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Sweden to invest millions in fighting extremism

Published: 11 Sep 11 10:39 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/36068/20110911/

Sweden is investing 62 million kronor ($9.6 million) in a national action plan to combat extremism, according to a government announcement.

"I welcome that Sweden is now getting a national plan against violent extremism," Birgitta Ohlsson, minister for European Union affairs, said in a statement.

"The focal point will be on preventative measures," she said.

Ohlsson is in charge of government's action plan.

The purpose of the investment is to strengthen democracy, and "make our society resistant to violent extremism", according to Ohlsson.

She pointed out that several similar measures already have been put into action by municipalities and local authorities.

"But at the same time, it's clear that further measures and a national overview are necessary," she said.

The government's announcement was closely followed by a statement from prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, commenting on the ten years since the 9/11 terror attacks.

Reinfeldt still remembers where he was when he heard of the attacks.

"I was on the train, on the way home to Täby, when I got a call saying that something had happened in New York. And as if on a given signal, several other mobile phones began ringing simultaneously in the carriage."

Reinfeldt lamented the suffering and loss of human life on that day, and in following repercussions.

"Today, my thoughts go out to the victims and the relatives of all those who've been stricken throughout the years," he said.

TT/Clara Guibourg (news@thelocal.se)

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11:23 September 11, 2011 by johan rebel
Wow! A whole dollar per inhabitant. That's gonna work!

If they really want to strengthen democracy, they should start by drastically reducing the ridiculous number of politicians in parliament, city councils, Landsting councils and a zillion "nämder". No country is as overpopulated with politicians as Sweden. This solution should be a real winner, as it will actually save a lot of money too. Far more than a buck per person.

Johan
12:12 September 11, 2011 by shahislam
Get fresh air and done with past and invent new stuffs to keep up with time of global changes in everything including jobs and trades. Did someone ever thought on expiry issue of those old swaying towers? Every destruction opens some new posibilities and opportunities!

Lets get busy on some practical businesses of the time beyond N.Y.

How can we afford to waste funds to nowhere up in the space from borrowed money in trillions of dollars, for these kinds of childish fanciful, half century old unfruitful researches of NASA?

Would you please stop these tax dollar consuming nonsense researches and feasibly spend the money into making commercial giant air-planes on the soil of North-America that will use jet engine mainly during take of the ground then will run by solar and wind powers, transporting people and goods at cheapest possible costs, although moving slowly under the sun towards West, keeping pace with the Sun's movement by intermittent thrusts of jets if and when necessary only, to minimize fuel cost that is, on top of unnecessary and avoidable expenses of airport security measures, responsible for too expensive air-fares.

And loading, unloading, maintainences of this light gigantic solar cell covered baloon type slower but stable new generation long distance Air-transporters will be done at the night time when solar power is not available.

This dream of today is possible to realize tomorrows by our North-American jobless expertise and labors (who are willing to offer hands with minimum wages to give the new program a head start in the global competition of cheapest labor) and tax dollars, even by other obtainable dollars in a positive endeavor of instantly creating jobs for millions right here and change the course of current imbalanced practices in the free trade of the world.

At the same time, we have to consider the following facts for greater purposes:

Yesterday is gone but the experience is still there, based on which we are easily capable of modifying or changing our homeland and international policies on financial matters of all kinds (until we become an united North-American super power, still securing in it, a symbolic top /highest place for the Queen of UK-for its hereditary historical role in the spreading of highly beneficial civilized law and orders, and in the future's 'New totally honest think-tank' of clearly identified 'Advisers' of Governmenhumans whose impulsive actions or reactions are not much higher than the wild animals of the jungle, therefore, total reflection of humanity's positive side has not been present on the global tapestryt Heads of North-America) in conforming with common sense driven presently developing non-violent US policies instead of old anti-bacterial-type application of of war toys against terrorism caused by some Eastern groups of individuals or God created super-animals in the form of !
14:05 September 11, 2011 by godnatt
I'm sure since this is Sweden this will involve more "dialogue".

Because dialogue and rationality are always so effective in satisfying sociopathic religious nutjobs.
14:51 September 11, 2011 by summo
godnatt, well they will need to form a Working Group who will decide a shortlist of honourable people, from these the best will form a focus team who will select whose who are to sit on a Security Monitoring Committee and help the Financial Application Group decide how to divide up the funds between other working groups.... meanwhile it is now 2014 and the money has gone....
16:37 September 11, 2011 by Migga
When something happens you will be the ones saying that there wasn`t enough done and that they should have used more money to prevent it...
17:16 September 11, 2011 by zooeden
Please, save that money. Or by fighting extremism involves feminism too???
01:22 September 12, 2011 by esvahnt
better send back those two millon "new swedes" and give the money to elderly swedes

they deserve it much more
01:34 September 12, 2011 by godnatt
@ summo

Lol.

And of course they'll have to get the approval of the head of the Muslim Council of Sweden who's son in law is a terrorist to decide who is and isn't an extremist.

That would be the only politically correct thing to do.

And of course Islam is the religion of peace, so there's nothing to worry about.
07:28 September 12, 2011 by flintis
Around 60-70 years ago a prominent Islamic council announced that Muslims would take over the world. Politicians of the prominent Western powers poo poo'd the idea. Politicians of today are just as blind.
10:17 September 12, 2011 by rafa1981
Wasted money, those terrorists are created at governments convenience.
12:29 September 12, 2011 by securityguy
Suspected terrorist???? Back to the sandy lands!!! No questions asked....just immediate deportation!!! (If they are not Swedes of course)
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