Head of PST apologizes, but stays

During Friday’s press conference, Head of The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), Janne Kristiansen, apologized, but announced that she will continue in her position.

“I recognize that there are several statements I made to the media that should have been done differently,” said Kristiansen. “My message is that I apologize as the head of PST, but that I take responsibility, and will continue as the head of PST.”

Kristiansen has faced criticism after the terror attacks on July 22nd in regards to her own and PST’s actions before and after the attacks. A secret report about the international anti-terror project Global Shield states that the terror attacks could have been avoided if the PST and customs police had worked more closely together, and investigated Breivik’s purchase of chemicals from Poland.

The Customs Authority reportedly submitted a list of people that had bought chemicals from Poland to the PST as part of the Global Shields Project, and Anders Behring Breivik was one of the people on the list. The PST did not act on this information, and Kristiansen claimed that it was because they were not permitted to register Breivik. This proved to be false.

“It is correct that the PST according to regulations could have completed a temporary registration of him based on the information we were given,” Kristiansen said. The document was received in December 2010, but wasn’t registered until March 2011, which means the PST could have registered the information four months earlier.
“We can’t foresee the future,” Kristiansen explained. How the PST would, could or should have been evaluated or responded is a central topic both for our own evaluation and for the July 22nd Commission.”

Kristiansen has also been criticized for some of her statements to the media, such as that not even the Stasi could have stopped Breivik. She also reportedly told a British newspaper that Breivik had a “perfect, Aryan look.”
(Aftenposten)(Picture TV2)
Julie Ryland

Saturday, 03 December 2011 01:16