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The Norway attacks

Manifesto of a murderer

Jul 24th 2011, 8:54 by C.M. | COPENHAGEN

EVER since Anders Behring Breivik fired the opening volley of the shooting spree that took the lives of at least 85 youngsters on the small Norwegian island of Utøya on Friday, every few hours has brought some new shock.

The latest revelation is that the 32-year-old Norwegian appears to have spent nine years planning the massacre. This, at least, is the claim in an extraordinary 1,500-page document Mr Breivik published on the internet a few hours before the first part of his two-pronged attack—the bombing of a government complex in Oslo.

Mr Breivik’s manifesto exposes his preparations as meticulous and obsessive. According to his own testimony he spent several years earning money to finance the attacks. He moved into his mother’s apartment to save money on rent and gradually distanced himself from friends and relatives in order to avoid suspicion.

During this time he read and contributed to far-right and Islamophobic websites, and spent many hours learning how to build a bomb.

He stage-managed his own image, taking dozens of self-portraits in which he appears in a variety of uniforms—police, paramilitary and traditional Norwegian costume—and publishing them online. His preparations for these photos included visits to tanning salons and beauty parlours.

The final phase involved leasing an isolated farmhouse. This gave him solitude, an excuse for buying the huge amount of fertiliser he needed for the bomb, and a barn big enough to store it.

Mr Breivik went to elaborate lengths to conceal his purpose. People who wanted to visit were told he was busy with the summer harvest, though he knew nothing of farming. He was apparently content to let a rumour circulate that he had dropped out of circulation in shame over a homosexual affair.

Mr Breivik's manifesto—“2083. A European Declaration of Independence”—also provides some insight into his motivations. His ideology appears to be a form of reactionary Christian fundamentalism, fuelled by hatred of Islam, Marxism and non-whites.

Page after page detail his thoughts on politics and society. He rails against the European Union, the United Nations and other transnational organisations. Norwegian politicians are castigated: the right-wing Progress Party (to which he once belonged) is condemned as too tame and the ruling Labour Party comes in for particularly vicious attack.

Mr Breivik’s hatred has stunned Norwegians. The country has a proud reputation as an international peace-broker, is home to the Nobel peace prize and has scant appetite for rightist radicalism. Even during its heyday under the Nazi occupation, Vidkun Quisling’s fascist Nasjonal Samling Party mustered no more than 2.5% of the vote. In 2009's general election, the neo-Nazi party Vigrid won just 179 votes.

The only serious far-right violent incident in recent years was the murder, in 2001, of Benjamin Hermansen, the 15-year-old son of a Norwegian mother and Ghanaian father. Two members of BootBoys, a neo-Nazi group, were convicted of the killing.

Following the murder anti-racism rallies took place throughout Norway, with some 40,000 people joining a candlelit procession through Oslo’s streets. This year, on the tenth anniversary of the murder, 5,000 people gathered for a vigil.

Far-right extremists have kept a low profile in recent years. Norway’s intelligence services have warned of a potential threat, but the population and the media were more focused on the possibility of Islamist violence.

What far-right activity there was seems to have occurred online. And although these were monitored by intelligence agencies, Mr Breivik's determined attempts to conceal his plans appear to have ensured he stayed under the radar until it was too late.

(Photo credit: AFP)

Readers' comments

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GOLEM XIV

@Reluctant Polutter: I find Cindy_happy's post to be quite cogent, not a rant at all, and I have to point out that at least she's able to spell "Gandhi" correctly, which is more than can be said for you. Perhaps, if you are so filled with grief for the victims of terrorism, you will someday also learn how to spell "Lockerbie." FYI, Gandhi never gave "sermons" and the people who committed atrocities in his time were in no way his followers. Plenty of Muslims, by the way, live in countries where there is no oil, few natural resources worth exploiting, and very little food. Wealthy Arab states have contributed as generously to international aid programs as have the US and the UK, so I should think that your rant merely provides a convenient justification for Cindy_happy's complaint.

freethinker

The word "terrorist" appears a single time in the article not. Is it because he worship a cross and his name do not start with M...?????????????

There is no such thing as `multiculturalism`. It's a feeble right wing attempt - started in US corporations in the 1980s - to avoid costly legal cases on grounds of racial discrimination.
A Muslim guy doesn't have a different `culture` to a Jewish person Norwegian, American or Brit. They all eat, dance, pray, listen to music, have sex, have pets, play sports.
The sickness of right wing politics which deny class and wealth as means of defining people has led to this. A rich western educated Muslim Pakistani has more in common with a rich western educated Norwegian than the rich Pakistani has with his gardener/driver/butler.
Multiculturalism is another example of the degeneracy of the right.

