Lords of Chaos

by Michael Moynihan

  The arms capability of Norwegian rightist radicals has been a point of dispute for as long as these elements have been in the public eye. It is difficult to estimate exactly how many firearms these groups have. While gun control is quite strict in Norway, it is relatively easy to procure automatic weapons from the National Guard depots scattered around the country. Over the last ten years, 850 small arms have disappeared from the Army. Explosives, M-72 anti-tank rocket launchers, and hand grenades are also out there, somewhere in the Norwegian underworld.

  How many of these are in the hands of extremists? It is the modus operandi of Norwegian right-wing extremists to make unrealistic claims about membership numbers and weapon stockpiles to the press. This makes them seem important and powerful, in turn making it easier for them to gain recruits and converts to their cause.

  In association with the Einsatzgruppe case, members of the group Hvit Arisk Terror (White Aryan Terror—the initials spell “Hate” in Norwegian) claimed to have more than thirty handguns in caches spread around the Oslo area. In a country where guns are rarely ever used, this is significant. There are speculations about whether some of the weapons might have come from the rival biker groups the Bandidos and Hell’s Angels, who have been engaged in a protracted war in Scandinavia. So far, twenty people have been killed in a conflict that has included drive-by shootings, bombings, and attacks with anti-tank weapons. While the early acts of hostility were confined to Denmark, in the last few years the war has spilled over into Norway.

  While the Einsatzgruppe might have had the guns, the key question is whether they were really ready to take the step into the world of political terrorism. Henrik Lunde is a sociologist who works for the Norwegian Antirasistisk Senter (Antiracist Center), an organization that monitors racist and anti-immigration activity, and one of Norway’s leading experts on these movements. Lunde doubts if the words of a group like the Einsatzgruppe would readily be translated into action:

  I think the nationalist scene has been moving in a more violent direction. But there is still one final, big step left to where they actually pick up weapons and run amok. They have been getting guns and dynamite, and they have developed an ideology that makes them ready to do rather extreme things. But they still have the final step left. It doesn’t take much competence, but it does require that one sever the last ties to the real world. That is hard to do.13

  THE NATIONALIST FRINGE

  A brief look at the history of Norwegian right-wing extremism might be helpful. It is a movement comprised of myriad small organizations ranging from relatively moderate anti-immigration groups to militant skinhead gangs with overtly neo-Nazi overtones. These organizations are very fluid, with new groups starting up as old ones disband. This makes an overview difficult, as it can be very hard to tell which name is a functioning organization and which is merely a post office box.

  Another potential minefield is classifying what the political agendas of these groups are. Most prefer the label “nationalist.” Some see themselves as “opponents of Norwegian immigration policy.” A very few are overtly National Socialist. The stigma associated with Nazism is much stronger in Norway than it is in neighboring Sweden or the U.S., where most of the Norwegian Nazis draw their inspiration from. This is largely due to the fact that Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1945. Vidkun Quisling, the leader of the National Union party at the time, chose to set up a collaborationist regime. As a result, outright Nazi imagery and ideology has never been very popular in Norwegian right-wing circles. Some elements have used Nazi imagery but this is more often a result of a desire for shock value and powerful symbolism than outright subscription to National Socialist dogma.

  This is starting to change. Many younger groups have a marked National Socialist tinge to their symbolism and ideology. A good indication of this is the pronounced anti-Semitism which has appeared over the last few years. Part of this development was that Norwegian neo-Nazis imported the American (though rather classic Nazi) idea that the country is run by “ZOG,” the Zionist Occupation Government. This is somewhat curious noting that the Jewish population is very low in Norway. Out of nearly 4.5 million Norwegians, approximately 1500 are Jews. Jews were refused entry into the Kingdom of Norway until 1851. Of those that made their home in the country, large numbers were deported during the Occupation from 1940 to 1945 to Germany, whence few returned.

