News Analysis: Norwegian attacks reflect emerging terror tendency in West

News Analysis: Norwegian attacks reflect emerging terror tendencyin West

by Yang Jingzhong, Devapriyo Das

OSLO, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Why a rich and peaceful country likeNorway should suffer a deadly massacre and bomb attack by one of itsown citizens presents as a mystery.

But as clues emerge, more troubling questions arise about theevolving nature of terror in western countries.

At a court here in Oslo, Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-year-oldNorwegian responsible for last week's twin attacks, spoke about hismotives.

According to judge Kim Heger, who presided over Monday's closed-door hearing, Breivik told the court the attacks were intended tosend "a powerful signal to the people" and that he wished to "hurtthe Labor Party as much as possible, so the party would find it hardto get new members."

Breivik admitted responsibility for the huge bomb blast in Oslo'sgovernment quarter Friday, and the subsequent shooting spree at asummer camp for the youth wing of Norway's ruling Labor Party, whichhave cost 68 lives, according to police Monday, revising downearlier estimates.

But Breivik did not plead guilty, insisting these acts werenecessary to save Norway and western Europe.

The nature and scale of the attacks make clear his intention toharm Norway's political establishment and shake its foundations asan open society.

That the country is scheduled to hold countrywide local electionsin September only deepens the impact.

Helge Luraas, a security and conflict management expert at theNorwegian Institute of International Affairs, believes the attacks"will impact on the climate and debates of those elections," even ifthe events are not directly linked.

"Political parties and leaders would be highly affected, so Ithink many of the subjects being discussed in these elections willbe different," he told Xinhua in an interview Saturday.

But Breivik's hatred did not extend just to Norway's socialdemocratic politics.

"I could not let the land (of Norway) be colonized by Muslims,"Breivik told the court, according to judge Heger.

This utterance was in keeping with those expressed in a rambling,1,500-page manifesto that Breivik posted on the internet Friday,hours before the attacks. In the document, he rages againstmulticulturalism and Islam, and airs extreme right-wing views.

CHANGING THREAT

"To be honest, I first thought the blast was the work of anextreme Islamist group. I am relieved that it was not," said MahdiSerifpour, a 26-year-old university student from Iran, who joinedthe crowd of reporters and onlookers outside the Oslo courthouseMonday.

Serifpour believes too many people, including himself, jumped atfirst to the conclusion that Friday's attacks were conducted by areligious extremist group, rather than a home-grown right-wingeracting alone.

If Norway's security service had been tracking the Internet forpeople like Breivik then, "for sure, they would have known somethingabout this," Serifpour said.

According to Luraas, Norway's commitment to being a transparentand open democracy based on trust and close-knit community valuesmeans it does not necessarily employ the security measures found insome other countries.

It is "perceived to be a safe country but our security structureis quite downscale and laid back," he said.

And this makes it harder to safeguard against persons with aright-wing agenda like Breivik's.

"The focus is always about Muslims, but we have to focus on theradicals of the right as well," said Samir Shatara, Oslo bureauchief of global news network Al Jazeera.

"We have to look at both sides," he told Xinhua as he waited forthe outcome of the hearing Monday.

Indeed security experts are suggesting that a narrow focus on so-called religious terror groups may be diverting attention from otherkinds of extremists in western countries.

Like Breivik, they may be motivated by a lack of trust in thedemocratic process, irrational hatreds and a feeling of exclusion.

In fact, judge Heger said Breivik claimed there were two furtherterror cells in his organization. Norwegian police are reported tobe following up on this claim, although it is unclear whether it istrue.

LOOKING AHEAD

As many European countries struggle with mounting public debtcrises and low growth, economic hardship can lead a minority ofdisenchanted citizens toward extreme politics and ideas.

Luraas says Norway's relatively low unemployment and strongeconomy have so far helped it avoid such problems. However, thereare widespread worries over integration of immigrants fromdeveloping countries into mainstream Norwegian society.

With only 4.8 million inhabitants, rich offshore oil reserves, alively economy and high levels of public transparency, Norway is arich and stable country, with a generous welfare system.

Yet the attacks force the country's leaders to take notice of thethreat of right-wing terror and address social dissatisfaction.

"This person (Breivik) has made a political statement and has hada political impact," Luraas said. "We can decide how that impactdevelops, and we can lessen this impact by taking it rationally andprogressing calmly."