Liu BoXiao

CHINA has come with significant progress of human rights, along with its achievements in global economy:

1. SOUND CHANGES IN THE RIGHTS TO SUBSISTENCE AND DEVELOPMENT
Over the years of reform and opening to the outside world, China’s economy developed rapidly and the Chinese people have basically gotten rid of poverty and become better-off. This is a great change unprecedented in Chinese history.

2. CIVIL RIGHTS AND POLITICAL RIGHTS IN A TIME OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
While keeping the public sector of the economy in the dominant position, diversified economic elements are encouraged to develop, and people can make investment, start and manage their own businesses, and assume sole responsibility for its profits or losses. In political life, the Chinese people enjoy their responsibility, prestige and dignity of being the master of the country. In social life, the Chinese people have enjoyed the democracy, freedom and civilization. Political democratic construction undertaken at grass-root levels is going on steadily in rural areas. Religious beliefs and normal religious activities are protected by law.

3. PEOPLE’S CONSCIOUSNESS OF THEIR RIGHTS TO PEACE AND STABILITY
It has become a common knowledge of the Chinese people that the right to peace is an important part of human rights. Having suffered many wars inflicted upon them by the power nations in the past, the Chinese people cherish peace deeply today.

4. GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS IN PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES, WOMEN AND THE DISABLED
The protection of the human rights of ethnic minorities shows the prime and progress of Chinese civilization today. Among the 55 minority ethnic groups, 53 have their own languages, with more than 80 language varieties, which compose an important part of the rich and colorful Chinese culture. Women’s human rights to employment have been properly protected by law.

5. FORMATION OF A LEGAL SYSTEM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION
A legal system for human rights protection has been formed gradually in China which, based on the Constitution, consists mainly of the basic civil, criminal, economic, administrative and procedural laws and is reinforced by many state and local rules and regulations.

6. A SOCIAL NETWORK OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES HAS BEEN FORMED.
The Chinese people always stand for dialogue, exchange, cooperation, instead of confrontation or waging new wars with carpet bombings, when human rights issues are concerned. International exchanges on human rights issues have generally been made through governmental and non-governmental channels. China Foundation for Human Rights Development has been actively engaged in international exchanges concerning human rights issues since it was founded in 1994.

7. CHINA HAS EMBARKED ON A ROAD OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRESS
The ultimate goal of this road is to realize the full and free development of human beings. The present-stage target is to focus on developing productivity to ensure the basic human rights to subsistence and development, while progressing gradually towards the full and comprehensive development of human beings.

Liu BoXiao

Breivik's character is colored by his admiration. It is a fact.

His group of neo nazi is easy to capture and goes trial when evidence can probe the link to "Friday Horror". The context is let's pursue the crimes against humanity.

Who else is committed to operate carpet bombings in the past? Let's pursue.

Reluctant Polluter

"@LiuBoXiao: Six of your eight comments on this report have found a way to demonize Israel or the Mossad.Those eight comments have a combined total of four recommendations.There's a message in there for you... and I doubt very much that it's from Israel."

Mr Liu owes his living to the Western Left who secured the lucrative though meaningless (after Gore, Arafat, Obama and so on) Nobel Peace Prize for him.

As someone raised in traditions of Conficianism, he now pays his debt off by joining in every Lefty "ritornello" - you can also call them propagandist bandwagons.

Israel bashing is one of the most popular 'progressive' pastimes, so Mr Liu surpizes no one.

It's funny however that right from the 1920s and to this very day Lefties are following Nazis in this regard... well, close cousins, aren't they?

Reluctant Polluter

Long rant, Cindy, with no sense whatsoever.

Speaking of invasions, there are no legal or illegal ones.

Speaking of Gandi's pacifism, his followers adored his sermons, and went to murder "others" en masse right after them.

Speaking of "malicious ridicule and insult", even if/when it happens, it doesn't justify blasting away 200 people on Madrid trains, 3000 people in WTC, 300 people in Lockerby, 100 people in London, and so on and so forth.

Speaking of "radicalization of Mohammedans", nobody gives a rodent's derrière if they do it in their own countries, not in ours.

Speaking of Arab belligerence towards Israel, they should heed your own advice and stop messing with other people's homeland - that would surely and promptly resolve the conflict.

Speaking of poverty and the lack of economic development in Moslem world, how about taking responsibility for your own lives instead of asking for handouts from "bad" US, UK and likes?

Surely insane revenues from the oil bonanza are sufficient for feeding the hungry... if invested in development projects as opposed to being squandered on terrorist organizations, medresses in Bosnia, and personal Swiss accounts of your so called leaders.

McJakome

For a Han Chinese poster to lecture the west on racism is as ludicrous as for overweight Americans to lecture the world on improving diet and exercise regimes. To quote the Christian Bible, "why do you complain of the speck in your neighbor's eye when there is a boulder in your own.

With non-Han Chinese treated as second or third class citizens in their own country, and the CCP government colonizing Tibet and the Uighur homeland and displacing the original inhabitants, the Chinese are hardly in a position to criticize the West on this issue.

As for handling internal dissent, fake trials and a bullet in the brain is very efficient, but I doubt the Norwegians or other Western Europeans are amenable to Chinese methods of handling dissent.

The Norwegians are civilized, democratic Westerners, and I am quite sure they will continue to be civilized and democratic, and that they will not be spooked by this tragedy into adopting unacceptable methods.

Cindy_happy

The US belligerent “an eye for an eye” revenge is sowing the seeds of endless hatred, endless attacks and endless counter-attacks (Mahatma Gandhi is right: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.).
The US (UK and the like) are shouting from the roof-top that they have the right to defend themselves, may we quietly and calmly remind them (as they’re deliberately and conveniently forgetful) that the rest of the world also have the equal right to defend themselves (especially against powerful and belligerent countries like the US). This “an-eye-for-an-eye” belligerence simply reflects the US (UK and the like) are as much terrorists/extremists as Al-Queta are being accused as terrorists/extremists.
The US (UK and the like) are shouting from the roof-top that they’re doing all the right and noble things, yet among others (a long list of horrible things that they’re happy to do with no regret and no mercy), they are also happy to illegally invade Iraq (while invading Iraq illegally, they also abused the captured Iraqis to inhuman and degrading insults). For such illegal invasion (and killing, abusing many people), the leaders of the US (UK and the like) should be brought to justice and prosecuted as war criminals (as they’re war criminals no better than Nazi war criminals, they’re just as worst war criminals as Adolf Hitler.
How do you feel when you’re being belligerently attacked?
How do you feel when you’re being maliciously ridiculed and insulted?
You can attack the Muslim world, destroy their people and villages but you cannot destroy their spirit. If anything, this US “an-eye-for-an-eye” belligerence will only radicalize the Muslims, creating more extremists than you bargain for. It will only strengthen the Muslim will and determination to defend themselves.
There’re many reasons why we’ve terrorists and extremists:
 We all live in a multi-racial, multi-religious world. We all have to respect each other regardless of your skin color or religion. The West obsession to ridicule Muslims, Islam (and also ridiculing other religions or poor countries) is simply an accelerant to fuel more anger in the Muslim community, radicalized more Muslims to become extremists, provoke hatred leading to more conflicts and violence.
 The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Until this conflict is resolved, we can continue to see more and more extremists on both sides. We can continue to see this conflict to fester and worsen leading to more bloodshed and violence.
 Poverty is a fertile ground for terrorists/extremists to cultivate and spread their terrorist ideology.
 The lack of economic developments that will create jobs and opportunities for people to lift themselves out of poverty and despair.
The “an-eye-for-an-eye” approach of the US to violate the sovereignty of Pakistan to murder the unarmed Osama is never going to solve the terrorist problem that the world is facing. This “an-eye-for-an-eye” belligerence simply reflects the US (UK and the like) are as much terrorists/extremists as Al-Queta are being accused as terrorists/extremists. This US bellicosity has killed the head of the Al-Queta, but does it win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world? Now that Osama is a martyr and a hero in the Muslim world, will that spell the end of all the terrorist activities in the world?? Will we all be living in a peaceful world forever ever as the US expects after murdering the unarmed Osama?? The answers are obvious. The martyrdom will be the rallying cry in the Muslim world to stand up and fight. This is simply more than what the US has bargained for: more conflicts, more bloodshed, more violence await the world that we all have to suffer as US is determined and committed to an-eye-for-an-eye revenge.

Liu BoXiao

Three Lessons for HumanRightists of the GLOBE:

1. Don't jump to quick conclusions about responsibility for an attack. Breivik is responsible for this horror. He is wide publicly as a supporter of Israel.

2. The threat that gets the most attention is not the only hard threat. The next significant terrorist attack to hit the corner of the Globe might be an ideology of war, thoughts to develop permanent war that exploit a diplomacy leverage; a racist, apartheid one but more genocidal acts, have impact of mass innocent casualties in total amount of wartime; committed to crimes against humanity right on land or energy dispute.

3. Open societies are inherently vulnerable to terrorist attack and ultimately unprotectable. We in first should jump to the reality of war fields. The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson and then by Austrian and British philosopher Karl Popper. In open societies, government is purported to be responsive and tolerant, and political mechanisms are said to be transparent and flexible. The ideology of war is easy to infiltrate the heart and minds of citizens when people in lack empathy of international association of human rights-based. People are vulnerable in facing philosophy of war hold by armed forces or armed gangs, terrorists or state terrorist. On that philosophy which keen on getting solution with quick war but leave the people unprotected from racketting effect of war, less shield from disproportionate force of counter attack, drones squad, napalm bombs, or crippling well-planned genocidal WMD.