  If the far-right alliance might seem shaky, conflicts are usually avoided due to a sense of common beliefs: the resentment of non-White immigrants. While the older anti-immigrationists are mostly concerned with writing letters to the local newspaper editor and spreading flyers, some of the younger activists are arming themselves and preparing for violent conflict.

  So far, relatively few people have been hurt. There have been serious episodes, like throwing bombs at May 1st socialist parades, and the dynamiting of a mosque in Oslo and some leftist bookshops, but these incidents are few and far between. While the violence is serious enough for the ones at the receiving end, the scenario has yet to resemble actual, armed political violence in any “urban guerilla” sense. The one notable exception was the so-called “Hadeland killings” at the start of the 1980s when a dispute erupted between members of a group calling itself the Norwegian Germanic Army and two young men who were enlisted to steal weapons for them. Panic over whether these assistants might talk to the police led to them being liquidated.

  This is the historical backdrop the Einsatzgruppe emerged out of. They were originally composed of the remnants of the Birkebeiner Group, a neo-Nazi aggregation which took its name from the Birkibeinar (literally “Birch Legs,” stemming from the fact they wrapped birch bark around their legs to keep warm), a group of rebel warriors in the late 1100s which eventually fought under King Sverre. The Birkebeiner Group disbanded when Jan Holthe, its leader and a seminal figure on the young neo-Nazi scene, left the movement to devote himself to family life. The remains of his group reorganized under the name Einsatzgruppe.

  The name was chosen both to establish a historical continuity and for shock value. Einsatzgruppen (Action Groups) was the name given to units of the SS responsible for the killings of civilian partisans, a large number of whom were Jews. The Einsatzgruppen carved a bloody reputation for themselves at Babi Yar in Russia, where 40,000 people were massacred. To emphasize its connection with this legacy, the Norwegian Einsatzgruppe even named its sub-units Sonderkommando, Special Commandos. It is dubious how much this classical military structure had to do with reality; Norwegian extremists have always been good at producing lots of organizational titles, something that makes them look much more numerous.

  All in all, there has often been a considerable gap between talk and action in Norwegian neo-Nazi circles. Henrik Lunde explains:

  The Einsatzgruppe came out of the scene in Brumunddal, where Arne Myrdal (a famous anti-immigration activist with a conviction for intending to dynamite a refugee center) had politicized gangs that were hanging around the gas station there. Other people joined them, including Jan Holthe. Holthe started several groups. One of them was the Hvit Arisk Motstand, (White Aryan Resistance), modeled after Vitt Ariskt Motstånd in Sweden. He also started the Birkebeiner Group, which formed the basis of the Einsatzgruppe later. He published a magazine called Vikingen (“The Viking”). Holthe was good at producing paper, but very little was put into action.

  The Mayor of Brumunddal was subjected to what one would called low-level harassment. No physical attacks, no real serious vandalism, but an endless stream of mailorder merchandise, pizzas and ambulances ordered in his name. Pornographic photo montages were also posted along the route his children walked to school. Two of the activists from Brumunddal defecated on the steps of the town hall to express their discontent with municipal policy. They thought this was really smart, so they did it once more, and then were caught.

  It never really went any further than this. After Holthe pulled out, things died down a little. Down in Stavanger, the Einsatzgruppe continue
d. And the few members there were extremely active. They all have endless convictions, especially Tom Eiternes.

  They’ve been posting flyers and stickers and working to get contacts. Then they turned violent. On one occasion a group of them simply ran down the street and beat up every immigrant they saw. They ran and hit, ran and hit, until they were apprehended.

