STOCKHOLM, 3 October 2004 — Norway has elevated its terror alert level after the country was singled out as a possible target for pre-emptive attacks by Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, security police said.
Norway was mentioned in a tape aired on Friday by Al-Jazeera television, where a speaker identified as Ayman Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian-born confidante of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, urged Muslim youths to carry out strikes against the United States and its allies. Norway has sent troops to both Afghanistan and Iraq, mainly to contribute humanitarian aid. It also was mentioned as a target by Al-Zawahri in a tape aired in 2003.
“The threats indicate that Norway is in the group of countries that Al-Qaeda feels are legitimate and purposeful to attack,” the country’s security police, PST, said in a news release after the terror alert level was elevated on Friday from low to moderate.
“When Norway is threatened in such a direct way, there is reason to take the threat seriously while the PST conducts further investigations,” PST Director Joern Holme said. He added that the PST had sent recommendations to the Justice Ministry to step up security in certain areas, but did not specify which. The tape aired threatened interests of the United States and many of its allies, and urged young Muslims not to hesitate in acting against them.
“The interests of the Americans, British, Australians, French, Polish, Norwegians, South Koreans and Japanese are spread everywhere,” the speaker said. “We must not wait more ...or we will be devoured one country after the other.”
The tape said the countries cited had taken part in occupying Afghanistan or Iraq or Chechnya and had given Israel “means of survival.” Norway’s Justice Minister Odd Einar Doerum said the tape would be investigated by the country’s intelligence service. “We take every threat seriously and will investigate,” he said on the state radio network NRK.
