A large explosion has hit near government headquarters in the Norwegian capital Oslo.
The blast is thought to have caused damage to the offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and a number of other official buildings.
There are conflicting reports over whether Mr Stoltenberg was injured - initial reports said he was unharmed.
At least eight people were injured in the city centre explosion, local media reports
An explosion has blown out most windows of a government building housing the prime minister's office and left several people injured, news agencies say.
Friday's blast blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing Jens Stoltenberg's office, as well as nearby ministries, including the oil ministry, which was on fire.
Camilla Ryste, a government spokeswoman, told the Associated Press the prime minister was safe.
A Reuters correspondent, Walter Gibbs, said he counted at least eight injured people. The cause of the blast was unknown but the tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/07/2011722135232705239.html
They've confirmed it was a bomb now.
My first thought is white supremicists planted it, hoping it'll be pinned on Muslim extremists. The nazis up there already torch churches, so it aint a giant leap.
Norwegian police are sending anti-terrorism officers to a political youth camp outside Oslo amid reports of a shooting, hours after a huge explosion at government headquarters killed at least two people and injured 15.
The news site VG reported that a man dressed in a police uniform opened fire at the camp, which is a youth convention for the Norway Labor Party, the ruling party.
VG said several people were injured, and a Norway Labor Party spokesman confirmed the injuries to The Associated Press.
Oslo police Chief Anstein Gjengdal said anti-terrorism units were being sent to the camp at Utoya, outside the capital.
He had no other information on that incident, which came hours after a bomb blast outside the government headquarters killed at least two people and injured 15.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/07/22/oslo-blast.html
Man, I was in Oslo several years ago. Beautiful city and very friendly people. Thoughts and prayers with the victims. What a despicable attack on democracy, particularly the savage attack against children who were looking to get involved in the democratic process.
Do they know for sure that the shooting and explosion are related? I mean, it would certanly be a major coincidence that these two attacks would occur so closely together, time-wise, but I saw a map of Norway and this camp is quite a distance from Oslo on a tiny Island.
Update at BBC:
A massive bomb blast has hit government buildings in the Norwegian capital Oslo, killing at least seven people and injuring 15 others.
PM Jens Stoltenberg described the situation as "very serious".
The bomb was followed by a fatal shooting incident near Oslo at a youth meeting of the Labour Party, which Mr Stoltenberg leads.
Norwegian media said at least four people were killed when a man opened fire indiscriminately.
Police said the suspected gunman had been arrested, TV2 reported.
No group has said they carried out the attacks
No group has said they carried out the attacks
"Helpers of the Global Jihad" have claimed responsibility, claiming it was retaliation for Norwegein media outlets publishing the Mohamed cartoons from Denmark. So, a disgusting attack on freedom of the press as well as on democracy.
If true, of course. Whenever something like this happens, you frequently have groups rushing to claim responsibility whether they did it or not.
It could be far right WP groups ( I think your wrongly conflating the burnings with them though, as I assume you're talking about the same thing). Some are speculating Libyan or Islamist involvement as well. Norway, like other european countries, has many underlying problems with intregation of immigrants so one can hope that the post-attack furor of 9/11 does not occur. The Scandivians are stereotyped to be a stoic people so hopefuly that stereotype is true.
Norwegian twitterer runehak reports:
News agency NTB says police do NOT think this is international terrorism. #osloexpl #oslobomb #whys
and
Nationen also writes police think its a local variant directed at the current political system. http://j.mp/o6QQSP #osloexpl #oslobomb #whys
I think we'll have to wait for an actual investigation to take place.
Seems that a member of a right wing nationalist group is the primary suspect: Anders Behring Breivik, a 32 year old Norwegian citizen http://bit.ly/nh3482
Glenn Greenwald over at Salon.com has written a blog on the media's response to the bombing and shooting, and its characteriztion of Norway "It is, however, worth commenting on both the prevailing descriptions of Norway as well as the reaction to these attacks, as they reveal some important points. Most media accounts express bafflement that Norway would be the target of such an attack given how peaceful it is; The New York Times, for instance, said "the attacks appeared to be part of a coordinated assault on the ordinarily peaceful Scandinavian nation." This is simply inaccurate. Norway is a nation at war -- in more than just one country."
