Swedish foreign minister stabbed by knife

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 13:40

Source: BBC

Quote:

Swedish foreign minister stabbed

Lindh is among Sweden's most popular politicians
Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh has been repeatedly stabbed in an attack in a Stockholm department store.
Doctors carried out emergency surgery on what were described as serious knife injuries.

"She has stab wounds in the chest, stomach and arms and is being operated on now, but the wounds are not life-threatening," police spokeswoman Stina Wessling told Reuters.

Prime Minister Goran Persson said: "The attack on her is an attack on our open society and because of this I am feeling great anger and dismay."

God, he has stabbed me in the stomach

Anna Lindh, quoted by eyewitness
There has been no comment from the Karolinska hospital, where she is being treated.

But Ms Lindh's spokesman, Dan Svanell, told the TT news agency: "She has a serious injury in the abdomen and we cannot say anything about her condition until the operation is completed."

Ms Lindh, one of Sweden's most popular politicans, was carried from the Nordiska Kompaniet store on a stretcher. The attack happened at around 1600 local time (1400GMT).

"She laid on the floor and it looked as if a tall man, wearing a peaked cap, was hitting her," eyewitness Hanna Sundberg told AP news agency.

"But when he ran away, he threw away a knife."

There is nothing pointing at a political motive right now

Police spokesman Bjoern Pihlblad
Ms Lindh told her: "God, he has stabbed me in the stomach", the shopper said.

Police were said to be searching for a man wearing a camouflage jacket who fled from the store, and denied reports that a man was being held.

"There is nothing pointing at a political motive right now," said police spokesman Bjoern Pihlblad.

However, Mr Persson said security had been tightened around government buildings.

Police seal off the crime scene
He also said that he was suspending the campaign for a Yes vote in Sunday's referendum on membership of the euro.

Ms Lindh, 46, had been playing a leading a role in the campaign, which the government appears likely to lose.

A registered nurse told AP she had found Ms Lindh on the store's floor, apparently in shock, with cloth wrapped around her right wrist.

The Social Democrat has been foreign minister since 1998. She is married with two children.

In 1986 Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot dead as he walked home with his wife in Stockholm.

The killing has never formally been solved, although a man cleared of the crime later wrote to a newspaper confessing.

Sava · September 10, 2003, 13:42

MichaeltheGreat · September 10, 2003, 13:44

That sucks, and I hope she recovers. It would seem no matter how "open" your society is, that it would be prudent for senior government ministers to have bodyguards, in case of the odd nut job.

Combat Ingrid · September 10, 2003, 13:51

Bodyguards as a concept is almost unheard of in Sweden because of the very few threats, even for top politicians. It would really suck if we have to change that

FrustratedPoet · September 10, 2003, 13:53

Heard about this on the radio just now. It's sad.

Thankfully she will probably survive the attack.

Ingrid: Wasn't one of your Prime Ministers assasinated in very mysterious circumstances about 20-30 years ago?

Combat Ingrid · September 10, 2003, 13:57

Yes, in -86 I think. Olof Palme was assassinated on the street on his way home late at night. His murderer has not been caught so far.

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 13:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Combat Ingrid
Bodyguards as a concept is almost unheard of in Sweden because of the very few threats, even for top politicians. It would really suck if we have to change that

Several top politicians has been attacked by leftists/anarchists in recent years and smeared with food or cake. These include finance minister Bo Ringholm, former opposition leader Carl Bildt and the King. If these assaulters had weapons instead of food, it could have led to serious consequences. I think the politicians should have better protection.

Combat Ingrid · September 10, 2003, 14:00

True, but IMO in those cases it was just some morons who wanted to get their 15 minutes

Boris Godunov · September 10, 2003, 14:04

Knives don't stab people. Maniacs wielding them do.

FrustratedPoet · September 10, 2003, 14:10

The knife helps, though.

Try stabbing someone with your fist and see how far you get. (my my that sounds rather dirty)

Monk · September 10, 2003, 14:38

Why is the Swedish PM suspending the campaign? Is he hoping for sympathy votes or did he give up all together? That's a bad decision for sure!

Starchild · September 10, 2003, 14:40

I saw this on Euronews. Apparently she's one of the leading pro-single currency advocates in Sweden. Is this gonna tip the scales in the referendum? oooooh.

