[lbo-talk] The Norwegian menace

Quenby Alclaire flagrant_sake at yahoo.com
Thu Apr 3 12:57:44 PST 2003


Norwegian hoax caller assures US ambassador of PM's support

OSLO (AFP) - A 19-year old Norwegian, passing himself off as his country's prime minister, telephoned the United States ambassador here to express his support for the war on Iraq (news - web sites), the US embassy said. young man called the ambassador and said he was the prime minister," embassy spokeswoman Kathy Perez told AFP.

The caller, Richard Ringheim, earlier told Bergenavisen daily that "I introduced myself as (Prime Minister) Kjell Magne Bondevik and I asked to speak to the ambassador. I said it was most urgent."

Thirty seconds later the ambassador, John Doyle Ong, came on the line. "Hello, Mr Prime Minister," he greeted the caller, according to Ringheim's account.

In the subsequent conversation, which Ringheim said lasted ten to 15 minutes, he expressed his support for the US-led military operations in Iraq.

"I told him I couldn't say this in public because of the lack of support for the war in my government and the party. He was delighted with this message, and said he would pass it on to the highest level," Ringheim said.

But it seems that the US ambassador, who had recently warned of repercussions due to the lack of Norwegian support for the Iraq war, suspected that the sudden mood change was too good to be true.

"The ambassador got pretty suspicious so he wrapped up the call. Then, someone from the embassy called the prime minister's office to check it out," Perez said.

The ambassador has no plans to file charges, said the spokeswoman.

"We can take a joke," she said.

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