Sweden Struck by Co-ordinated Arson Attacks 3 Weeks before Elections

A string of arson attacks has rocked Sweden, 3 weeks ahead of September elections. Three suspects have been arrested, one of them in Turkey. It's widely thought that the timing of the fires, which appear to have been co-ordianted, was not accidental. Speculation is rife as to who carried out the attacks and what impact they may have on the electoral race.

Tunisia Synagogue Set Alight by Arsonists Overnight
HAARETZ: Mainly Muslim Tunisia has one of the largest Jewish communities in North Africa, but attacks are rare.

A synagogue was set on fire by arsonists in the Tunisian city of Ghabes overnight, a spokesman for the Jewish community said on Tuesday.

"I condemn this action and I believe those who did it want to create divisions between Jews and Muslims in Tunisia who have lived for decades in peace," Peres Trabelsi told Reuters. >>> Reuters | Tuesday, February 01, 2011

California Arsonist May Face Death Penalty for Los Angeles Widlfire [sic], Prosecutors Say
THE TELEGRAPH: The suspected arsonist who started the Station wildfire that swept through the hills above Los Angeles last week could face the death penalty, prosecutors say.

Two firefighters died when their vehicle crashed off the road as they worked with a group of inmates battling the blaze during some of the most intense hours of the operation.

Sheriff Lee Baca has said police have launched a murder investigation following the deaths during the biggest fire in the history of Los Angeles County.

A law enforcement source told The Los Angeles Times on Saturday that "material that didn't belong there" has been found at the site suspected to be where the fire started, a twice-scorched slope near Mile Marker 29 along Angeles Crest Highway.

The suspicious substance was reportedly found in the brush off the highway and has been sent for laboratory testing.

The fire, which was 42 per cent contained by Saturday morning, has destroyed more than 154,000 acres and 76 homes. It has cost more than $37 million to fight but the much greater damage to property, wildlife is still being assessed.

There is a recent precedent for an arsonist receiving the death penalty.

In June, Raymond Lee Oyler, a mechanic, was sentenced to die for setting the 2006 Esperanza blaze that claimed the lives of five firefighters.

Even if the fire was accidental, the newspaper reported that the starter could face jail time if charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from a tossed cigarette, fuel spill or other careless act that caused the fire. >>> Philip Sherwell in San Francisco and agencies | Saturday, September 05, 2009

LA Wildfires 'Were Arson'
THE TELEGRAPH: The huge wildfires burning in the foothills above Los Angeles were started by arson and will be investigated as a homicide after two firemen died tackling the blaze, according to the authorities.

A firefighter monitors a fire in the suburb of Glendale on the outskirts of Los Angeles city. Photo: The Telegraph
Investigators found evidence of arson at the point of origin for the largest of eight fires burning in the county, which has blackened an area the size of Chicago.

"Arson investigators from the US Forest Service [and other agencies] ... have concluded that the Station Fire was the result of an arson," Forest Service Commander Rita Wears told reporters at a press conference. >>> Alex Spillius, in Washington | Friday, September 04, 2009

Nato 60th Summit in Strasbourg Marred by Street Battles and Arson
THE TELEGRAPH: Buildings were set on fire and running battles were fought between protesters and riot police in the streets of Strasbourg, where Barack Obama and world leaders have gathered for a Nato summit.

A violent anti-NATO protest takes place during NATO's 60th-anniversary summit. Anti-NATO activists set up a barricade with a Strasbourg road sign, near the German border at the Europe bridge, east of Strasbourg. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Anarchists and demonstrators set fires at a hotel, a disused border post and a tourism office around Strasbourg's Pont de l'Europe, a bridge that joins France and Germany.

Police fired volleys of teargas to try to stop groups of violent French and German protesters joining forces to rampage across the city.

Masked youths threw petrol bombs, smashed windows and ransacked shops, forcing police to retreat until riot officers could regroup to seize back control.

Eyewitnesses saw black-clad protesters storm the nearby Ibis hotel, pilfering alcohol from its bar and setting the building ablaze.

"The hotel and the other buildings were completely engulfed in flames," said a resident of the city who witnessed the mayhem. >>> By Bruno Waterfield and Peter Allen in Strasbourg | Saturday, April 4, 2009