Anti-terror police fends off critics

The head of Norway’s police intelligence unit PST (Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste) has struck back against a critical report from a commission appointed by the government in the wake of the July 22 terror attacks in 2011, claiming the report includes “unfounded accusations” and factual errors. PST boss Marie Benedicte Bjørnland questioned this week what grounds the [...]

PST boss hangs on to her job

Janne Kristiansen, head of Norway’s police intelligence unit PST, faced her critics on Friday and claimed she had no intention of resigning. She apologized, though, for her lack of clarity in various comments made after last summer’s terrorist attacks. Kristiansen’s boss, new Justice Minister Grete Faremo, had conceded this week that Kristiansen “created confusion” by [...]

New criticism of terror response

As Norway’s initial mourning period comes to a close, Norwegian media have begun criticizing various police agencies for their response to the Oslo bombing and Utøya shootings. New details are also emerging about boat problems, the lack of availability of a helicopter and issues encountered in the post-crisis command structure. Police had already been criticized [...]

Police interview US al-Qaida suspects

Three members of al-Qaida are being questioned by Norwegian police in the USA as part of the case against an alleged Norwegian terrorist cell. The three men – Zarein Ahmedzay, Bryant Neal Vinas and Najubullah Zazi – are American citizens charged for the planning of a suicide bombing attack on the New York Metro system [...]

Treholt vows to take case further

Convicted Cold War spy Arne Treholt has told the Norwegian media that he is considering a number of options for having his case re-opened, after Norway’s Criminal Cases Review Commission rejected his application to have the near 30-year-old conviction taken up again in court. Meanwhile, bitter recriminations have already begun among Treholt’s supporters, the police [...]

Treholt open hearings request fails

The Norwegian Criminal Cases Review Commission has rejected calls to hold an open hearing of experts as part of its deliberations over whether to re-open the nearly 30-year-old spying case of Arne Treholt, despite demands from Treholt’s lawyer. Treholt was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1985 for spying for the Soviet Union and [...]

Press sue state for Treholt documents

Journalists, editors and newspapers have joined forces to launch a case against the government in order to gain access to sound recordings and documents related to the judgment in the infamous spying case against Arne Treholt from 1985. The Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste, PST) has so far denied journalists access to classified documents [...]

Plot thickens again in Treholt case

Further revelations have been published in the last few days regarding the near 30-year-old Cold War spying case of Arne Treholt, as the deadline for making official comments to the Criminal Cases Review Commission passed. Treholt was originally sentenced to 20 years in prison for spying for the Soviet Union and Iraq in 1985. The [...]

Terror threat level ‘enters new phase’

Norway’s national intelligence agency PST (Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste) unveiled its latest assessment of national security on Thursday and there’s cause for concern. PST chief Janne Kristiansen said the level of threats against the country is changing, while certain Muslim circles are becoming more radical. “It worries us a lot, and it’s an increasing problem outside of [...]

Radical Muslim activist arrested after making death threats

A Muslim demonstrator who sparked controversy over the weekend, for warning that a major terrorist attack could occur in Norway, was arrested in Larvik on Wednesday after making threats, but later released by police. Officials at state intelligence agency PST confirmed Thursday that they’re keeping an eye on Mohyeldeen Mohammad, however. He said in an [...]

‘More spying than during Cold War’

The head of Norwegian intelligence agency PST (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste) told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Thursday that foreign countries are “spying more on us now than during the Cold War.” Janne Kristiansen, who took over the top PST post last fall, and her colleagues in other state security agencies are on guard and consider the spying [...]

Norway to offer FBI more terror data

Norwegian authorities are poised to offer more cooperation to US authorities, by sharing information with the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center. The center, set up during the Bush Administration, features controversial data surveillance systems that among other things check airline passenger identities, and Norway earlier has been skeptical on the grounds of privacy issues. Now, however, [...]