Petersen shares USA’s concerns (Dagsavisen)

Foreign Minister Jan Petersen (Con) is worried by the report from the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. He believes the document shows that Saddam Hussein is not willing to cooperate with the UN. "What this report shows is more serious than we had hoped for. Unfortunately, Iraq has not been cooperating as it should. A number of disturbing questions have not been answered," said the Foreign Minister. He points out that the report concludes that Iraq could have stored several thousand tonnes of chemical warheads and 8,500 litres of anthrax bacteria. "This is not small beer; we are talking about really dangerous stuff here. It shows that the situation is serious," said Mr Petersen.

Controversial Norwegian bullets ready for Iraq war (Nationen)

The controversial Norwegian ammunition, Mk211, is standard issue for the US forces readying to attack Iraq. The ammunition is produced by Nammo (formerly Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikk), which is partly owned by the Norwegian state. Nammo has confirmed that it has sold ammunition to the USA. The Norwegian ammunition has the same effect as dum-dum bullets. "It is clearly in breach of international law to use this ammunition against human beings. It would be tragic if it were to inflict unnecessary suffering on people in Iraq," said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Red Cross. The controversial ammunition has been exported to the USA with the blessing of the Norwegian authorities. However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Karsten Klepsvik declined to how reveal much ammunition the Ministry had allowed to be exported, saying that it was classified information.

Giske claims celebrity doubts have limited impact (Aftenposten)

Several of those who previously stood shoulder to shoulder with Trond Giske in opposition to Norwegian membership of the EU have now joined the ranks of the "don’t knows". The latest to do so is Bishop Gunnar Stålsett. "I do not think individual people publicly stating that they do not know where they stand on EU membership has such a big impact. It is far more important if a group of people or a party like the Christian Democrats changes its stance. In the final analysis, it is the strength of the arguments which counts," said Mr Giske.

Surprised by Bondevik (Vårt Land)

Staunch opponents of EU membership within the Christian Democratic Party are not happy with Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik’s announcement that he intends to reconsider his position on the issue. "I am not exactly overjoyed with Mr Bondevik’s comments. But they come as no surprise, since the media are really pushing the issue at the moment," said Christian Democrat MP Anita Apelthun Sæle. "I personally do not think support for EU membership is as strong as the media would have us believe. I am very glad that Valgerd Svarstad Haugland, the Christian Democratic Party chairwoman, has emphasized so strongly that the party does not support EU membership. I will be working to keep it that way," she added.

Norway to open borders to eastern European migrant workers (Verdens Gang)

From 1 May 2004 anyone from Poland, the Czech Republic or any of the other new EU countries will be able to get a job in Norway under the provisions of the EEA Agreement. According to Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg (Con) there will, in reality, be complete freedom for people from the 10 new member states to seek work in Norway. "When these countries join the EU on 1 May 2003, economic migrants will have free access to Norway. However, we will be keeping a close eye on the situation to ensure that no one abuses that right. That could happen if criminals arrive in the guise of job seekers. We will set up systems to prevent that happening," said Ms Solberg.

Money laundering legislation branded a "gossips’ charter" (Aftenposten)

A working group led by the Ministry of Finance has proposed controversial new measures to beat financial crime and terrorism. Among the proposals currently being circulated is the creation of a new ‘Money Laundering Act’, which would cover a larger number of groups and institutions than today’s Financial Institutions Act. "The Data Inspectorate wonders whether the working group has considered which threats make such measures necessary. It is one thing for the police and customs authorities, which are staffed with professionally trained officers, to sniff out suspicious transactions. But under these proposals a much wider group of people, without training or experience in what constitutes a chargeable offence, are to set about doing so," said Georg Apenes, head of the Data Inspectorate.