  The case became strange when it reached court. One of their victims, a Vietnamese man, insisted that he only had fallen from his bike; he had not been beaten up, he said. But there were witnesses to what had happened so the judge overruled his statement on the grounds that the man was afraid of reprisal.14

  It sounds odd that so few men would try something almost approaching a coup d’etat. Lunde estimates the hardcore of the Einsatzgruppe at four or five individuals, the ones arrested by the police. There were also others:

  In all scenes, there is a certain contingent of “coattail hangers.” The Einsatzgruppe had perhaps fifteen to twenty of them. The numbers would typically fluctuate, because many of them will end up in the scene somewhat unwittingly. In one relatively recent case, this circle had plans to disrupt a meeting of the Israel Mission up in Stavanger. In that case, they had some younger boys with them. This is a typical example of what these more peripheral members will participate in; something “tough” and exciting. But when you start stabbing arms dealers and stealing assault rifles to shoot “traitors,” that’s another ball game.15

  With regards to the Einsatzgruppe, however, the court was unable to prove any behavior of this type having been initiated. When the case came to trial in 1998, the charges against the Einsatzgruppe were eventually dropped, as the court failed to produce any concrete evidence of actual plans for terrorist strikes. Some of the accused nationalists implicated in the case even subsequently decided to bring counter-lawsuits against the state for wrongful imprisonment.

  Whether the Einsatzgruppe really were ready to move from rhetoric into action and whether they were materially and psychologically prepared for such a high level of violent conflict is impossible to know for sure. There is no doubt, however, that in certain nationalist circles the fervor of the rhetoric is quite strong.

  HENRIK LUNDE

  HOW HAS THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE BLACK METAL SCENE AND THE NATIONALISTS BEEN ESTABLISHED?

  In Black Metal fanzines there have been ads for things like NorEffekter (an outlet for books like The Turner Diaries and neo-Nazi skinhead music) and some of the political groups. There have also been articles that have strengthened the ideological connections. So there is contact and people switching from one scene to another. There are examples where people have changed their politics, and definitely their hairstyle, from one day to another.

  Many political movements in our time have used music as a glue to keep activists together. The extreme rightist scene is very aware of its potential, and many of the contacts have been through music, with Black Metal bands using slogans like “Norwegian Aryan Black Metal” on their records. The most important though is probably Varg Vikernes’s development. Vikernes was supposed to contribute a track to a compilation CD released by Boot Boy Records. This never worked out, however. Perhaps just as well for him. The CD was the first I’ve seen to be really slammed in Nordland [the most prestigious European neo-Nazi magazine].

  SHOULDN’T ONE ASSUME THAT THESE SCENES ARE INCOMPATIBLE, IDEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING?

  Well, yes, at least I think so. But these scenes write very little about what they want. They mostly complain about immigration and immigrants.

  This strange marriage seem reasonable to me. In a Hitler T-shirt, hand in hand with Varg Vikernes, Norway’s most famous church burner—it’s not possible to place yourself further out.

  ON ONE HAND, THEY CAN KISS ALL CHANCE OF MAINSTREAM RESPECTABILITY GOODBYE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY GET A VERY GOOD POTENTIAL FOR RECRUITING PEOPLE FROM THE BLACK METAL SCENE.

  One thing people often forget with the extreme rightist scene is that they think in a completely different way from other political movements. If you look at the sometimes extremely offensive and crude propaganda they produce, it’s clear that they’re not after the man in the street or the schools. They’re after the ones who can fight.

  UNIDENTIFIED ARMED BLACK METALER

  Katrine Fangen is a sociologist whose primary field of expertise is the Norwegian right-wing extremist scene. Her work has been published in a report entitled Skinheads i rødt, hvitt og blått (“Skinheads in Red, White and Blue”—a reference to the colors of the Norwegian flag), an investigation of young people’s involvement in this scene. The report also deals with contacts between the skinheads and Black Metalers.

  KATRINE FANGEN

  WHAT KIND OF YOUTHS WOULD FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE BLACK METAL SCENE?

  My impression is that they come from the middle class or the bourgeoisie, more intellectually endowed youths than the ones recruited to far-right scenes. So they’re motivated by other things than having played themselves out in school. Rather, they seem to be youths who find it exciting to explore the dark sides of life. I’ve seen interviews where they talk about walking in the forest at night. They’re exploring the mystical aspects of life. In a way, it’s more of an intellectual quest than simply getting out frustration and aggression.

