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From 2003
"OSLO, Norway (AP) — The United States closed its embassy through the weekend in Oslo after a purported al-Qaeda threat against Norway that some thought was likely meant instead for neighboring Denmark.
The Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera aired an audio tape Wednesday purportedly by Ayman al-Zawahri, the top lieutenant of Osama bin Laden, urging attacks on the United States, Britain, Australia and, surprisingly, Norway.
"Don't allow Americans, Britons, Australians, Norwegians or any other crusaders, who are the killers of your brothers in Iraq, to live in your countries, enjoy your resources and corrupt the earth," he said.
Norway, known as a global peacemaker and home of the Nobel peace prize, seemed an unlikely target considering it didn't support the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
But Denmark, like Britain and Australia, was part of the U.S.-led coalition.
The proximity of the countries sparked speculation that fuzzy geography about Scandinavia may have blurred the distinction between the two by al-Qaeda.
"Of course he means Denmark," said Helle Lykke Nielsen, a terrorism expert at the University of Southern Denmark. "Looking at the context, he evidently is talking about the members of the coalition."
Denmark gave complete political and military support to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, including a submarine and an escort ship. In June, 380 Danish soldiers will head for Iraq and two senior civilians — Ole Woehlers Olsen and Henrik Olesen — are part of the country's postwar administration.
And in the Middle East, Scandinavia — Denmark, Norway and Sweden — "often become one in people's minds" she told The Associated Press in Copenhagen.
Stein Toennesson, director of the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo said it was unusual Norway would be targeted, but not unlikely.
Justice Minister Odd Einar Doerum said the national police intelligence service and other agencies were reviewing the threat risk.
"Norwegian authorities are doing a running evaluation of the situation in close cooperation with friendly countries," he said.
The U.S. Embassy, which closed Thursday, will stay closed through the weekend, spokesman Andrew Schilling said.
"We take the security threat seriously and we are currently reassessing the security situation with Norwegian authorities," he said. No other details were available, but the nearly 8,000 Americans living in Norway were urged to "monitor events closely" and take their own security precautions.
U.S. Embassies in neighboring Denmark, Sweden and Finland remained open.
Norway's embassies in the Middle East were warned, as were companies that operate there.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokesman Karsten Klepsvik said there were no plans to call diplomats home.
In Copenhagen, police stepped up patrols around foreign embassies, including the Norwegian mission.
Even though Norway, home to the Nobel Peace Prize, has just 4.5 million residents, it has a global profile for its efforts as a peacemaker. Oslo, its capital, has become synonymous with the 1993 Norwegian-brokered peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians that has since been tattered after nearly two years of new fighting.
But Denmark and Norway do have some similarities. Both are members of NATO and part of the U.S.-led war on terrorism and contributed troops to oust Taliban and al-Qaeda members from Afghanistan.
The head Denmark's intelligence agency said it doesn't matter which country was threatened.
"It is a development in the terror situation that a Scandinavian country was named as terror target for the first time," Lars Findsen said. "
"OSLO, Norway (AP) — The United States closed its embassy through the weekend in Oslo after a purported al-Qaeda threat against Norway that some thought was likely meant instead for neighboring Denmark.
The Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera aired an audio tape Wednesday purportedly by Ayman al-Zawahri, the top lieutenant of Osama bin Laden, urging attacks on the United States, Britain, Australia and, surprisingly, Norway.
"Don't allow Americans, Britons, Australians, Norwegians or any other crusaders, who are the killers of your brothers in Iraq, to live in your countries, enjoy your resources and corrupt the earth," he said.
Norway, known as a global peacemaker and home of the Nobel peace prize, seemed an unlikely target considering it didn't support the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
But Denmark, like Britain and Australia, was part of the U.S.-led coalition.
The proximity of the countries sparked speculation that fuzzy geography about Scandinavia may have blurred the distinction between the two by al-Qaeda.
"Of course he means Denmark," said Helle Lykke Nielsen, a terrorism expert at the University of Southern Denmark. "Looking at the context, he evidently is talking about the members of the coalition."
Denmark gave complete political and military support to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, including a submarine and an escort ship. In June, 380 Danish soldiers will head for Iraq and two senior civilians — Ole Woehlers Olsen and Henrik Olesen — are part of the country's postwar administration.
And in the Middle East, Scandinavia — Denmark, Norway and Sweden — "often become one in people's minds" she told The Associated Press in Copenhagen.
Stein Toennesson, director of the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo said it was unusual Norway would be targeted, but not unlikely.
Justice Minister Odd Einar Doerum said the national police intelligence service and other agencies were reviewing the threat risk.
"Norwegian authorities are doing a running evaluation of the situation in close cooperation with friendly countries," he said.
The U.S. Embassy, which closed Thursday, will stay closed through the weekend, spokesman Andrew Schilling said.
"We take the security threat seriously and we are currently reassessing the security situation with Norwegian authorities," he said. No other details were available, but the nearly 8,000 Americans living in Norway were urged to "monitor events closely" and take their own security precautions.
U.S. Embassies in neighboring Denmark, Sweden and Finland remained open.
Norway's embassies in the Middle East were warned, as were companies that operate there.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokesman Karsten Klepsvik said there were no plans to call diplomats home.
In Copenhagen, police stepped up patrols around foreign embassies, including the Norwegian mission.
Even though Norway, home to the Nobel Peace Prize, has just 4.5 million residents, it has a global profile for its efforts as a peacemaker. Oslo, its capital, has become synonymous with the 1993 Norwegian-brokered peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians that has since been tattered after nearly two years of new fighting.
But Denmark and Norway do have some similarities. Both are members of NATO and part of the U.S.-led war on terrorism and contributed troops to oust Taliban and al-Qaeda members from Afghanistan.
The head Denmark's intelligence agency said it doesn't matter which country was threatened.
"It is a development in the terror situation that a Scandinavian country was named as terror target for the first time," Lars Findsen said. "
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