The confessed perpetrator of the Oslo and Utøya attacks, Anders Behring Breivik, planned to attack the royal palace and the Labour Party’s headquarters in central Oslo as well as other locations that would “hit the government,” the Norwegian police have revealed.
Newspaper VG reports that Breivik confirmed his plans during questioning by the police. The police, speaking through spokesperson Pål-Fredrik Hjort Kraby, believe that the palace was a symbolic target and that Breivik had no intention of killing any individual that could be found at the royal residence.
Carried out ‘plan B’
Hjort Kraby told VG that Breivik had several further targets for terrorist attacks, but could not manage all of them because of logistical problems. The spokesperson would not elaborate further on the details of these problems but VG believes that they revolve around the difficulty of setting off several devices in different locations at once. In addition to the palace, the Labour Party’s offices in the capital, found in Youngstorget square, are known to have been among the other potential goals of his terrorist actions. Like many buildings in Youngstorget, which is a short distance from the bombed government quarter, the Labour Party’s offices were damaged in the blast with many windows broken.
Breivik’s defense attoarney, Geir Lippestad, confirmed that his client had “both A and B plans” when speaking to newspaper Dagbladet, adding that the attacks he carried out were “probably the B plan.”
‘More than willing’ under questioning
Hjort Kraby also added that “on July 22, he had only the government quarter and Utøya as goals.” According to Johan Fredriksen, the authorities “checked out around 10 addresses” on the day to ensure that there was no danger of a further attack, having identified potential targets “either through information that was put out on the internet or documents that came into the police’s possession through other means.”
A police press conference, reported by VG, in the early afternoon on Saturday 30 July described Breivik as “more than willing to explain himself” during interrogations on Friday that lasted from 10:00 in the morning until 18:30 in the evening. This second round of questioning has so far gone through the previous responses given in the first round, which lasted an estimated 10 hours. Lippestad also confirmed details of Breivik’s behaviour in the hearings and solitary confinement, telling VG that he was “very taken up with details” in his explanations about technical aspects of his operations, but that he “does not recognize our society, our courts or out justice system” because “his understanding of reality is not like other people’s.” He continues to see himself “as a great general that is at war against the Muslim’s invasion of Europe.” He has also been given two novels to read which “he did not like.”
Swedish links unconfirmed
Meanwhile, rumours that authorities are searching for two people on the Swedish far right who are connected to Breivik are yet to be confirmed by either the Norwegian or Swedish police. The men’s Facebook profiles appear to claim that they were employed in Breivik’s farming business, Breivik Geofarm, which is described as a cover story in the suspect’s online manifesto. The men have nonetheless not been found on the Swedish national population register. A spokesperson for the Swedish police told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that the Facebook profiles could well be fake.
Views and News from Norway/Aled-Dilwyn Fisher
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