US officials are urging Norway to toughen up a proposed anti-terror law, but Norwegian politicians have reacted angrily to what they consider meddling by the Americans, said reports on Monday.
Newspaper Aftenposten reported over the weekend that the U.S. ambassador to Norway met with Norway's Justice Minister in June, to discuss the Americans' "interest in the Ministry of Justice's proposed terrorism legislation."
The meeting was followed up last month with a letter from U.S. Ambassador Benson Whitney, in which the American experts make it clear that they don't think Norway's proposed legislation is tough enough.
According to the proposal, a person can only be sentenced if he or she may be connected to the planning of a concrete terrorist act.
Justice Minister Knut Storberget from Labor Party said he believes the proposed Norwegian legislation is "very good and balanced." He made it clear that the U.S. criticism won't influence Norway's proposed anti-terror law.
This view is shared by Agrarian Party spokesman Erling Sande. " Anyone must be able to freely take an initiative, but Norwegian legislation will be framed according to the Norwegian situation and according to what is best for the Norwegian people," Sande said.
Socialist Left Party spokesman Olav Gunnar Ballo says Norway has little to learn from the U.S. when the new law is to be passed. The prisoners held at the Guatanamo base and the lack of legal rights that has been there is a good exmple of this, Ballo said.
Source: Xinhua
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