A picture of Anders Behring Breivik taken from a book downloaded from a link posted on the Norwegian discussion website, www.freak.no, and entitled "2083 - A European Declaration of Independence", is seen in this screen grab made July 23, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Special Report: Deadly twin attacks shock Norway
BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Twin attacks on Friday, rare in the history of the peaceful Norway, so far have claimed lives of at least 93 people and left a dozen of others injured, another deadly tragedy in Europe after the Madrid bombings in 2004 and the bombings on London subway in 2005.
More and more details behind the attacks currently are surfacing, but puzzles still remain.
FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM HAUNTING BEHIND?
The Norwegian police, who have acknowledged the tragedies are possibly linked with far-rightists, are worried about more possible attacks in the future.
They have arrested Behring Breivik, 32, as the suspect responsible for the bombing and shooting rampage. Breivik's lawyer Geir Lippestad said Saturday that Breivik has already admitted he carried out the twin attacks.
Media have reported that Breivik, a self-claimed "conservative" Norwegian, has two registered weapons. He likes hunting and playing video games, in particular the game called "World of Warcraft." He once wrote on the website against Muslims.
One of Breivik's friends said Breivik joined the far-right wing camp at the age of 30. He did not conceal his extremely strong stance of nationalism and vehemently opposed the idea that different cultures can live together in peace.
The suspect believed the actions were "atrocious" but "necessary," and he was willing to explain himself in the court, Breivik's lawyer said.
AN INTERCULTURAL CONFLICT?
Far rightists have been infamous in Europe after the Second World War. However, since the financial economic crisis, they have expanded at a surprising speed. Far-right parties in Norway, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Austria are imposing their political influences on their countries in various ways as they are winning more and more votes in local elections.
With the revival of far rightists, anti-immigrants incidents occurred in several European countries, and the cultural traditions, religious beliefs and the way of living of the immigrants, to some extent, are being constrained.
The French authorities declared a veritable war of expelling the Roma people last August in order to "improve the social order," which had triggered a massive wave of protests in more than 130 cities and towns around the country. The French government's move was an evidence that the intercultural conflicts inside the EU are more likely to happen.
What may be triggered by those conflicts? And what repercussion will the twin attacks have on Norway's politics? Now people are more concerned about these questions after the deadly attacks shocked a country as rich and peaceful as Norway that has seldom been disturbed by natural or man-made disasters.
TERRORISTS PENETRATING NORTH EUROPE?
The Norwegian government and police have not annnouced the nature of Friday's bomb and gun attacks, although party leaders, politicians and mainstream media have described the attacks as terrorist ones.
Experts expressed their doubts about the claim that there was only one murderer behind the attacks, in regard to the modus operandi of the crime and the damage it caused.
They said the possibilities can not be ruled out that international terrorist organizations or foreign forces were involved in the attacks.
Britain's newspaper The Times quoted Norwegian sources as saying that the Norwegian security department was investigating whether the attacks were the suspect's individual behaviors or there was a larger terrorist network behind him, domestic extremist groups or traditional Islamic forces.
German weekly Der Spiegel reported on its website that several anti-terror experts believed that the attacks in Norway were terrorist operations, and were likely linked to religious extremist forces.
The magazine said al-Qaida warned that it would launch retaliation attacks on North Europe in 2005 when a Denmark newspaper published the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. A botched bomb attack took place in the Swedish capital Stockholm last December and the bomber was killed.
Other analysts believed the attacks targeting Norway were likely linked to Norway's participation in NATO's military operations in Afghanistan and Libya.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had warned that Europeans are likely to suffer terror attacks if NATO does not stop its military operations against Libya.
Related:
Norway attacks being planned since 2009: manuscript
OSLO, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The twin attacks in Norway that killed at least 92 people on Friday had been planned since at least autumn 2009, according to an on-line manuscript apparently written by the suspect, local press reported Sunday. Full story
Twin attacks in Norway raise alarm on lone extremists
BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Two deadly attacks that killed at least 91 people Friday ushered in a black weekend for Norwegians, and is a sad reminder that home-grown extremism remains a grave threat across the world.
Few people would have expected this "national tragedy", as Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg put it, to hit the wealthy and traditionally peaceful Nordic country. Full story
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