Prime Minister Erna Solberg says the extremes must not succeed

Foreign Minister Børge Brende and Prime Minister Erna SolbergForeign Minister Børge Brende and Prime Minister Erna Solberg.Photo:Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

The day after the alleged terrorist attack in Stockholm, Prime Minister Erna Solberg warned against allowing the most radical forces on either side to dominate.

‘It is very important to make sure that the two extremes, extreme Islamists and those
who hate Muslims , don’t get supply to either industry, as that creates greater xenophobia in our society,’ said Solberg.

She is on an official visit in China, but the presumed terrorist attack in Norway’s neighbouring country have left a mark on the visit.

A 39-year-old Uzbek national who allegedly sympathised with the extremist group IS, is believed to have been behind the vicious attack which cost four people their lives in a pedestrian street in central Stockholm.

‘This is where the foremost threat of terrorism in Europe is today. Also in Norway, our assessment is that the biggest threat and the likelihood of terrorism comes from Islamic extremism,’ said the Prime Minister.
On Saturday, Solberg met the mayor of Shanghai, who began the meeting by expressing sympathy, and compassion for the Norwegian prime minister for the attack in neighbouring Sweden.

Solberg fears that some individuals may be inspired by events like that experienced in Stockholm.

‘Therefore, it is or the upmost importance that we prevent recruitment to extremism and extremist causes. We have done a lot since we submitted the action plan in 2014; we are working on new measures, and we’ve achieved a lot internationally’, she said.

The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said recruitment to radicals ideas has decreased in Norway. But this is a battle you can never give up’, said Solberg.

The prime minister pointed out that the government, among other things, had strengthened PST in the fight against terror.
The Foreign Minister, Børge Brende, accompanied Solberg to China. He believes the fight against terrorism must be waged by exchanging more intelligence information than today, and by following the developments among foreign fighters.

‘We have managed to, quite sharply, stop the number of foreign fighters entering Syria and Iraq’, said Brende.

‘When those people return, they constitute a potentially serious threat. One must follow their movements carefully.So, regarding the financing of violent extremists and Isil, we have gone some way through international cooperation.

In addition, there have been several measures taken to follow them on social media, which is their main source of
recruitment.’

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) changed its name in 2013 to the Islamic State (IS), but some Western
leaders insist on referring to the group by its old name to mark their opposition to it.

 

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today