Expert warns of euro price hike (Dagbladet)

Øystein Dørum, DnB’s chief economist has warned that EU membership would not necessarily be wholly beneficial. He believes that full membership could lead to a substantial rise in house prices and continued problems for Norway’s export industry. He now hopes that any future debate on EU membership will be more balanced. "If Norway is to bring its interest rates down to EU levels, which are around three per cent lower than we have today, it would result in a huge increase in purchasing power. It would seem likely that house prices would rise. There would be greater pressure for higher wages as a result of increased consumption and increased demand for labour," he said.

New women’s network calls for buying sex to be an offence (Aftenposten)

A number of women’s organizations have written to the Government to say that the multitude of problems linked to prostitution cannot be solved without the Government doing something about the men who buy sex from women and girls. "We have made all violence a criminal offence in Norway, so we should make buying sexual services a criminal offence, too. And the women who are smuggled into the country to be forced into prostitution should at the very least be given a residence permit," said Tove Smaadahl, head of the Women’s Refuge Secretariat. However, Minister of Justice Odd Einar Dørum is not convinced. He fears that prostitution would only move off the streets and into apartments and hotel rooms.

1. Worth Noting

• The fear of an impending war has pushed up oil prices and boosted the revenues flowing into the Government Petroleum Fund. The Norwegian Red Cross has called for the money to be used to help the civilian population in Iraq. The Government Petroleum Fund earned at least NOK 25 billion extra last year as a result of the fear of war in Iraq.
  (NTB)
• Exactly two weeks after he returned to Norway, Mullah Krekar was called in for questioning by officers of the Police Security Service (PST). The interview will continue today. It remains unclear how many days it will last.
  (Aftenposten)
• The Norwegian Armed Forces expect to receive as many as 3,000 applications to join the peacekeeping forces in Kosovo (KFOR), and believe that unemployment is the main reason for the increase. The Armed Forces are extremely pleased with the number of applicants since it allows them to pick and choose as they fill the 284 vacancies in Kosovo.
  (NTB)
• Arne Huuse, head of the National Bureau of Crime Investigation, claims the police are being given too few resources to protect the country against organized crime. "The ordinary man in the street does not get the police service he feels he should have in relation to organized and international crime," he said.
  (Dagbladet)
• Power companies are earning a packet by delaying cuts in electricity prices. Today’s electricity price of NOK 1 per kWh gives a profit of almost 25 per cent a week.
  (Aftenposten)
• The leaders of Norway’s industrial companies have not felt as pessimistic since 1977, according to the latest survey of the country’s economic climate carried out by Statistics Norway. Unusually low forecasts for the level of employment and low prices in export markets are blamed for the feeling of pessimism.
  (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Statoil looks set to publish tremendous year-end results, as a result of sky-high oil prices in the fourth quarter last year. In addition, the oil company will probably be able to post a gain of over NOK 2 billion as a result of the weak USD.
  (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Drivers in the southeastern part of the country and fishermen in Finnmark will in future be able to navigate using a new satellite system – with the help of a forest of radio masts in Antarctica. The system is called Galileo and will be an alternative to the US military system GPS (Global Position System).

2. Today’s comment from Aftenposten

The two reports on Iraq which were presented to the UN Security Council yesterday ask as many questions as they answer. Neither the report by the UN’s weapons inspectors nor that from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proves that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. But neither do the two reports give grounds to claim that Saddam Hussein’s regime does not have such weapons. We have rarely seen a struggle over war and peace which resembles the one now being played out in and around the UN Security Council. We agree with Foreign Minister Jan Petersen when he says that the weapons inspectors have approached the problem in a level-headed and clear-sighted way. It is a level-headedness which we hope will characterize their future efforts in this dramatic affair. Unfortunately, with regard to peace we see more reason for pessimism than we glimpse political bright spots. And US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s statement that time is running out does not bode well. We do not know if the USA has already decided to attack Iraq, but we do know that it sounds that way. That certainly does not mean that now is the time for political resignation or servile compliance. On the contrary, it is crucial that the UN be permitted, on its own terms, to play the key role the global organization has been allotted in questions of war and peace. The first step is to make sure the UN weapons inspectors and those from the IAEA are given every opportunity to concentrate on the job in hand in the next fateful months.