WikiLeaks blockade under probe

Government officials in both Norway and Iceland are questioning the grounds for what’s become a credit card blockade against WikiLeaks that has disrupted the non-profit whistle-blowing organization’s ability to raise funds. Norwegian-Danish finance firm Teller is also the target of a government inquiry. Norway’s leading business newspaper, Dagens Næringsliv (DN), has reported in a series [...]

WikiLeaks documents leaked again

An Oslo-based newspaper reportedly has become the only medium in the world that’s secured unlimited access to more than 250,000 documents initially leaked to the non-profit organization WikiLeaks. Newspaper Aftenposten’s access seems to have spoiled WikiLeaks’ strategy to retain control over the vast array of classified material mostly originating from US embassies around the globe. [...]

Caught up in WikiLeaks impact

Norwegian government officials seem to be taking the contents of US Embassy documents leaked by WikiLeaks in stride, while some experts think the leaks will damage diplomacy. Meanwhile, a Norwegian finance firm is caught in the crossfire. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has mostly remained mum on the contents of specific documents involving Norway and [...]

Norway involved in China-Tibet talks

Norwegian officials have in all secrecy been contributing economically to funding meetings between Chinese authorities in Beijing and representatives for Dalai Lama’s Tibetan government in exile. The Norwegian involvement emerged last week in documents made available by WikiLeaks and reported by newspaper Aftenposten. Dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama and Chinese authorities has been [...]

New Palestinian embassy not popular with the Israelis

Palestinian plans to upgrade their representative office in Oslo to a full-fledged embassy may become a reality late next year, but not without protests from Israel. Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said earlier this month that the Palestinian embassy plans are in line with what other countries have arranged with the Palestinians, such as [...]

Ex-ambassador mum on WikiLeaks

Benson Whitney, the former US Ambassador to Norway, won’t comment on the ridicule and derogatory reports he wrote home to Washington about Norway. While Whitney purported to be a friend of Norway during his term as ambassador, he privately wrote scathing reports about his Norwegian hosts. Many of Whitney’s reports back to US officials in [...]

Government ‘passive’ on Krekar

Mullah Krekar, arguably Norway’s least popular refugee, likely won’t be sent out of the country any time soon. Documents made available by WikiLeaks indicate the government is not actively seeking a way to deport him after all. Government officials have claimed for years, also as late as this summer, that they’re doing all they can [...]

Bureaucrats sought Americans’ help

Several top Norwegian bureaucrats have revealed internal workings of the Norwegian government to diplomats at the US Embassy in Oslo, according to documents made available by WikiLeaks. The bureaucrats reportedly did so when seeking aid from diplomats they thought could pressure members of the Norwegian government into adopting more US-friendly policies. In one example, bureaucrats [...]

New US Embassy was put on hold

Construction of a new US Embassy complex at Huseby on Oslo’s north side has been controversial and the subject of various lawsuits. Now it appears the project was put on hold by officials in Washington, over lack of funds. Documents made available by WikiLeaks and reported by Aftenposten.no reveal that the US State Department decided [...]

White House finally extends invitation

In the midst of seemingly endless embarrassing revelations about the low opinion some US officials have had of Norwegian politics and politicians, comes a long-sought invitation for Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg to visit US President Barack Obama at the White House. The timing of the invitation may indicate that US officials want to clear the [...]

Støre and US ambassador have a chat

US Ambassador Barry White put in a call to Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, after a new round of confidential US documents released through WikiLeaks revealed strong US criticism of Norwegian politics and politicians. It apparently was time to clear the air. “The American ambassador called and said he thought the reporting (of the [...]

Anti-terrorism efforts ‘inadequate’

Norwegian police are failing to confront extremists and lack the resources necessary to mount more effective anti-terrorism efforts, according to critics at the US Embassy in Oslo. They’re not satisfied with Norway’s own attempts to prevent terrorist attacks. New documents made available by WikiLeaks, and presented in newspaper Aftenposten on Wednesday, offer more details of [...]

More harsh truths from WikiLeaks

NEWS ANALYSIS: A new batch of confidential documents made available by website WikiLeaks, and mostly stemming from the US Embassy in Oslo, reveal more harsh US criticism of Norway’s left-center coalition government. US diplomats haven’t been at all happy with various Norwegian foreign policy initiatives in recent years, and have unleashed harsh personal characterizations about [...]

Norway willing to discuss taking prisoners from Guantanamo

Among all the confidential documents pouring out of WikiLeaks is the account of a meeting Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had with new US Ambassador Barry White in November 2009. White believed he got clear signals from Støre that Norway was ready to discuss taking in prisoners released from the US controversial prison camp [...]

Biting criticism of Norwegian leaders

Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre thinks he’s “morally superior” and smarter than most, while Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is “not a strong leader.”  These are among US diplomats’ assessments of top Norwegian politicians, unveiled by WikiLeaks and Scandinavian media. Newspaper Aftenposten devoted four full pages in its Tuesday edition to the contents of new documents [...]

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