Translated by Nicolai Sennels, VG Nett, April 1: “Still more often visiting radical Muslims“:
PST makes contact when they are worried that a person is flirting with radical opinions. In 2011, PST used preventive methods more than ever since they were allowed to in 2005, a EOS-report concludes.
Preventive methods are, for example, that an employee at PST knocks on the door, introduces himself, and tells the person that PST is aware that he is flirting with radical opinions.
It has been confirmed to VG Nett that the increased use of such methods is because of an increased focus on radical Islam. ‘We do it because the threats that we are aware of makes it necessary’, says spokesman Trond Hugubakken of PST.
VG Nett: ‘Why did you use these methods more often in 2011?’
Hugubakken: ‘Because of the type of threats.’
VG Nett: ‘Is it because there are more radical Muslims?’
Hugubakken: ‘Particularly the last two years, we have seen an increase in threats from radical Muslims’, says Hugubakken.
This is how the PST itself presents its work:
Hugubakken: ‘An oft-used method for the prevention of terror is simply to talk to people. A preventive talk happens openly. This means that the PST employee presents himself as PST when he makes contact with the person he wants to talk to. All talks with the PST are confidential. This means that the PST does not disclose the identity of the person it is contacting.’