Police in Oslo have arrested three brothers in their 20s, all of them Norwegian citizens with Iraqi background, and charged them with “terror bombing” at the US Embassy in Oslo. The police continue to investigate whether other national authorities ordered the bombing.
The US Embassy in Oslo, located in a mostly residential neighborhood outside the city center, was hit by what’s now being called “a powerful bomb” at 1am last Sunday. The embassy, often referred to as “Fortress America,” suffered relatively little damage but neighbours were shaken. PHOTO: NewsinEnglish.no/Morten Møst
The blast last weekend at the embassy complex woke up much of the neighbourhood in the residential area where the embassy is located. It also set off a major investigation into whether the bombing was related to the US’ and Israel’s own bombing of Iran, which in turn has launched a new war in the Middle East. Police earlier had referred to the blast as an “explosion” and hadn’t specified what kind of explosive device had been used.
Prosecutor Christian Hatlo said at a press briefing in Oslo Thursday evening that investigators believe only one of the three brothers was physically at the scene, and that he detonated “a powerful bomb” at the embassy’s consular entrance. The other two are believed to have contributed to the blast “in various ways,” including production of the explosive device. All three were arrested around 3:30pm on Thursday.
By 9pm, TV2 was reporting that one of the brothers has admitted to placing the bomb. His defense attorney Øystein Storrvik told TV2 that the young man “has clarified what happened, but beyond that I have no further comment right now.”
Justice Minister Astri Aas Hansen told news bureau NTB that the fact all three are charged with “terror bombing” under Norwegian law “brings an extra element of seriousness to this case.” They can all face up to 21 years in prison.
None of the three brothers has any previous criminal record, and little has been released about their background. Hatlo said it was important to learn more about the motive for the bombing, not least since it came just a week after the US began bombing Iran.
The Norwegian police are in contact with both the international police agency Interpol and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Police are also working closely with Norway’s domestic intelligence agency PST (Politiets sikkerhets tjeneste), which is evaluating further danger for new attacks in Norway.
Hatlo also told reporters that one of the many theories police are working with is whether the bombing at the embassy was ordered by another nation’s authorities, who in turn got the three brothers in Oslo to carry it out. That theory is based on the fact that an American embassy was the target, and because of global tensions in general.
Another theory is whether the three suspects now in police custody can be tied to international criminal networks. Swedish authorities reportedly had received information, according to Swedish national broadcaster SVT, that an attack at the US Embassy in Oslo may be tied to the criminal network Foxtrot. It’s best known for drug trafficking and recruiting young troubled teenagers to carry out murders and bombings.
“The most important thing now, is to question (the three suspects) and see what that yields.” Hatlo said. He added that the bomb used was “very powerful” and is under examination. The only reason it didn’t cause more damage, he said, is because the embassy was especially well-secured.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund