Anna Lindh was attacked yesterday afternoon. She was stabbed in the chest, abdomen and arm, and despite hours of surgery, she was not able to recover. Her liver was badly injured, and she just couldn’t make it.
She was one of the most appreciated politicians in Sweden. I admired her greatly, and she was the one I wanted to see as our next prime minister. Now, I feel numb and stunned.
I don’t know if I could think of any public person I’d less want to be murdered like this. Horrible as it seems, I’d rather have it be our prime minister than Anna Lindh. She was just all that.
The killer is still at large and although the police have good leads, it reminds me far too much of the murder of Olof Palme, our prime minister, in 1986. If this one isn’t caught, heads are going to roll.
I don’t follow Swedish politics, but I did read about the attack yesterday. I vaguely remember Palma’s assassination. I’ve been to Sweden, and I like the country. I like the people. (Well, except for the ones who made the racist graffiti on the sidewalks.) Although I was shocked by the attack, I was happy (yesterday) to know that Lindh survived it. And now she hasn’t.
I’m so sorry. I hope that her killer is apprehended soon. I also had thought that news reports sounded optimistic about her chances, and so was very saddened to learn that she didn’t make it.
At another board I post on, a Swedish poster there reported that in an apparent copycat attack, a man ran into a schoolyard and similarly stabbed a 5-year-old girl to death. At least he was quickly apprehended.
I’ve been following Swedish politics on and off, and always admired Lindh. She was one of those rare “consistant” politicians. She would have made an outstanding prime minister.
Just saw the headline on the Washington Post’s website - my deepest condolences. So sad that this would happen in a country that values the very ordinariness of her leaders, that doesn’t wrap them in coccoons. My prayers to you.
Yes, this definitely sucks. Sweden is in sort of a state of shock today. I agree, Soda, I would have loved to see Anna Lindh as prime minister. Her temporary replacement, Jan O Karlsson, can best be described as Sweden’s Dan Quayle.
One bright spot is that the killer was most likely a lonesome lunatic. This wasn’t a well-planned political assassination. It seems most likely that Anna Lindh was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Question:
I know that Sweden is very proud that it’s politicians are not “wrapped in coccoons”, but why is there no security at all? I mean, after the Palme assasination I’d think that major ministers would have at least one discreet “shadow”.
How sad that such a popular political figure has been killed. Please accept my condolences for the loss your nation has suffered. I fear that this shall further polarize Swedish politics.
paperbackwriter, all but the most senior Swedish officials routinely go in public without any bodyguards. Such is the peaceful nature of that country. It is one more reason why this crime is so sad. Olaf Palme’s assassination will now be brought back in spades and that is the last thing they need.
The prime minister has bodyguards at all times, but he’s the only one. Palme specifically chose not to have any; it was his personal decision.
Everyone is going to blame Säpo, the Swedish Secret Service, for this, but that is completely wrong, in my not-very-humble opinion. Apart from a few cake-throwings (and some insignificant incident involving Carl Bildt; the details are hazy to me) we haven’t had an attack since Palme in 1986. That’s 17 years. Before that, we had none in modern times. None. Zip. Nada. Säpo had no reason to believe Anna Lindh was threatened. And it seems she wasn’t; the killer appears to be a loony who saw Anna Lindh and went off his rocker. You can’t predict something like that, and given the nature of the attack I’m not sure bodyguards would have helped apart from apprehending the killer.
