Sweden’s security advisor left behind a notepad in Ankara.
It is the third security failure in a row at the same post.
– It affects the image of the quality of this role, says security expert Jörgen Holmlund.
Niclas Kvarnström, national security advisor since a year ago-
Photo: Magnus Lejhall / TT / TT NEWS AGENCY
Sweden’s national security adviser Niclas Kvarnström left a notepad in connection with the NATO meeting in Ankara, DN revealed on Wednesday. The block has still not been recovered and what it contained is unclear. However, the Government Office believes that it is not classified information.
“Therefore, no damage assessment has been carried out in accordance with the Government Office’s regulations”, they write to DN.
But even if it does not involve very secret information, the information in the block can still be sensitive, according to Jörgen Holmlund, a security expert working at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
– There may be more sensitive information about upcoming meetings, thoughts, perspectives on what advice I want to give the Prime Minister on a single issue, he says.
Several misses
A mistake of this kind is “deeply human”, continues Holmlund. But it is not the first mistake of a security nature committed in the post of national security adviser. Among other things, Henrik Landerholm forgot several sensitive documents at the Gällöfsta course farm, and his successor Tobias Thyberg was forced to resign the same day he took office after his nude photos were leaked.
The expert Jörgen Holmlund.
Photo: Christoffer Hjalmarsson / STELLA Pictures
The repeated failures at the security advisor position should be food for thought for the government and the security department, says Jörgen Holmlund.
– I am more surprised that improved procedures have not been ensured before, because I don’t think the government can afford for us to once again have discussions about how this role is handled. Then we are not talking about the content of the importance of the role, but more about how to juggle information.
Jörgen Holmlund suggests that a special role should be established to help keep track of all documents, documents and notebooks. This is to avoid similar situations in the future.
– Certain roles should probably not forget actions at Gällöfsta or a notepad during a NATO meeting in Ankara.
