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09-11-2003, 09:33 AM
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh has died after being stabbed by an unidentified man at a Stockholm department store Wednesday.

Lindh, 46, was stabbed several times in the chest, stomach and arms while shopping around 4 p.m. at the upscale NK (Nordiska Kompaniet) store.

"I have received with sorrow information that Sweden's Foreign Minister Anna Lindh died this morning at 5.29 a.m. of her wounds," Prime Minister Goeran Persso told a news conference Thursday.

She died after undergoing surgery for more than 10 hours at Karolinska Hospital, Persso said.

Lindh, an outspoken campaigner for Sweden to join the euro in a referendum Sunday, was attacked just blocks from parliament.

Authorities said they did not think the stabbing was politically motivated.

"It feels strange and it's difficult to understand," Persso said, adding that the Scandinavian country's tradition of openness was damaged by the killing.

"The attack against her also hurt the society we've built up and in which we want to live in," he said.

It wasn't known if Sunday's referendum vote on the euro would be delayed.

Jan Larssen, a government spokesman, said late Wednesday the "issue had been raised" but added it would be a "very big, complicated project to move an election day."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Lindh's death was "a terrible tragedy."

"This is an appalling event. Anna was a good friend of mine," he told reporters Thursday.

"She was someone who was full of life.... She represented everything that was wonderful about Sweden and about Europe."

Police in Sweden said a search was being carried out throughout Stockholm for the alleged attacker. The knife was recovered at the store, AP reported Wednesday.

Hanna Sundberg, who was shopping at the store, said she saw a man chase Lindh up an escalator from the basement.

"She laid on the floor and it looked as if a tall man, wearing a peaked cap, was hitting her," she told AP. "But when he ran away, he threw away a knife."

Sundberg said Lindh told her: "God, he has stabbed me in the stomach!" Then, Sundberg said she saw blood.

Like most politicians and officials in Sweden, Lindh traveled without a bodyguard, Grenfors said.

Lindh, one of the country's most admired politicians and No. 3 in the government, had been mentioned as a possible successor to the prime minister.

Lisa Grensfors, of Swedish television, said Lindh's death was a great shock.

"It will be a long time until Sweden recovers from this. She was very respected," she told CNN.

A member of the Social Democrats, Lindh had headed the Foreign Ministry since 1998. She was a member of the Riksdag, or parliament, from 1982-85. She was married and had two children.

Sweden, a Scandinavian country of nine million, had a reputation as being relatively safe, although Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in Stockholm in 1986. His attacker has never been caught.

"For the Swedish people it brings back all the old horrible memories of ... Palme. It might mean Swedish politicians need security guards everywhere they go from now on," Reuters quoted Green Party leader Peter Eriksson as saying.

"I sincerely hope it doesn't lead to that."

cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/09/11/sweden.stabbing/index.html)

-Archwolf-
09-11-2003, 01:55 PM
terrible R.I.P.

jrday
09-11-2003, 02:31 PM
being stabbed sucks

RIP

Snee
09-11-2003, 02:34 PM
Illa!

One wonders why the a*hole did it.

chalice
09-11-2003, 02:41 PM
Apparently Sweden is one of the merciful havens in the world where her politicians can walk around without a bodyguard. This will, no doubt, now change and reflects worrying symptoms of global mania.

evilbagpuss
09-11-2003, 03:07 PM
Originally posted by SnnY
One wonders why the a*hole did it.


It may be because she was a major campaigner for the YES vote in the coming referendum about joining the Euro. Some ultra paranoid right wingers think joining the Euro is the 1st step towards a European Superstate aka the United States of Europe.

Then again it could just be a random psycho.. but I reckon its probably about the Euro.

R.I.P.

Snee
09-11-2003, 03:14 PM
Originally posted by evilbagpuss+11 September 2003 - 16:07--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (evilbagpuss @ 11 September 2003 - 16:07)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-SnnY
One wonders why the a*hole did it.


It may be because she was a major campaigner for the YES vote in the coming referendum about joining the Euro. Some ultra paranoid right wingers think joining the Euro is the 1st step towards a European Superstate aka the United States of Europe.

[/b][/quote]
I guessed something like it at first, but I don&#39;t think we&#39;ll know for sure until he&#39;s caught, if ever, remember the last time? (Palme).

I&#39;m thinking it might be a random wanker wanting to feel famous.

j2k4
09-11-2003, 03:24 PM
Regretful and terrible.

I hope the offender is dealt with severely and decisively.

R.I.P.

Biggles
09-11-2003, 09:33 PM
Utterly depressing

R.I.P.

sum_sicko
09-11-2003, 09:47 PM
one very sick individual, lets all hope whoever it was to do it gets dealt with,

what a terrible loss, R.I.P

internet.news
09-11-2003, 11:06 PM
I heard Sweden is a very opened country - probably like London - do not kow cause I&#39;ve never been there: but if it is so, people should stay opened to understand each other better - also if it hard to understand and it is indeed:
this criminal also just a human.

Means if something would happend to me, someone pointing a gun on me: my feelings would be sadness, desperate helpless, angry in some ways - but I this will never stop me from sharing my thoughts openly to understand each other better.
probably I would have these feelings.

Objectively I would think - that is the more I try to think, although in some situations there are many feelings - this extraordingary/crazy guy is also hjust a human - but it sad what he do :( really...

We have to remain opened to prevent some violence&#33;

thanks anyway, david.

spyware
09-11-2003, 11:12 PM
Tjena nån som vill bjuda på en bira?

spyware
09-11-2003, 11:16 PM
to mourn or something dont think im a psycho

Snee
09-19-2003, 11:38 AM
They think they have the killer now.

Multiple convictions for violent crimes and ties to right-extremists. Whether that means that EBP is right I can&#39;t say.

Edit: oh yeah, I think his father turned him in.

@spyware: :lol: , kul kompis&#33; kanske skulle jobba på din timing? :D

mogadishu
09-23-2003, 05:38 AM
hmmm.. but if you put this whole thing in retrospect:.. imagine if in america all our politicians didnt have body guards etc. .imagine how many ppl would get killed. but in sweden the only two i can thnk of are the prime minister in the 80&#39;s and this. nonetheless its quite sad. now it looks like the guy was just some nutcase, which makes it even sadder.