Norway: Terror or crime

Four men arrested in connection with firing at Oslo's synagogue have been accused of a terror plot to blow up the US and Israeli embassies, as well as to abduct the Israeli ambassador to Norway and behead her.

The question is if there's enough evidence.

Police have admitted that part of what they thought were plans for a terrorist act were discussions about robbing a grocery store.

A secretly taped conversation between a 29-year-old chief suspect and a Norwegian during a drive through Oslo's embassy district is the key piece of evidence turned up by the Police Security Service (PST).

The 29-year-old has been charged with firing on the Oslo synagogue and plotting to attack the Israeli and US embassies.

Police now acknowledge that parts of the recorded conversation in fact involve plans to rob a budget grocery store in the Skillebekk district of Oslo, newspaper VG reports.

Both of the men on the tape give this version of events, and recently a friend of David Toska, the so-called mastermind of the Norwegian Cash Service (NOKAS) heist, Norway's biggest ever robbery, supported the story.

According to VG, police still believe that the two men also discussed plans to blow up the US and Israeli embassies in Oslo.

An appeals court on Friday rejected a petition to release these two from custody, and their period in remand will now continue. There are a total of four men charged with planning terrorism and firing on the synagogue.

Source: Aftenposten (English)

See also: Norway: Terrorism

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