Oslo Norway Terror Attacks UPDATED

One or more bombs, including a car bomb, caused death and destruction in Oslo Norway today.  So far seven dead and others wounded.  The Prime Minister may have been the target.  In a second attack, a man dressed in a police uniform started shooting  youngsters at Utoya island youth summer camp, injuring 5 and causing people to try and swim from the island in panic.  There were 600 youth activists at the island camp.   The most current report has as many as 30 dead. One witness said the shooting went on for two hours.  Islamic terror is suspected but not yet confirmed.  UPDATE: 7-23-11 - The Norwegian police on Saturday charged a 32-year-old man, (Anders Behring Breivik) whom they identified as a Christian fundamentalist with right-wing connections, over the bombing of a government center here and a shooting attack on a nearby island that together left at least 91 people dead.  (New York Times, via Drudge) 

Both attacks are apparently related.  Two suspects have been arrested.

The attacks come as Norway grapples with a homegrown terror plot linked to al-Qaida. Two suspects are in jail awaiting charges.

Last week, a Norwegian prosecutor filed terror charges against an Iraqi-born cleric for threatening Norwegian politicians with death if he is deported from the Scandinavian country. The indictment centered on statements that Mullah Krekar - the founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam - made to various news media, including American network NBC.

Terrorism has also been a concern in neighboring Denmark since an uproar over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad six years ago. Danish authorities say they have foiled several terror plots linked to the 2005 newspaper cartoons that triggered protests in Muslim countries. Last month, a Danish appeals court on Wednesday sentenced a Somali man to 10 years in prison for breaking into the home of the cartoonist.  (AP)

Today our hearts and prayers go out to Norway as they try to treat the injured, comfort the families of those who were killed  and bring to justice those who are guilty.  We know how you feel today.

Fabian Stang, the mayor of Oslo, Norway told CNN that "this situation is under control, but it's been a terrible day."

"Today we think about the people in all other parts of the world who have been in the same situation," Stang said. "We are of course shocked." (Images via CNN) 

The following image is reportedly of bodies on the beach of Utoya island youth camp and the first image coming from that terror attack, but has not been officially verified yet.

Updates as they become available. 

UPEDATE II:

Here's what StratFor says:

At least 17 people have died and more have been injured in an explosion in downtown Oslo and a shooting at a Labor Party youth camp outside the Norwegian capital. Norwegian police arrested the shooter at the camp and believe he is connected with the explosion, though others could be involved.

The significance of the events in Norway for the rest of Europe will depend largely on who is responsible, and the identity of the culprits is still unclear. However, STRATFOR can extrapolate the possible consequences of the attacks based on several scenarios.



The first scenario is that grassroots Islamist militants based in Norway are behind these seemingly connected attacks. Grassroots jihadist groups are already assumed to exist across Europe, and this assumption — along with previous attacks — has bolstered far-right political parties' popularity across the Continent. Many center-right politicians have also begun raising anti-immigrant policy issues in order to distract from the ongoing economic austerity measures brought about by the European economic crisis. If grassroots Islamist militants are found to be the culprits in Norway, it will simply reinforce the current European political trend that favors the far right. That said, some far-right parties, particularly in Northern Europe, could get a popularity boost sufficient to push them into the political mainstream, and possibly into government.



If an individual, grassroots or organized domestic group with far-right or neo-Nazi leanings perpetrated the attack, the significance for the rest of Europe will not be large. It could lead to a temporary loss of popularity for the far right, but long-term repercussions for the far right are unlikely since these parties have begun tempering their platforms in order to attract a wider constituency.

There is also the possibility that the attacks are the work of a skilled but disturbed individual with grievances against the Labor Party. This possibility would have few long-ranging repercussions beyond a reworking of domestic security procedures in Norway.

Another scenario is that the attack was carried out by an international group which may have entered the country some time ago. Regardless of the time frame, if the culprits crossed a border to get into Norway, other European countries will feel very vulnerable; Norway is Europe's northern terminus, and if international militants can get to Norway, they can get to anywhere in Europe. This vulnerability could severely damage the Schengen Agreement, once a symbolic pillar of Europe's unity, which has been under attack in the last several months. The agreement allows visa-free travel between the 25 countries in the Schengen Area (most of which are EU members, but the Schengen Area does include some non-EU members like Norway and Switzerland). The agreement came under pressure when Italy threatened to allow migrants fleeing the Libyan conflict and Tunisian political unrest to gain temporary resident status in order to cross into France. It was Rome's way of forcing the rest of Europe to help it with the influx of migrants. The solution proposed by France and Italy was to essentially establish temporary borders "under very exceptional circumstances." Later, Denmark reimposed border controls, supposedly due to an increase in cross-border crime.

The attack in Norway, if it involved cross-border movements, could therefore damage or even end the Schengen Agreement. Other European countries, particularly those where the far right is strong or where center-right parties have adopted an anti-immigrant message, could push for further amendments to the pact.

A transnational militant plot against a European country in the contemporary context could also be significant for European defense policy. When the 2004 Madrid attack and 2005 London attack happened, many in Europe argued that the attacks were a result of European governments' support for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. This is no longer really the case for Europe, although European forces are still in Afghanistan. It is much more difficult to blame Europe's alliance with the United States for this attack. As such, Europe could very well be motivated to take ongoing efforts to increase European defense coordination seriously. Current efforts are being led by Poland, which is doing so mainly because it wants to increase security against Russia's resurgence, not because of global militancy. The problem with Warsaw's plan is that it has little genuine support in Western Europe, other than France. An attack on Norway could, however, provide the kind of impetus necessary for Europe to feel threatened by global events.

