of the soldiers in conversations about current affairs.

The interaction was cordial, and despite the large number of trampling boots the Icelandic Forestry Service found that the area, which has been the focus of reforestation and soil reclamation efforts in recent years, suffered minimal damage.

Read more: NATO military exercises caused far less damage to reforestation than initially feared