Norway has been one of the more accommodating countries to the Islamic Supremacist crowd, much like Sweden and the Netherlands have been. It is no wonder in my mind, then that Norway was the subject of a terrorist attack today, in the form of a blast of "one or more bombs" in the midst of government offices in Oslo, and an attack by a gunman on a youth camp on Utoya island northwest of the capitol. The story is still developing, but early accounts place the death toll at seven in Oslo, and as high as 20 to 25 at Utoya. (All reports are being updated.)
As far as my posts are concerned, I am travelling and will be restricted due to lack of available communications, but the information so far on this attack is that several Islamic sources are claiming responsibility, reasons including Norwegian support of NATO efforts in Afghanistan, and:
Today's attack takes place just nine days after Norwegian prosecutors filed charges against Mullah Krekar, a radical Islamist cleric who founded the al Qaeda-linked, Iraq based Ansar al Islam. Krakar threatened to carry out attacks against government officials if he was deported from Norway.
Other sources are weighing in as well.
The Norwegian Labour government has been highly accommodating to the jihadist elements in the country. I will lay aside, for example, the new reports of the gunman on Utoya being "a Norwegian citizen" until I have more information, since he could be a naturalised citizen from the Middle East (earlier examples of 'political-speak' there drive me to that pause).
Maybe the attackers are trying for the same effect they achieved with the Madrid bombings in 2004, when they panicked the Spanish populace into electing the left-wing Zapatero in lieu of Aznar.
*****
Update: The horror of the attacks is far more apparent now, and I have reached better conclusions with more accurate information.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome and discussion is open and encouraged. I expect that there will be some occasional disagreement (heaven knows why) or welcome clarification and embellishment, and such are freely solicited.
Consider that all such comments are in the public domain and are expected to be polite, even while contentious. I will delete comments which are ad hominem, as well as those needlessly profane beyond the realm of sputtering incredulity in reaction to some inanity, unless attributed to a quote.
Links to other sources are fine so long as they further the argument or expand on the discussion. All such comments and links are the responsibility of the commenter, and the mere presence herein does not necessarily constitute my agreement.
I will also delete all comments that link to a commercial site.