Full article: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/07/22/oslo/index....
Funny (not really funny) how quickly people jump to the conclusion that this act of terrorism had to be the work of "fundamentalist extremism" (DiNovo) and to justify Canada's wars in Afghanistan & Libya (Harper, McKay) - "the world is a volatile place".
Turns out that the time for racial profiling of right-wing, anti-social democratic, white, blond-haired males is nigh. Perhaps Toronto's two mayors should be at the top of the list just in case.
Man held after Norway attacks right-wing extremist: Reports
However, a gunman arrested on the island of Utoya was described as blond, white, and speaking fluent Norwegian, raising the possibility that the attacks could have been linked to domestic politics. Police said they had also linked the suspect to the bomb attack on Oslo.
Given the related attack on a Labour Party (the current ruling party) political summer camp for youth it would seem to me it is likely of local origin.
Norway does have an elite unit in NATO occupied Afghanistan and like Canada it has been bombing Libya so it could be anything. The BBC crap about retaliation for the "cartoons" sounds like mindless speculation to me and an attempt to make this about religion when it is likely blowback from the war fronts Norway is engaged in.
He said that the fact that the suspect is a blond Norwegian man should underscore the importance of allowing police to do their work before drawing any conclusions. "We've seen in Europe in recent years that politicians have been jumping to conclusions about suspects before investigations have been conducted, and we will not commit that error."
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/07/22/norway.explosion/
Better safe than sorry! Isn't that what the racist profilers say?
Funny (not really funny) how quickly people jump to the conclusion that this act of terrorism had to be the work of "fundamentalist extremism" (DiNovo)
DiNovo went on to say: "An Islamisist group has claimed responsibility."
For those who may have forgotten, this is the same piece of shit who voted in favour of Peter Shurman's motion to condemn Israeli Apartheid Week on Ontario campuses, and later claimed her family had received "death threats" (though apparently no charges have been laid - perhaps in her terror she forgot to phone the police). Perhaps an "Islamisist" [sic] group claimed responsibility for threatening her family too??
she 've gone a bit too far..
She has gone very far. She is a United Church minister, masquerading as a progressive person, who tries to suppress pro-Palestinian dissent in Canada and now blames "Islamisists" [sic] for terrorist attacks in Norway. She should be exposed as the fraud that she is wherever she shows her face.
The face of Islamist terrorism (sic.)
Ummm... ahem:
"There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans."
- from Malcolm X's Letter From Mecca
ANyway, thank goodness it wasn't a Muslim. There were a million people on the streets of Syria today. A 'clash of civilizations' would sure fuck up the struggle for human liberty right now
Shocking. But I'm more concerned about the purveyors of hate and the anti-democrats here at home. Cheri DiNovo has never apologized for her hateful support for repression of democratic dissent. Now she reveals herself as a filthy Islamophobe. She should be thrown out of any place where decent people gather. Queen's Park is probably the right place for her.
Oh for god's sake - 80 teenagers at a Norwegian Labour Party youth camp were just murdered in cold blood and all you want to talk about is what Cheri DiNovo posts on facebook???
You have very warped priorities.
Cheri DiNovo reacts to this horror by blaming "fundamentalist extremism". Her priorities are fine, right Stockholm? I would like opinions like hers combatted and resoundingly defeated in Canadian society. That's my priority. Where's yours, Stockholm? Mourning for a couple of days, then business as usual?
I met her once during an election campaign. I was having a smoke with a couple of people who volunteer at the food bank in her riding. One of her volunteers handed us a flyer. We tried to start up a convo, as we knew who she was and we're all sympathetic to the Dips, but she just kept moving, waving us off. You could feel the contempt she has for her own constituents.
I dont think she's an evil mastermind. Just half an acid casualty who shoots her mouth off when she doesnt know SFA
Rightwing extremism, Stockholm? Fundamentalist extremism? Islamisist [sic] groups?
No thanks, Stockholm. The threat to us here in Canada is imperialism, racism, capitalism... Not some nutbar with a gun. Anyway, go tell Cheri DiNovo it was a rightwing extremist, and ask her to please leave the Muslims alone for a change. Thank you in advance.
