• guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 July 2011 16.38 BS

Oslo blast: injured people lay near the government buildings after the bomb attack. At least one person was killed. Photograph: Holm Morten/AFP/Getty Images

Oslo police have confirmed the source of the blast that damaged the prime minister's offices in Oslo was a bomb. The question now is who is likely to be behind it.

The most obvious conclusion would be a jihadist group.

It has been known for some time that al-Qaida and other related "franchises" – including the most active groups in Yemen – have been trying to develop operations. Which leads to a second question: why Norway?

The answer is threefold: In the first instance, with increased levels of security and surveillance in the UK and the US as well as other European capitals, Norway might have been seen as a softer target despite the recent breaking up of an al-Qaida cell in Norway.

A more detailed explanation of Norway's problems with al-Qaida were supplied a year ago by the Atlantic magazine in an article by Thomas Hegghammer, a senior fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment in Oslo, and Dominic Tierney .

The article followed the arrest of three men in Norway and Germany for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack involving peroxide explosives. All were Muslim immigrants to Norway.

"The first explanation," the article stated, "is Afghanistan. Norway has been part of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan from its foundation in late 2001 ... In late 2007, for example, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's second-in-command, said the group had previously threatened Norway because it participated in the war against the Muslims."

However, the article added: "Norway is, at best, a secondary player in Afghanistan. Most of its soldiers are in the northern cities of Meymaneh and Mazar-i-Sharif, a relatively quiet part of the country. And its contingent of 500 personnel is only the 18th largest in the Isaf coalition."

A second possible factor behind the attack is a Norwegian newspaper's reprinting in 2006 of a series of Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, which prompted threats against the country.

A third potential explanation is the decision last week by a Norwegian prosecutor to file terror charges against an Iraqi-born cleric for threatening to kill Norwegian politicians if he is deported.

The indictment centered on statements that Mullah Krekar, the founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, made to various media, including the American network NBC.

A report earlier this year by the Norwegian intelligence noted the increasing risk of a jihadi terrorist attack, with Norwegian citizens reportedly trained in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan.

"Although few people in Norway support Islamic extremism, there are activities within some groups that could contribute to heightening the security risk in 2011," the report said.

Some individuals in Norway have travelled to take part in training or fighting in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somali and Yemen, the report added.

[Edited 7/22/11 21:45pm]

Politics & Religion ...

Why am I not surprised?

Unbelievable sad tragedy.

87 ppl dead now. Suspect appears to be a 32 year old Norwegin man.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/W...l?iref=BN1

sp-edit

[Edited 7/22/11 20:51pm]

Maybe it's an idea to change the thread title a little PT3121?

Since this is all happening so fast I think as of yet its too early in the investigation to pointing and blaming anything as of yet. Lets see how the questioning of the person in custody plays out.

AndGodCreatedMe said:

Maybe it's an idea to change the thread title a little PT3121?

The title thread is the title of the news article, not mine.

purplethunder3121 said:

AndGodCreatedMe said:

Maybe it's an idea to change the thread title a little PT3121?

The title thread is the title of the news article, not mine.

It's still your thread title / title thread whatever.

This site has an edit button.

AndGodCreatedMe said:

purplethunder3121 said:

The title thread is the title of the news article, not mine.

It's still your thread title / title thread whatever.

This site has an edit button.

Changed it but if you have a grievance of some kind direct it at the author of the piece; don't shoot the messenger.

Can't believe what happened in Norway, the destruction one man can do

purplethunder3121 said:

AndGodCreatedMe said:

It's still your thread title / title thread whatever.

This site has an edit button.

Changed it but if you have a grievance of some kind direct it at the author of the piece; don't shoot the messenger.

I don't have anything against you. Sorry if I sounded bitchy.

Just found the title a little suggestive because all the facts are/were not clear.

Back on topic.

My deepest sympathy goes out to the family of the victimes and all involved

bad grammar edit.

