History's repeating itself

[Svenskaflicka]

Remember back in the 80'ies, when the Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme, was murdered?

Today, there's been another attack on a Swedish politician. The minister of Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh, was attacked outside the great mall NK in Stockholm around 4pm this afternoon. The attacker stabbed her repeatedly, and she's now been in surgery for about 5 hours. She's been severely injured from a stab to the belly, and apparently, her liver has been injured. She's lost a lot of blood.

Media is going bananas over this. There are news updates every 30 minutes, and there are planned extra news up until 3.15 tonight.

The question is what brought it on, Anna Lindh taking side for the Palestinians against the Israelians, or her taking side for the curds against the Turks, or perhaps her taking side for the EMU against Freedom and Independence.

In any case, I think today has proved to be historic. For the first time ever, the news reported that the perpetrator was: "1,80 m tall, dressed in camouflage clothes, and OF SWEDISH-LOOKING ORIGIN".
Never before has a criminal ever been reported to have been a Swede. Either they say that he's an immigrant, or they say nothing at all about his origin.
I think this is a great step towards equality.

On the expense of Anna Lindh, unfortunately.

Then again, I was very disappointed in hearing that she was for the EMU. She seems to be such an intelligent woman apart from that.

 

[ffreak]

Most of us in the U.S. see Sweden as one of the safest countries in the world. Not only am I shocked (especially because such a prominent person in the government had no protection) but sad for her family.

The CNN site has her listed in the World section - she does rate front page. According to their site, she has been seen as the expected successor to the Prime Minister.

Our media seems to be far more concerned that another bin Laden tape has been aired on Al Jazeera.

I hope she survives.

 

[oggbashan]

How do you tell a Swede by appearance from any other European? Our police refer to offenders as IC1 males which covers any white Europeans. The description given in Svenskaflicka's post would fit half the young men in my town.

I hope Anna Lindh recovers.

Puzzled Og

 

[MathGirl]

Dear Svenska,
Ms Lindh certainly has my best wishes. I thought you Sweded were a rather peaceful bunch.

The only way I can think of that the attacker was identified as a Swede is that he said, "Yumpin' Yimminy," as he made his escape. That's a dead giveaway.
MG

 

[Icingsugar]

Shit. That's what I get for not watching the news for once in my life.

"Anna Lindh was attacked outside the great mall NK in Stockholm around 4pm this afternoon."

That's scary. Guess where I was just minutes before that?

Hopes she makes it through ok. We need her back to her old self soon. The lady has more balls than all the suits and ties of current international politics put together.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

I join with everyone else in hoping the lady pulls through. An attack on an elected leader is an attack on everyone in a democracy.

I'm wondering if the news services placed unusual emphasis on the attacker appearing to be of Swedish origin due to her well-known positions on some very volatile middler-eastern issues.

RF

 

[Icingsugar]

She didn't make it.

This sucks.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

It's so inadequate, but I'm sorry-not just for you and your country, but for all of us.

RF

 

[Angeline]

I am so sorry for you and Sweden and all of us as RF said--such violence makes everyone a victim. Yesterday your story about the Jewish comedian made me feel so good, and I thought said a lot about who you are. Now today, this sad news. I'm truely sorry.

 

[ffreak]

My sympathies go out to her family and to all of Sweden.
Murder is never a valid protest. Now the future of a country of beautiful people will bear a scar. I hope it can heal quickly.

 

[Icingsugar]

My sympathies go out to her family and to all of Sweden.
Murder is never a valid protest. Now the future of a country of beautiful people will bear a scar. I hope it can heal quickly.

I can deal with scars. Scars add character. It's getting them that stings.

The openness and close contact between the rulers and the voters was one of the things that made this country special. Now, once again, that's going down the crapper for years to follow.

I hope they find the guy who did it soon, we need to know what kind of a man he was, so blame doesn't start blowing up in the face of pepole that don't deserves it, like it did the last time...

 

[Vincent E]

For my own edification I have to ask if Sweden's Foreign Minister is the equivalent of the United States' Secretary of State (Colin Powell). Please pardon the ignorance.

 

[Guest]

 

[Icingsugar]

For my own edification I have to ask if Sweden's Foreign Minister is the equivalent of the United States' Secretary of State (Colin Powell). Please pardon the ignorance.

That's pretty much correct, yes. She was also one of the strongest candidates for the prime minister post in a few years.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

She passed away at 5.30 this morning. Bled to death, I think.

The CNN has an article about it, if you want to read it.

I've heard 4 theories about the murder so far.

1. The killer was a psycho who attacked her simply because she happened to be in front of him at precisely the same moment as he snapped.
2. The killer was a fanatic anti-EMU activist, and killed her because she was pro-Euro.
3. The killer had been sent by an Israeli terror-group, and they wanted her dead because she had been standing up for the Palestinians against the Israelis.
4. The killer had been sent by a Turkish terror-group, and they wanted her dead because she had been standing up for the curds against the Turks.
   [/list=1]
   
   In any case, this is scary. Not so much the murder itself, because people do get murdered over here, though it's not very common, but the way that the murder was committed - in an open street, in broad daylight, in front of a lot of people.
   
   This is so wrong. The murderers should be hiding in the shadows, being so afraid of what we'll do to them if they get caught, that they don't dare to come out.
   They shouldn't ever be allowed to get so confident that they do their dirty deeds openly.

 

[ffreak]

Amen to that.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I've heard 4 theories about the murder so far.

1. The killer was a psycho who attacked her simply because she happened to be in front of him at precisely the same moment as he snapped.
2. The killer was a fanatic anti-EMU activist, and killed her because she was pro-Euro.
3. The killer had been sent by an Israeli terror-group, and they wanted her dead because she had been standing up for the Palestinians against the Israelis.
4. The killer had been sent by a Turkish terror-group, and they wanted her dead because she had been standing up for the curds against the Turks.
   [/list=1]
   
   In any case, this is scary. Not so much the murder itself, because people do get murdered over here, though it's not very common, but the way that the murder was committed - in an open street, in broad daylight, in front of a lot of people.

1. 
   I honestly don't know which option is scarier. The fact that there's someone out there willing to do something like this, under these circumstances, for any of those reasons, should put over 60% of the European population on its toes... The fact that there are more people like this on both sides of every dispute is too scary to consider...

 

[SlickTony]

It's a shame. Svenskaflicka. I don't know what else to say. I understand they never caught whoever offed Olaf Palme, either.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Right now, they seem to be operating mostly after Theory No. 1, and they have a description out now.

Personally, I think that's THE scariest scenario. A killer murdering people because he doesn't agree with their politic believes, I can, not accept, but understand. A guy who just walks around killing people just for the heck of it... THAT'S scary!!!

There's been 3 murders within just one week now. First, a girl who had been missing for a week was found buried a long way from home, then the minister gets stabbed, and then, the very next day, but in a third town, a guy walks into a kindergarten playground and stabs a 5-year-old girl to death.

And people warn me about moving to USA, because of all the violence and crimes over there...