If you want to talk about Cheri DiNovo's personality and/or facebook postings - why don't you start a thread on that. I think this should be a place to discuss the horrible tragedy in Norway and what it says about the threat that rightwing extremism poses to all of us.
BTW: I agree with condemning "fundamentalist extremism" in this case. By all accounts the killer seems to a rabid extreme rightwing Christian fundamentalist. We need to be on the look out for people like that in Canada too. There could be copycat crackpots from the religious right that might think its a good idea to kill a bunch of young New Democrats.
I dont think she's an evil mastermind. Just half an acid casualty who shoots her mouth off when she doesnt know SFA
I would agree. I think she's stupid. But that doesn't really excuse her anti-democratic actions, her support for Israel, her attempt to suppress pro-Palestinian activism, and now her hatred of Muslims. I have described her as a "piece of shit" and I stand by that scientific designation.
So, you obviously don't give a damn about 80 teenage socialists in Norway being murdered - all that matters is what a backbench member of a third party in a Canadian province posts on facebook.
I'm glad you have found a hobby that gives you pleasure.
Again, my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Norway.
With regards to Cheri Dinovo, I've personally worked with her (I don't live in her riding, for what it's worth) to set up free dental clinics for people who can't afford to pay for dentail care. A lot of people were really helped on those days. I wish all representatives of the public would take such initiatives to help people in need. Cheri is a tireless advocate for the less fortunate and has done a lot of great work to serve her constituents, and those outside her riding. It's a shame that some people feel the need to attack her. I wish my MPP were as dedicated as Cheri.
If you want to talk about Cheri DiNovo's personality and/or facebook postings - why don't you start a thread on that. I think this should be a place to discuss the horrible tragedy in Norway and what it says about the threat that rightwing extremism poses to all of us.
Ever see The Fisher King?
At office parties, I rearrange the hors d'oeuvres... ...while people are eating them, so that the platters will remain full. I never start any of the conversations because I just don't know... I don't know where to make it end, to go.
Listen, listen. You gotta be a little easier on yourself, doll. A conversation has a life of its own, you know? You have to have some faith in that fact. I mean, look at us. We're having
...a very lovely conversation.
She still said something really stupid. You tend to get attacked when you do that.
Really, Mr. Tea? I'm so happy Cheri sets up free dental clinics rather than fighting for publicly-delivered dental care for all. Charity is such a virtue. But you haven't commented on her venomous hatred of pro-Palestinian activists, and now her vicious and filthy reflexive attribution of guilt to Muslims for the horror committed in Norway. Does that not bother you? I personally hope Cheri DiNovo's teeth and moral sense are straightened by someone with the expertise to perform such procedures.
"Helpers of the Global Jihad" have claimed responsibility, claiming it was retaliation for Norwegein media outlets publishing the Mohamed cartoons from Denmark. So, a disgusting attack on freedom of the press as well as on democracy.
Really, Mr.Tea? No kidding? Are you sure you and Cheri haven't hired the same publicist?
I'm gonna side with Stock on this, now, Unionist. You've made your point she's a jerk. Enough with the ridiculous thread drift
"Helpers of the Global Jihad" have claimed responsibility, claiming it was retaliation for Norwegein media outlets publishing the Mohamed cartoons from Denmark. So, a disgusting attack on freedom of the press as well as on democracy.
Really, Mr.Tea? No kidding? Are you sure you and Cheri haven't hired the same publicist?
They DID claim responsibility. You conveniently omitted the rest of my post (right after what you quoted) in which I questioned whether it was actually accurate, given how groups tend to rush to claim responsibillity, whether responsible or not. I don't know about Cheri but I had my TV tuned to the BBC, which is where I got the information that a certain group had taken credit for the attack.
Really, Mr. Tea? I'm so happy Cheri sets up free dental clinics rather than fighting for publicly-delivered dental care for all. Charity is such a virtue.
How about you go and fix somebody's teeth before labelling somebody who does a "piece of shit"?
I'm gonna side with Stock on this, now, Unionist.