[Edited 7/22/11 22:27pm]

robertlove said:

Can't believe what happened in Norway, the destruction one man can do

what an awful situation.our thoughts go out to the familys of this on going disaster.

Turns out hes one of those crazy christians instead of a crazy muslim.

the bastard was identified as Anders Behring Breivik, he called out to his victims to come to him as he was dressed as a policeman, for over an hour he systematically shot over 91 teenagers dead.The 32 year old male is in custody but the police don't know as yet if he acted alone.

What an awful thing to have happen and the number of people he killed is horrendous.

There's a profile of Breivik on the BBC site. Amongst other things, it says this:

Police chief Sveinung Sponheim said his internet postings "suggest that he has some political traits directed toward the right, and anti-Muslim views". "But whether that was a motivation for the actual act remains to be seen," he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

How bitterly ironic, given the direction in which the finger of suspicion instantly pointed.

How incredibly sad .

deebee said:

There's a profile of Breivik on the BBC site. Amongst other things, it says this:

Police chief Sveinung Sponheim said his internet postings "suggest that he has some political traits directed toward the right, and anti-Muslim views". "But whether that was a motivation for the actual act remains to be seen," he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

How bitterly ironic, given the direction in which the finger of suspicion instantly pointed.

Indeed!

Just awful this world is so shitty at times...Strange thing is i was shouting its bin ladens lot only 2 find out later it was a Norwegian?????? ....such peaceful people!!!Same thing happened in Oklahoma i was screaming Al Quida only later 2 find out it was Timothy McVeigh....What a crazy world we live in...This chap bought 6 tons of fertlizer and no 1 was suspisious?????Its a sad time 4 the people of Norway..... ....Prayers go out 4 victims and all there families..

davetherave6767 said:

Just awful this world is so shitty at times...Strange thing is i was shouting its bin ladens lot only 2 find out later it was a Norwegian?????? ....such peaceful people!!!Same thing happened in Oklahoma i was screaming Al Quida only later 2 find out it was Timothy McVeigh....What a crazy world we live in...This chap bought 6 tons of fertlizer and no 1 was suspisious?????Its a sad time 4 the people of Norway..... ....Prayers go out 4 victims and all there families..

It is so fucking easy to blame islamists and muslim people for everything bad happening in the world. The excecution of more than 80 unaware and unarmed youth unable to defend themselves at the island was alone the worst thing happening in norway since the second world war.

Turns out it is not islamic nut cases.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/wo...ttack.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/wo...ounts.html

^^^ The man is quite the opposite in fact

A right wing extremist? Why am I not surprised. And no, I am not saying that we should start profiling the tea party, but we should learn from this. It's now not just islamic terrorists. Hate is all of us.

This indights our right wing here who cluck about how our movies talk about right wing terrorists, being POLITICALLY CORRECT! Well, the right has struck. I hope this isn't a pattern. Remember, this is in Norway, which has a great socialist welfare state. If it can happen there it certainly will happen here.

We all thought was an Islamic person, even me? Right wing equals bad.

SERIOUS QUESTION:

Since the terrorist was a "Rightwing Christian," does that mean the US military is going to invade Alabama and the rest of the Amreican Bible Belt, since all rightwing Christians must be terrorists now?

If not, why not?

IshmaelB said:

SERIOUS QUESTION:

Since the terrorist was a "Rightwing Christian," does that mean the US military is going to invade Alabama and the rest of the Amreican Bible Belt, since all rightwing Christians must be terrorists now?

If not, why not?

Fuck off.

Nvm. not worth my time edit.

[Edited 7/23/11 12:28pm]

Right-wing Christian...Islamic extremist, etc., etc., etc...idiots all. Sick and tired of all the hate. It just overwhelms me and I don't want to hear about or think about or fathom the ignorance and hypocrisy of ANY religious dogma or rules or laws or commands and the evil it causes in the world. Just tired...of humans.