Why us?

last updated 8 January 2015

Oslo

Norwegians are trying to figure out what they did to earn the enmity of al Qaida. In an audiotape aired on Al-Jazeera last week, the terror network’s No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, called on followers to “hit the embassies of America, England, Australia, and Norway, their interests, their companies, and their employees; set the ground ablaze under their feet.” While the first three countries took active roles in the conflict in Iraq, Norway did not. Known for its global peacemaking efforts, the country is home to the Nobel Peace Prize. “Why Norway?” wailed a headline in the Oslo daily Verdens Gang. “We are very surprised,” said a Foreign Ministry spokesman. “I have no idea why we were named.”