You don't think it's important when phony self-styled "progressive" Canadian politicians react to a disaster like this by saying:
"Fundamentalist extremism [er, I think she means Islam] is the antithesis of faith's love of enemy and peace [er, I think she means Christianity]."
[url=http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=730460229&sk=wall]Source.[/url]
You think it's "thread drift" to talk about how progressive people in Canada should or should not deal with such catastrophes? Where our sympathies should lie? Whom we should "blame" without knowing any of the facts? Whether or not we should join in a mob hysteria and start blathering about how our "faith" of "love thy enemy" is so much superior to "Islamisist" fundamentalist extremism?
You are entitled to your opinion, howard. But why am I not entitled to mine?
Really, Mr. Tea? I'm so happy Cheri sets up free dental clinics rather than fighting for publicly-delivered dental care for all. Charity is such a virtue.
How about you go and fix somebody's teeth before labelling somebody who does a "piece of shit"?
Just say straight out whether you support her suppression of pro-Palestinian activism and her knee-jerk blaming of "fundamentalist extremism" [read, bad Muslims] based on total hopeless ignorance of the situation? I don't actually care how nice she is to poor people. Let's talk about the subject here, shall we?
Christ you're boring
You've made the same point five times
Christ you're boring
You've made the same point five times
Prepare to hear it again. Look at the people in this thread justifying Islamophobia because of a media report that some phony "Islamic" group had claimed responsibility. You find that boring? Change the channel.
Also, I just looked at Cheri's Facebook page and she NEVER MENTIONED even used the words "Islam", "Islamic", "Muslim" or anything indicating any religion whatsoever. She used the term "fundamentalist extremism", which could apply to people of any religion or no religion and all sorts of ideologies, whether secular or religious. You seem to be the one who reads "extremism" and hears "Islam".
Saying the same thing over and over is self absorbed, adds nothing, disrespects the other participants in the conversation, wastes all parties energy and is boring.
And I said this was the work of a right wing nut in the third post.
And, since we're on this drift, I'll be the first to admit that I shouldn't have publicized the claim, based on a BBC report, of an Islamic group claiming responsibility. I think this is reflective of the media saturated (and social media driven) world in which we live where information, whether true or false, tends to travel incredibly quickly and get reported without sufficient verification. So, for example, when I heard months back that a Democratic congresswoman was shot in Arizona, my immediate reaction was to assume some right wing extremist and when I heard that Michael Bryant had hit someone with his car near the Hyatt hotel, my reaction was to assume he was driving drunk. I should have learned my lesson not to jump to conclusions in the immediate aftermath of such events (even with certain groups explicitly claiming responsibility) but I think that what we have here is an example of some personal grudge you have with Cheri relating to Israel that blinds you to anything else. You claim that you "don't actually care how nice she is to poor people" but I can assure you, from experience, that many people (not least of all those benefiting) DO care.
BTW: I agree with condemning "fundamentalist extremism" in this case. By all accounts the killer seems to a rabid extreme rightwing Christian fundamentalist. We need to be on the look out for people like that in Canada too. There could be copycat crackpots from the religious right that might think its a good idea to kill a bunch of young New Democrats.
Was there a religious motive at all? There is a mention of him being a former mason on a wikipedia listing, but do you have a source for that?
(edit)
Also, that story in the Montreal Gazette has a gratuitous paragraph tacked on at the end of it about islamic extremism, even though it has nothing to do with the attacks, and the man arrested was already identified as a right-wing extremist.
Try reading. Polunatic2 cited this way upthread:
[url=http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150720511920230&id=73...Cheri DiNovo An Islamisist group has claimed responsibility.[/url]
Yes, she claimed that an Islamic group had claimed responsibility. Maybe because they DID.
Again, whether true or not, I think many of us are guilty to jumping to conclusions. If I woke up tomorrow to read that an abortion clinic had been bombed, my gut instinct would be to assume a Christian fundamentalist was behind it. Because such people have a history of having committed and threatened to commit such acts.
In the case of Oslo, a Muslim group had claimed responsibility and, in the last weeks and months, Norway had been explicitly threatened by Islamic extremists.
Leaping to conclusions based on the scarcely available facts may be "hasty" but I'd like to think it isn't sufficient to being labelled a "piece of shit", the massive amount of good work she's done notwithstanding.