Being more serious, it's always sad to see this stuff happen in Scandinavia. Safe, prosperous, etc; they've always been my ideal of society.

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 14:43

The opposition is also suspending their campaign. The referendum will take place on Sunday anyway, as planned. Only the planned TV debates this evening have been cancelled (as the "Yes to Euro Queen" will not show up). The events at the hospital will decide if the debates will continue tomorrow.

Monk · September 10, 2003, 14:58

Starchild,

Now that's the interesting thing, what's the effect when it comes to the referendum? It certainly doesn't hurt her cause but maybe all of you yes-men could win the last two or three per cent because of it.

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 15:24

The latest news is that one stab hit the liver and that the surgery operation is now in it's 5th hour.

Al'Kimiya · September 10, 2003, 15:26

Quote:

Originally posted by Combat Ingrid
Yes, in -86 I think. Olof Palme was assassinated on the street on his way home late at night. His murderer has not been caught so far.

His murderer has severe memory problems, as well as a drug/alcohol addict and a genepool partly consisting of wild boar.

Combat Ingrid · September 10, 2003, 15:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Al'Kimiya

His murderer has severe memory problems, as well as a drug/alcohol addict and a genepool partly consisting of wild boar.

Well, they could never prove that he actually committed the murder.
Btw, he sure looks like he took style lessons from Albert Speer

Al'Kimiya · September 10, 2003, 15:53

You kept that picture on your hard drive, didn't you?

Kropotkin · September 10, 2003, 16:25

The assasination of Palme to place in a dark alley after they, he and his wife, had left the cinema. The weapon was a revolver. This was in the middle of the day in the most posh store in the capitol of sweden. The first one could have been planed by professionals. Even if it's hard to think of Christer as a professional anything. This seems like more of a freak incident. Also, I don't think that Lindh in any way is as hated as Palme was by a minority of the population.

Arrian · September 10, 2003, 16:46

Quote:

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
The knife helps, though.

Try stabbing someone with your fist and see how far you get. (my my that sounds rather dirty)

Al'Kimiya · September 10, 2003, 16:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Kropotkin
Also, I don't think that Lindh in any way is as hated as Palme was by a minority of the population.

I never liked her very much, but I was nowhere near the crime spot.

statusperfect · September 10, 2003, 16:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
The latest news is that one stab hit the liver and that the surgery operation is now in it's 5th hour.

They have to close the bleeding sufaces microsurgery which is VERY time consuming. This makes me

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 16:59

Two years ago, I was sitting one meter from communist party leader Gudrun Schyman in an airport lounge. I had a sharp knife in my wallet (this was before 9/11). She had no body guards.

I thought about how easy (technically, not morally) it would be for me to cut her throath and get my 15 minutes of (in)fame, but I'm not a lunatic. She resigned in a tax scandal this spring anyway.

statusperfect · September 10, 2003, 17:03

Where in sweden are you from?

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 17:06

Skåne

statusperfect · September 10, 2003, 17:10

OK, me too. Just wondered in case you might have had some first hand info on the situation in stockholm.

Buck Birdseed · September 10, 2003, 17:17

Jesus christ. We were doing a student radio show on the referendum and weren't sure what to do with the incident, in the end we ended up not mentioning it at all. I feel a bit bad about it 'cause I was kinda campaigning (well, being interviewed) as the suspenison had been placed.

Bereta_Eder · September 10, 2003, 17:33

Can this somehow be related to the upcoming euro referendum, even in the twisted mind of the attacker?

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 17:33

Quote:

Originally posted by statusperfect
OK, me too. Just wondered in case you might have had some first hand info on the situation in stockholm.

When it happened I was enjoying my whiskey on the flight from Helsinki. I did not find out until seven when I got home and turned on the TV.

Chemical Ollie · September 10, 2003, 17:39

Quote:

Originally posted by paiktis22
Can this somehow be related to the upcoming euro referendum, even in the twisted mind of the attacker?

Apart from some of the parties in the parliament, there are neo-nazis, ultra-communists and anarchists opposing the Euro. Those groups are not afraid of using political violence. I doubt it was a planned attack, but someone from one of those groups might have seen her, followed her and taken the opportunity when it walked by.