NEW YORK / OSLO (Nettavisen): Sunday afternoon it will be revealed what the Taliban’s visit to Norway will cost the taxpayers.
– The rental cost for the private plane is about 3.5 million kroner. That is about half of the estimated budget for the 7 million meetings. It has been necessary for security reasons. We cover all the Afghan participants’ flight and travel expenses. Other costs of the visit go to security, transport, hotel and meeting expenses, communications adviser Guri Solberg at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs Nettavisen in an email.
Read also : This is the Taliban summit’s message to the Norwegian authorities before the historic meeting
Earlier on Sunday, NRK reported that the bill on the plane alone was 3.5 million kroner.
Listhaug: – People are furious
On Sunday, FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug also demanded to get all the cards on the table in view of the price tag for the visit.
– In addition to people being furious that the government is inviting the Taliban to Norway, people are reacting strongly to the fact that we, Norwegian taxpayers, finance luxury transport to Norway by private plane, Listhaug stated in a written comment before the bill became known.
She then demanded to know how much the visit costs.
– Then we talk all inclusive: planning , security calls, travel and oph old, says the FRP leader.
After the bill became known, she writes the following in an email to Nettavisen.
– This is a meaningless use of taxpayers’ money to invite the extreme terrorist organization Taliban on a luxury trip to Norway. It is a glaring example of how our tax money is wasted by the government. Even though NOK 7 million is little money for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which manages an incredible 40,000,000,000,000 (billion) development assistance kroner, it is still disrespectful to taxpayers, Listhaug writes.
– Here, however, it is not the money that is the main problem but that Vedum and Støre have invited representatives of the Taliban who have countless lives on their conscience, including Norwegians, to Norway. As an Afghan women activist says. To the world, it seems that Norway is now the first to legitimize terrorism by hosting this meeting, and that under a false guise of talking about the humanitarian situation. It’s both embarrassing, embarrassing and naive! writes the FRP leader.
Listhaug also believes that it is naive of the authorities to believe that it helps to enter into dialogue with the Taliban.
– That the Norwegian authorities think it is useful to talk to extreme Islamists about human rights and women’s rights is so naive that it is like believing in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny at the same time. The Taliban also has 15 men and 0 women. That in itself says it all, says Listhaug.
Støre i New York
On Sunday, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is in New York, where he will be until Wednesday.
And precisely the Taliban negotiations will probably now be one of the big talking points when Støre will meet the Norwegian press at 11 pm on Sunday night, Norwegian time.
Støre is in New York until Wednesday 26 January, where he will participate in the UN Security Council, in addition to meetings with business and cultural life.
A member of the Taliban delegation is linked to the death of a Norwegian journalist
One of the members of the Taliban delegation who landed on Saturday in Norway, is the brother of the leader of the Haqqani network who was behind the attack on the Serena Hotel in 2008.
One of the members of the Taliban delegation that landed in Norway on Saturday is the brother of the leader of the Haqqani network that was behind the attack on the Serena Hotel in 2008.
In the attack on hotels in Kabul the Norwegian journalist Carsten Thomassen was shot and killed .
A Norwegian Foreign Ministry official was also seriously injured in the attack, and five other people were killed.
Mohammed Anas Zadran, also known as Anas Haqqani, is a senior adviser in the Ministry of the Interior in Afghanistan, and is one of the 15 members of the delegation that will have negotiations for three days at the Soria Moria hotel in Oslo, writes VG .
On Sunday, the message comes that Norway’s Foreign Minister will not meet the Taliban, after that NRK experiences.
Background: The Taliban is coming to Norway
Blacklisted
According to NRK was Haqqani blacklisted by the United States for ties to terrorist activities, and he is the little brother of the infamous Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Sirajuddin Haqqani is now domestic minister and was the leader of the Haqqani network, which according to the UN Security Council was behind the attack on the hotel.
Former foreign journalist in Dagbladet, Jan-Erik Smilden, reacts strongly to Anas Haqqani is a part of the delegation, and wonders how carefully the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has checked the participants.
– I react as a friend and colleague of Carsten, because I think it is so horrible and unmusical that Anas Haqqani is with in the delegation and get to come to Norway, he says.
The Taliban stormed an Afghan media house this fall and the host is going live:
– One of the world’s most wanted terrorists
Listhaug also reacts strongly to the fact that Anas Haqqani is in the party.
– Sirajuddin H aqqani is one of the world’s most wanted terrorists and the leader of the Haqqani network, which is behind some of the worst terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. Now his brother is coming to Norway invited by the Støre government. Anas Haqqani was until recently blacklisted by the United States for ties to terrorist activities, Listhaug writes in a statement.
– A women activist in Kabul writes to VG that she believes the Taliban visit gives legitimacy to international terror. She can not give out her name for fear of her own life. I think the women activist says it well in VG: “The world must understand that Norway is now the first to legitimize terror by hosting this meeting, and under a false guise of talking about the humanitarian situation.” It’s both embarrassing, embarrassing and naive! writes Listhaug.
– Great understanding
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that it understands that these talks and the visit provoke reactions.
– We have a great understanding that many find it difficult and are critical of us arranging these meetings in Norway, writes State Secretary Henrik Thune in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an email to VG.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press officer Guri Solberg confirms to Dagbladet that Anas Haqqani is in Norway.
To Dagbladet, Smilden also says that he has sober hopes that the conversations in Norway will lead to improvements.
– In the situation we are in now, the most important thing is to save lives, and that is what I hope will come out of these conversations, he says.
Decide who they get to meet next
On Sunday, the Taliban will meet with Q. advocates, human rights activists and representatives of the Afghan media. In addition, the day will be spent on surveys to find out where the Taliban stand on important issues and how they will meet demands from the West, writes NRK .
As far as the channel understands, the outcome will of today’s meetings affect who the Taliban will meet later.
Representatives from the Taliban, who took power in Afghanistan last year, have been invited to Norway by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for negotiations. Envoys from the US, EU, UK, France, Germany and Italy are among those to attend.
The online newspaper has tried to get a comment from Jonas Gahr Støre on the Taliban’s visit, but the Prime Minister’s office states that Støre is on a plane and therefore not available.
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