  RACIST FLYER CIRCULATING IN BLACK METAL UNDERGROUND

  WHAT ABOUT THE STATE OF MIND OF THESE YOUTHS?

  I will presume that these are “seekers.” When they get into an environment like the Black Metal scene, one thing can lead to another. After a while, things can get pretty tough. They can get caught up in rituals and trying to outdo each other in daring to be extreme. For some, that can become a one-way path, with no way of backing out.

  SO IT CAN BECOME A SITUATION WHERE THEY COMPETE IN STEPPING OVER PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER THRESHOLDS?

  Yes. They will have to prove themselves by participating in rituals and group activities without moral inhibitions.

  DO YOU FEEL SOME KIDS BECOME ATTRACTED TO THE IDEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF BLACK METAL, AND THROUGH SENSATIONALIST PRESS ARTICLES?

  Then they start hanging out in places that the musicians frequent. There are pubs in Oslo that have served as meeting places for the Black Metal scene. These have also been meeting points for other subcultures, like right-wing extremists. As a result, there is a certain mobility between these groups.

  IS THERE SOME KIND OF HIERARCHY?

  Yes, with some musicians and senior figures in the scene on the top. This hierarchy might get very serious. If one sees the scene as having worth, one might go quite far to rise in status and recognition within it. Being the leading figure may get very important. This can lead to extreme cases, like the “Count’s” murder of Aarseth. To me, this looked like a struggle for status.

  RACIST FLYER

  WHAT MECHANISMS CAUSE OTHERWISE ORDINARY YOUTHS TO BURN CHURCHES AND KILL EACH OTHER? IS IT PEER PRESSURE?

  Yes, but the peer pressure is fictitious, as we say, because it isn’t actually so that they have to do these things to get respect from the others. Still, they believe that the others expect them to act in such a way. So to assert themselves, they try to outdo each other. And because the scene is so closed to the outside world, they develop their own norms and rules of conduct.

  WHAT SPECIFIC ACTS MAKE ONE RECOGNIZED WITHIN THE SCENE?

  This will vary. In subcultures like Black Metal, there will usually be disagreements about what is important. To some, it will be important to dare to take part in the rituals and carry these out, while others will think it is more important to know a lot about the music or be a good musician. This might be a central thing in the Vikernes and Aarseth case. My impression is that in this case, the music was the most important thing for Aarseth, not the other things. Whereas for the “Count,” the ritual sides were important too. Both had the charisma necessary to be setting the fashion about what should be important.

  SO IT DOESN’T HAVE TO DO WITH BEING “IDEOLOGICALLY PURE”?

  No, my impre
ssions of the Black Metal scene is that it has more to do with daring to be “evil,” and to let oneself be directed by mystical forces and similar things. Daring to be destructive.

  HOW DO YOU THINK THE USE OF SYMBOLISM AND RITUALS WILL AFFECT THE MENTAL STATE OF THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE SCENE?

  It will definitely do something to a person to participate in ritual acts involving blood, etc. There is powerful symbolism in such acts, and they challenge forces in the unconscious. Some might lose their foothold here.

  WHAT KIND OF CONTACTS EXIST BETWEEN THE BLACK METAL SCENE AND THE RIGHT-WINGERS?

  There is no formal contact. That should really go without saying, because the nationalists claim they are bravely fighting for a good cause. They also claim most people deep down support this cause, but don’t dare say it out loud. To be associated with Satanists fighting for the cause of “evil” would be very compromising for the nationalists. So there is no formal contact. Still, there is a kind of fluctuation of people from the Black Metal scene into nationalism. They get fed up with Satanism and see it as a kind of juvenile thing. Instead, they want to get into something “serious” and “real,” something political. There have been quite a few people who’ve gone this way over the last couple of years.