The last scenario is that the attack is linked to Norway's involvement in the campaign in Libya. If the Libyan government is somehow connected to the bombing and/or shooting, the rest of Europe will rally behind Norway and increase their efforts in Libya. This scenario would essentially close off the opening in negotiations prompted by a recent move by Paris and other European governments saying they would be open to Moammar Gadhafi's remaining in Libya.

 

Comments

[DON SMITH]

RELIGON OF PEACE MY ASS

[Angel]

oiy my comment didnt go through Deb..sorry!

[A.C. McCloud]

It's possible this is a right wing Norwegian guy, especially since he targeted a 'youth camp' run by the socialist-leaning govt. Of course AQ would also be against that, and Gadaffi threatened to attack Europe just recently.

Meanwhile, Obama himself has already jumped to conclusions by saying (along with a bunch of I's, me's) that the attack is why we need international help in fighting terrorism. We just don't know what happened yet.

[Opus #6]

This is a horrible reality check from the religion of pieces.

Prayers for the Norwegians.

[GoneWithTheWind]

I am saddened by these sensless deaths and destruction. Would it be inconsiderate to point out that many people from Skandinavia were critical of the decision to water board Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. That waterboarding produced a huge amount of information that prevented terrorist attacks. Can we all agree that waterboarding is like a walk in the park compared to what the terrorists do? Maybe this is what it will take to wake everyone up to the reality of what we are facing...

[Andrea]

Victims- 90 were Young Socialist and only killer identified was a Far-Right extremist. No evidence so far about Islamic involvement( but we can not exclude the connection ).
We have to be carefull in reaching conclusions.

[Sven]

It was a right wing extremist christian Islamophobe.

A bit like most of you here.

[Sven]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14259356

scroll down ....

'christian fundamentalist'

Enough said.

[Bogdan from Australia]

Idiot Sven. Brevik above all is a madman who could as well call himself a Martian.
Ali Agca, a terrorist who assassinated the Pope John Paul II was a member of an ultra-right Turkish organisation Grey Wolves.
As it came later, Agca was controlled by the Bulgarian Secret Services which in turn were controlled by the Soviet KGB.
Bother to tell us you moron, where in the Bible is writen that it is permissible to murder children?
In Koran it is, provided that they are children of infidels.
The question is, who controls the mind of that Norwegian creep?

[Always On Watch]

I want to say, "This guy isn't what the media are saying he is."

But even if he's some kind of "plant," that word will never, ever make the evening news.

We who are anti-shari'a are going to end up owning this murderer's carnage.

We who support the Second Amendment will also end up owning the murderer's carnage.

IT WON'T MATTER THAT HE'S AS FAR FROM ME AS THE OPPOSITE END OF THE UNIVERSE.

I think that this fellow's computer will be scrutinized to the nth degree.

Every site he ever visited will be investigated.

Every link on every site he ever visited will also be investigated.

As he expressed support of Geert Wilders, any and all of us who have uttered support of Wilders will also be investigated.

Get ready for the fallout. It's coming. That fallout will probably also include restricting what we say on the Internet.

Actually, for some time, I've been concerned that such an event would occur and tar us all.

The only possible out I see is that this horror occurred in Norway. Had it occurred here in the United States, the fallout would suffocate us in short order.

[Bogdan from Australia]

I don't believe that the Norwegian Socialists who are now wielding the power, will be willing to share any findings about Brevik's eventual affiliations, even if they find that he is somehow associated with the muslims.
The narrative that Brevik is a Conservative Christian is very convenient for the Nor-Socs as it help them to undermine the Norwegian Conservatives who are gaining on popularity under the leadership of a young and charismatic leader, a gal named Siv Jensen.
It would be very naive to count on the honesty of the leftist PARASITES.

[Democrats Abroad]

Read his posts he's as Islamaphobe as you Mr. Gorka.

[PB]

Good to see the Stoic , reasoned and non-knee jerk reaction of the Norewegians versus the hysterical gungho reection by most yanks after 9/11

[Andrea]

The fact is that tenth of young socialists supporters have been killed by a far right extremist. You can blame socialists whenever and whatever you want but they are the victims today. victims of hate and political fundamentalism, of xenophoby and religious fanatism

[Bogdan from Australia]

Idiot PB. Stoic, reasonable?
You must be joking!
There is a TSUNAMI of hatred and ludicrous accusations directed at all Conservatives taking place all over the conservative blogosphere.
Just because one madman has commited an act of barbarism, thay are accusing all Conservatives.
They accusing Fjordman, Spencer, Geller and so many others for inciting that heinous act.
Just like they accused Sarah Palin of inciting Laughner to commit an act of terror in Tuscon.
Those attacks are too immediate, too artificial and too well coordinated to be coincidental.

[PB]

I said the NORWEGIANS were being stoic and reasonable
Idiot Bogdan - I know english is not your natural language, but try to understand.

On the other hand you idiot Americans went crazy after 9/11 and made matters worse.

[David (DW)]

How long has it been now, PB, since your lobotomy? Thank you for posting from the Veggie Ward.

[Bogdan from Australia]

Cretin PB. There is quite a crowd of the so called "Norwegians"who are raging mad and accusisng Fjordman, Spencer,Geller and all Conservatives of complicity in that horrendous crime.
Is that a reasonable behaviour, you moron?
And the Yanks didn't go crazy after 7/11.
They reacted reasonably and forcefully to that event and in the way prevented two terrorist regimes from obtaining the nukes; Iraq and Libya.
Those were American and European Leftist who immediately began stabbing the Yanks in the back and making that difficult but noble job even more difficult.
But such an insane anti-Americanist like yourself will for sure kiss their backsides and beg them for help again when the Muzzies run your sh***y Eurabia over,
My English is perhaps self-taught but at least it enables me to think and express myself clearly and not to fantasize like yourself.