The recent disparagement of American aid efforts to help tsunami victims as 'stingy' by Jan Egeland, Under—Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs at the United Nations, is merely the latest in a series of anti—American words and actions by Norway and Norwegians. While one might generously characterize some of these actions as merely the typical left—wing carping of self—styled 'humanitarians,' or as the by—product of good intentions gone awry, a closer analysis reveals that a prime motivation of this disproportionate hostility might be based on that oldest of human failings: greed.

Recent history indicates that the Nobel Peace Prizes have become a prime forum for Committee members (many of them Norwegians) to use their undeserved pristine and neutral reputation to engage in problematic actions towards America and her allies. The Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee in 2002 chose to award that most anti—American of American Presidents Jimmy Carter that year's prize. The Chairman of the Committee departed from long—time custom and addressed the worldwide community with attacks on American policy. Gunnar Berge stated that the award to Carter 'should be interpreted as a kick in the leg to Bush's belligerent foreign policy.' This was seconded by another Gunnar (Staalsett) who serves on the Committee, who added that the award 'was intended as a condemnation of American policy'.

This hostility toward America is also reflected in attacks on her friends who serve as a proxy target for attacks on America. Terje Roed—Larsen is a Norwegian who serves as the United Nations' special representative to the Middle East. From that hallowed perch, he has become a megaphone for Palestinian propaganda supporting terrorists. On Roed—Larsen's  highlight reel, one would find his declarations that the battle in Jenin between Israeli Defense Forces and Palestinian terrorists was a 'massacre' by the Israelis, was 'horrific beyond belief' and that 'no objective can justify such an action.'  Of course, he ignored the ceaseless attacks by terrorists that have killed and maimed so many Israeli civilians. When challenged by Israel and others to prove the truth of these remarks, Roed—Larsen was forced to accede to demands to permit UN and other observers to evaluate the situation. These observers found that there was no massacre and that the Israelis practiced restraint at the cost of their own lives.

Of course, Norway also promoted the conspicuously—named Oslo Accords. Norwegians were prime movers promoting these agreements that brought terror mastermind Yasser Arafat physically closer to Israel, and closer to achieving his goal of destroying Israel. After nearly destroying his previous hosts, Jordan and Lebanon, a discredited and weakened Arafat was stuck biding his time in Tunisia under lock and key. But the Norwegians and others came to his rescue, released him from exile, and brought him back to give him one (and as it was to prove, his last) more attempt to destroy the nation of Israel. Despite thousands of deaths he was responsible for over the years, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian—dominated Committee. The result of the Oslo Accords was the radicalization of the West Bank and Gaza, the brainwashing of a generation of Palestinian children to hate Jews and Americans, the killing and maiming of thousands, the impoverishment of millions of people, and a breach between two neighboring peoples which may never heal. Despite the evident disaster of the Oslo Accords, the Norwegians later helped to promote the Geneva Accords, which were in direct opposition to the Road Map plan laid out by America (along with Russia, Europe, and the UN). Had the Geneva Accords been forced upon Israel, they would have brought untold additional deaths of thousands of innocents.

Recently the Israeli Ambassador to America complained to the head of the United Nations' Asia—Pacific division Geir Pederson (yep, a Norwegian) that Kofi Annan's top adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, was engaging in anti—Israel actions unbecoming to a purportedly neutral UN official. He had called Israel's Prime Minister an assassin, and urged the UN to increase pressure on Israel. Not too surprising coming from a man who has proudly claimed to have never shaken the hand of a Jewish person, but still disconcerting to anyone still harboring the illusion that the United Nations has any value whatsoever. We should not hold our breath that Geir will act to alleviate Israeli concerns.

Now one may wonder how it is that a tiny nation of 4,500,000 like Norway has such a high number of people in key positions in international institutions around the world. The Scandinavian nations have for years had an image of neutrality, and have long coasted on this reputation (despite Sweden's craven capitulation to Nazi dictates during World War 2). Norway is literally and metaphorically on top of the world and this may give us some clues to their motivations. Insulated by remoteness, they can remain snow—blind to the realities of the world around them (a world best by terror) and can take unreasoning pride in their 'holier than thou' stances. Norway is also on top of the world due to their abundant wealth generated by oil from the North Sea. Norway is the world's third—largest oil exporter, their state—owned investment fund has accumulated over $165 billion dollars ($40,000 for each of its citizens). There's plenty of money to send Norweginas to international conferences, and second officials to international organizations.

Oil, and the money generated by oil, may be the key that explains Norwegian motivations. Norway has a rapidly aging population that will depend on this treasure hoard to fund their retirement years.  Next year the Petroleum Fund is being renamed the Pension Fund. The rest of the Norwegian non—oil economy is weakening and unemployment may loom as a problem. This makes them have an even greater stake in the continued high oil prices that Arab despots have extorted from the rest of the world.

If Norway wanted to help alleviate the poverty of the world (and help the victims of the tsunami), it might consider restraining the obscene rise in oil prices precipitated by OPEC, which has taken billions of dollars from the poor and placed it in the hands of sybaritic Arab playboys, their progeny, preachers of hate, terrorists and, oh yes, the fine people of Norway. But that would cost Norwegians some of their wealth. Talk is much cheaper, and using Israel as a whipping boy to curry favor with Arab oil despots actually generates goodwill from their allies in the cartel, allowing further tightening of the screws to extract even more money from the oil consumers of the world.

One would wish that the Norwegians, who experienced tyranny under Nazi—puppet Prime Minister Quisling during World War 2, would be leery of cooperating with dictators and despots, and would realize that Jew—hatred is a tool of tyrants. But oil trumps such concerns. Gunnar Berge, the Chairman of the Committee awarding Jimmy Carter the Nobel Peace Prize, the man  who insulted America, our president and our foreign policy, is the director—general of Norway's Petroleum Directorate.

Follow the money.