NEW YORK (Nettvizen): This is what Skjalg Fjellheim, political editor at Nordlys, told Netavisen regarding the Taliban visit now taking place in Norway.
The chance is zero
– I have no confidence that in Norway one can now convince this criminal gang from Kabul that universal human rights are something that must suddenly be respected. No, the safest outcome of this visit is another downfall of the Labor Party and the Center Party, Fjellheim tells Netavisen.
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The chance of persuading this gang to follow human rights is zero. When you also know what they have championed and defended, we can’t believe it will work – that we’ll sit in a hotel and say we’re right and they’re wrong, it won’t, says Fjellheim.
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The political editor posted a lengthy Facebook post criticizing the government for inviting the Taliban into the country.
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“This ruse has such heavy force that it is allowed to question the government’s judgment in a situation where they are struggling on a heavy hill. Dialogue is not the problem here, but the framework around dialogue, timing and symbolism is cause for question. It may seem that the government has found a recipe for getting rid of its voters faster Available time “. Wilheim writes.
Very bad store for government store
Nordly’s editor explains the criticism of Netavizen.
– It was not possible to tell the Norwegian people in a good enough way why they are doing this. And why is it necessary for this to happen in Norway? says the editor.
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The cost of the Taliban’s visit to Norwegian taxpayers was also announced on Sunday. The government spends 7.5 million NOK on the Taliban’s visit to Norway, of which 3.5 million NOK comes from Taliban private planes from Afghanistan to Norway.
– 7.5 million kroner is not a huge amount, but there is very much symbolism in it at a time when many Norwegians are struggling due to the pandemic, job losses and income, not least the electricity crisis. Then, Norway opens up and pays a charter for this gang, which is a very bad shop for the Støre government, says Fjellheim.
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– Is it wise now, that those people whom we ran away four months ago, and who, when they took our embassy in Kabul, threw all the wine and spirits of the ambassador, it is wise now to invite them to Oslo in luxury hotels? Welheim says sarcastically.
Another issue that the government did not need
Welheim believes that a Taliban visit will now be a new stressful issue for the government.
– Now they have a big fuss in Parliament about commuter housing, electricity prices they have handled poorly, an epidemic they have been criticized for handling, the noise surrounding the central bank governor, and then they go with open eyes to this which is one of the most sensitive issues in geopolitics, which is Afghanistan This gang calls with criminals at the expense of taxpayers.
What was thought to be a feather in the cap will instead be a major internal political problem for the government. No, that would be another case they didn’t need, says Nordly’s editor.
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– Sylvie Les Blossom Gift Pack
Fjellheim also believes that the Taliban visit became a “gift package” for FRP and FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug.
– For the Center Party, this is also a great risk, since there is a large transition of voters between Sp and Frp. And what Sp risks now is that the transition of voters from Sp to Frp will continue, and this case helps a lot, Fjellheim believes.
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The editor of Northern Lights believes it is too late for the government to recover from criticism of the Taliban visit.
– The damage has already been done. This is a victory for the Taliban, as they take pictures of themselves and post them on social media. They are transported in luxury planes with leather seats and beds to one of the countries of Western Europe. They see this as recognition, and although we and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs say it is not, that is how they present it, says Weilheim.
The Norwegian people are not prepared at all
Although the political editor criticizes the visit, Nordley’s editor stresses that the initiative is a good one.
I am not against dialogue and diplomacy, and I am also concerned that there are humanitarian channels that can help the people in Afghanistan and get them out of the terrible situation they are in, but I also have a lot of respect for the people who interact with this.
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“Something is happening without context, that the Norwegian people are completely unprepared for it, and there was no information or communication before the negotiations, which would have been natural because it certainly had to be done,” says Fjellheim.
Very unfortunate for the government
– One can, for example, take a different direction and meet the Taliban in another place. Norway says several other countries are involved, including Italy. But I think Italy is glad to have dropped these calls in a luxury hotel overlooking the Colosseum. And I think, quite frankly, this is true of any Western European country. Because these are not normal state visits, says Welheim, these are criminals.
– Imagine that they are sitting on Syria Moria. And one of them is wanted by the United States. They have a bounty on his head. Well, at least they didn’t get off without explaining themselves first. It is located in Syria Moria in Oslo. Nordlys editor says for Nettavisen that something about the timing here and the surrounding framework and direction here is very, very unfortunate for the government.
A major victory in the public relations of the Taliban
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Anneken Heitfeldt emphasized to Dagsreven that the Taliban had chosen who should be sent to Norway.
– We know some of those are wanted, which is also why they came to Norway the way they came, Hoytfeldt said, according to the NTB.
Skjalg Fjellheim also reacts to this.
– As I understand it, Norway should have kept this a secret, because some of these are wanted terrorists. If they were told this in advance, they would not be allowed in. She also says that they had no influence on whom the Taliban would send, the Taliban decided it themselves. In other words, they have completely given up control. No matter how this ends, there is only one winner, the Taliban.
– This is a huge PR victory for the Taliban that they will use for all it’s worth, Skjalg Fjellheim tells Nettavisen.
Støre in New York
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store is in New York on Sunday. And it is the Taliban negotiations in particular that will now likely be one of the big talking points when Store meets with the Norwegian press at 11 pm on Sunday, Norwegian time.
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Støre is in New York until Wednesday, January 26, when he will participate in the United Nations Security Council, as well as meetings with business and cultural life.
Wrong priority for the Prime Minister to travel to the United States
FRP leader Sylvie Lestaug is deeply skeptical about Stoer’s staying in New York while the Taliban visits Norway.
I think traveling to the US and New York is the prime minister’s wrong priority when people are suffering here at home because of epidemics and electricity bills. Støre should have been at home, making proposals for a maximum price for electricity and facing challenges at home. Is it possible that he does not want speculation that he will face the Taliban? We remember earlier that he had interviews with Hamas that he claimed did not happen but were revealed to the press, Listog says in a comment to Nettavisen.
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