Liu BoXiao

Three Lessons for HumanRightists of the GLOBE:

1. Don't jump to quick conclusions about responsibility for an attack. Breivik is responsible for this horror. He is wide publicly as a supporter of Israel.

2. The threat that gets the most attention is not the only hard threat. The next significant terrorist attack to hit the corner of the Globe might be an ideology of war, thoughts to develop permanent war that exploit a diplomacy leverage; a racist, apartheid one but more genocidal acts, have impact of mass innocent casualties in total amount of wartime; committed to crimes against humanity right on land or energy dispute.

3. Open societies are inherently vulnerable to terrorist attack and ultimately unprotectable. We in first should jump to the reality of war fields. The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson and then by Austrian and British philosopher Karl Popper. In open societies, government is purported to be responsive and tolerant, and political mechanisms are said to be transparent and flexible. The ideology of war is easy to infiltrate the heart and minds of citizens when people in lack empathy of international association of human rights-based. People are vulnerable in facing philosophy of war hold by armed forces or armed gangs, terrorists or state terrorist. On that philosophy which keen on getting solution with quick war but leave the people unprotected from racketting effect of war, less shield from disproportionate force of counter attack, drones squad, napalm bombs, or crippling well-planned genocidal WMD.

edanest

There are many lonely people in the West. Breivik was one of them. No gathering families to receive workers at "home" (that old fashioned word). Just seeing Breivik's photo you get the diagnosis by itself. A bad educated, selfish but very rational generation of stupid ex-christians, blaming inmigrants others for their own failure, their hollow materialistic existence. He is as ridiculuos as the Templars were in Medieval Ages. Listen to the german Pope words and learn few things about islamic families. The left and the right wing are sick the same. It's not a matter o weapons control nor banning religious habits. Sometimes I guess if it's simply a battle between Feminism (West) and Female submission to Family Islam.

cLQWGC5nMX

'When a man bites a dog'still constitutes a news. 'When a right wing terrorist kills even a hundred' has to struggle to secure a place in the 'echo chamber' for follow-up, since it is has hardly a news value. Why he was forced to kill innocent people draws more attention and sympathy.

Hamakko

@McJakome: To your last point, yes - in general. But just to add some perspective...

Here in the US, I recently took a vacation to western Maryland, and stayed a week in Garrett County. On my second day there, after a long day kayaking, I called into a supermarket to get some beer to have with my steak at dinner. But it was Sunday; under local law in this heavily Christian environment, I was not allowed to. Buy some orange juice; or anything else - just not alcohol. Otherwise, come back tomorrow or drive over the state line (50 miles, round-trip).

Years earlier, I had lived three wonderful years in Malaysia. On the Muslim holy day of Friday, or on any other day in thst Muslim-majority country, I could buy beer at the supermarket whenever I liked. Not in Saudi Arabia, of course. But not here in America, either; depending on where you are and to what extent the jurisdiction is dominated by theocrats.

I realize one is the rule and the other is the exception, but it is exceptions we need to bear in mind when we hear generalizations about Muslims and others (not that I believe you generalized in your post, but others may see it that way).

But think of the irony; there are Muslims I met in Malaysia who didn't mind having a quiet glass of wine with dinner. So imagine if any of them had come to the Land of the Free, and had stayed in Garrett County on a Sunday...

Cheers!

McJakome

I lived and worked in Muslim countries for ten years and visited others. I have experienced life in theocratic countries, I have seen the abuse of second class persons [women, non-Muslims and foreigners]. I have seen the disrespect for Jews and Christians, despite the frequent claims to respect "the People of the Book."

Do I want to see these abuses imported into my country? No, and that is not racism or religious bigotry.

Do I want immigrants to have an exemption from the laws of my country and the rules of my society so that they can practice these?
No, and that is not racism or religious bigotry.

I believe in equality, mutual respect and mutual toleration. Did I see this in the Islamic world?
No, but as a foreigner I was expected to adapt to and respect the laws and culture of the Islamic world.

If they expect us to respect them, do we not have a right to demand that they respect us? Unquestionably yes. If they chose to come and live among us, should they be expected to adapt and respect our customs and laws, as we are required to do in their homelands? Absolutely yes.

Does any of the foregoing make me a bigot, racist or intolerant person? Indubitably NOT!

hajijani

This Breivik guy is really sick upstairs... killing his own people to justify his wicked ends. Those youngsters he'd killed deserve to live beyond the age, but this guy had so cruelly ended their lives just like that. He deserves to be taken off the streets for good for what he had done. He does not not need our sympathy. His sickly mind will brew up more daring and dangerous acts to cause harm to more people in the future.

jpui

I think you made a mistake in the title? Guess you made a mistake and really meant - "Manifesto of a Christian terrorist"

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