Leaping to conclusions based on the scarcely available facts may be "hasty" but I'd like to think it isn't sufficient to being labelled a "piece of shit", the massive amount of good work she's done notwithstanding.
Mr.Tea, were you aware that DiNovo spoke for and supported a Conservative motion that the Legislature should condemn Israeli Apartheid Week? That's why I called her a "piece of shit" - for supporting the suppression of democratic speech and dissent, and siding with the Israeli murderers. Are you aware that when many of her Facebook friends questioned her on this stand and asked for an explanation, she attacked them and then deleted their comments? Are you aware that she then claimed she was the victim of "death threats" and left the country?
This latest kneejerk attack on "fundamentalist extremism" is merely a further reflection of a dark and grimy character. I didn't jump to any conclusion today. It has been years in the making. Let her stick to arranging fillings for the poor, and keep her snout out of matters involving Israel, Muslims, etc. Then I will happily leave her alone. In the meantime, when evil rears its head, it must be exposed in the light of day.
If Cheri did that for people without dental in her constituency, good for her. Blowing off aid to the poor is shameful for any progressive.
She still mighta said somethin dumb as dirt.
And if Helpers Of Jihad is an actual Muslim group trying to score points off this tragedy, then they're assholes. But my first question is whether even the claim is genuine or something generated by right wing boneheads
Its pretty clear that Unionists never organized anything. No petitions, no rallies, no campaigns, no nuthin. Certainly no dental clinics.
His contribution to the global struggle has consisted of boring the bejezus out of people at meetings and then not volunteering for any of the work. So he's never had to worry about concision or persuation, so why worry about him?
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Its pretty clear that Unionists never organized anything. No petitions, no rallies, no campaigns, no nuthin. Certainly no dental clinics.
That's bullshit. I once ran a lemonade stand with a friend. We made almost $1.50. What contribution have [i]you[/i] ever made to the burgeoning market economy?
His contribution to the global struggle has consisted of boring the bejezus out of people at meetings and then not volunteering for any of the work.
That's true enough. Why should I lift a finger when some other sucker can do the heavy lifting. You pegged me right straight, howard. How the f*** did you know? I don't even use my real name here!
So he's never had to worry about concision or persuation, so why worry about him?
Ah yes, concision. Is that some dental procedure, like incision, or incisors?
Why worry about Unionist? Why not just, say, bait and provoke, await a reaction, then laugh your guts out? Because he talked too much! Mortal frickin' crime!
Anyway, howard, I would like to apologize for boring you. It occurs to me that boring is also a dental procedure which many impoverished Canadians would just love to have Cheri DiNovo provide to them. I wouldn't do it to save my life, because it might involve actual [b]work[/b], and it might interfere with my garrulous voluble verborrhea. Heaven forfend.
Again, howard, I'm sorry. How many different ways can I say it? You have struck me to the quick. My conscience doth make a coward of me. I will never bore you again. I will make it my life's mission to intrigue and interest you, whatever the price! Thank you. Thank you so much.
Mr.Tea, were you aware that DiNovo spoke for and supported a Conservative motion that the Legislature should condemn Israeli Apartheid Week? That's why I called her a "piece of shit" - for supporting the suppression of democratic speech and dissent, and siding with the Israeli murderers.
I've never spoken with her about anything related to foreign policy. The extent of my discussions with Cheri have been related to coordinating dental care for people who need it. And, sorry to disappoint you, but I don't quiz people to see if they conform to a rigid ideological purity test before I help them. If you need help, I'm happy to help and don't give a shit how you feel about the situation in the middle east.
But since you accused her of trying to "suppress" critics of Israel, I think it's worth pointing out the difference between "condemnation" and "suppression." I CONDEMN, for example, Glenn Beck as blow hard, loudmouth idiot while also having no desire to SUPPRESS his ability to be such. Freedom of speech does not equal freedom from criticism of said speech. Freedom of speech gives me the right to write a book and that same freedom gives the right to say that it sucks. Israeli Apartheid Week went on, as it has in years past and as it will in years future. I both fully support that as I fully support the right of people to criticize it.
