Unanswered questions in Norway terror attack By Susan Garth 28 July 2011 http://wsws.org/articles/2011/jul2011/norw-j28.shtml It is now almost a week since the fascist atrocity in Norway—the blowing up of government offices in central Oslo, killing eight people, and the cold-blooded murder of 68 young people on the nearby island of Otøya. This terrorist attack, the most deadly in post-war Norwegian history, has been consistently reported as the work of a crazed gunman who acted alone. The media and politicians are working assiduously to obscure the political motives of the killer, his connections to far-right and fascist organizations, and the political and moral responsibility borne by establishment parties and politicians in Europe and the US who have sought to appropriate the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim program of the extreme right wing. This is not an easy task, since the killer, Anders Behring Breivik, announced to the world that he was setting out to destroy the Norwegian Labour Party and kill as many of its officials and members as possible because he associated the party with “Marxist multiculturalism.” In a 1,500-page manifesto posted on the Internet only hours before the attack, Breivik, the son of a former Norwegian diplomat, proclaimed his bloody act to be part of a campaign to purge Muslim influence from Norway and defend “Western civilization.” His action, he explained, should signal the start of a European civil war and serve as a rallying point for anti-Muslim fanatics. His lawyer, Geir Lippestad said on Tuesday, “He believes this is the start of a war that will go on for 60 years.” In the rush by the media and political establishment to derail any serious discussion or examination of the facts of the attack and its political implications, a number of glaring anomalies and troubling questions are being passed over in silence. There is the fact that it took the police 90 minutes to arrive on Otøya, 25 miles from Oslo, after they began receiving desperate telephone calls from Labour Party youth reporting that scores of people were being executed by a gunman. The official story is that no helicopters were available. If that is true, it only demonstrates the fraud of the so-called “war on terrorism.” Norway has sent troops to Afghanistan and is supporting the US-NATO air war against Libya supposedly because such interventions are necessary to protect the people of Norway and Europe as a whole from the ever-present threat of terrorist attack. But an actual terrorist attack on Norwegian soil—not by an Islamic extremist but by a native-born middle-class Norwegian—immediately exposes the fact that no preparations have been made to protect the population. Why? Because the Norwegian ruling class and all of its parties—social democratic as well as conservative—understand that the so-called “war on terror” is an elaborate pretext for military aggression abroad on behalf of the imperialist economic and geo-political interests of the financial elite, and an assault on democratic rights at home to prepare for state repression against working class opposition to austerity measures. It has nothing to do with defending the people against external attack. Far from offering a serious explanation for the delayed police response, which gave Breivik all the time he needed he murder one youth after another without hindrance, Justice Minister Knut Storberget on Tuesday praised the “fantastic work” of the police. “I would like to emphasize that the police have done a magnificent job and I do not think it is appropriate to criticise the police,” he said when journalists questioned him about the 90 minute delay. “It is important for me to congratulate all policewomen and policemen working on the streets, as well as all senior police officials,” Storberget insisted. Nor was the performance of Norway’s Delta Force, presumably the first line of defence against terrorist attacks, any better. The head of the force, Anders Snortheimsmoen, said this week that it arrived at the same time as the local police. According to his lawyer, Breivik himself was surprised that he was able to carry out the massacre on Otøya after exploding the bomb in Oslo. He expected to be killed immediately after the Oslo bombing. The ease and speed with which Breivik reached the island and put his terrorist plan into operation stands in marked contrast to time it took the police to make the same journey to apprehend him. The delay in the police response is only one of many troubling unanswered questions. It is widely reported that Breivik was wearing as police uniform. How did he obtain it? Early reports said that six people were arrested in Breivik’s apartment. They were later said to have been released because they had no connection with the case. But why were six people at the home of a man who has been described as a loner? Breivik initially claimed to be working alone, but he later said there were two other terrorist cells in Norway, as well as others abroad. Norwegian police have been quick to deny that Breivik had any accomplices. Janne Kristiansen, head of domestic intelligence, said it was “highly unlikely” that other cells existed, despite the fact that other security agencies worldwide are searching for links to Breivik. On what facts or evidence is Kristiansen’s conclusion based? The mainstream media do not bother to even ask. Evidence of Breivik’s links to right-wing organisations is mounting. The English Defence League (EDL), which initially denied any connection with him, has now back-tracked and is examining the possibility, after the UK-based Searchlight magazine, which investigates right-wing groups, published material indicating that contacts existed between the EDL and Breivik. If Breivik operated alone, it is difficult to explain how he assembled the chemicals and weapons he needed for his attack. Norwegian police blew up explosives at a farm rented by Breivik. They refused to say what quantity of explosives was involved. Some reports have suggested that he had a total of 6 tonnes of explosives sourced from different companies, some of them outside Norway. His purchases brought him to the attention of Norwegian customs, who reported him to the security services. His name was on an Interpol and a Norwegian watch list. How, then, was he able to proceed with impunity in carrying out his murderous plan? The attempt to separate the terrorist attack in Norway from the increasing integration of fascistic tendencies into mainstream European bourgeois politics pervades the media coverage and official commentary. Every effort is being made to portray this politically motivated crime as an isolated event that has no wider political significance. Writing in the Guardian, British journalist Simon Jenkins declared: “The Norwegian tragedy is just that, a tragedy. It does not signify anything and should not be forced to do so. A man so insane he can see nothing wrong in shooting dead 68 young people in cold blood is so exceptional as to be of interest to criminology and brain science, but not to politics.” Meanwhile, some spokesmen for right-wing parties that share government power are defending the political outlook of Breivik. Interviewed on a popular radio show, Francesco Speroni, a leading member of the Northern League, the junior partner in Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition, said, “Breivik’s ideas are in defence of Western civilization.” Another Northern League politician, member of the European parliament Mario Borghezio, told radio Il Sole-24 Ore that he sympathised with Breivik’s ideas. “Some of the ideas he expressed are good, barring the violence. Some of them are great,” Borghezio said. Breivik is a former member of the Norwegian Progress Party, which calls for tighter curbs on immigration. In 2009, Siv Jensen, leader of the party, identified what she called “a kind of sneak-Islamisation of this society,” for which she blamed the Labour Party. “We are going to have to stop this,” she said. Breivik reportedly left the Progress Party because he deemed it insufficiently right-wing. What has taken place in Norway is a fascist terror attack. Its immediate target was the Norwegian Labour Party, but there should be no mistake that the objective of the forces to which Breivik belongs is a war on the working class. The Norwegian Labour Party, like every other social democratic party, has adapted its policies to the extreme right. The effect of last Friday’s attack will be to drive it even further to the right, and other parties, social democratic and otherwise, will follow suit. The Norway terror attack is the outcome of a process in which fascistic elements have been nurtured over many years and are now being brought into official political life. The massacre exposes the putrefaction of the entire political system in Europe and beyond. *** The BBC continue to normalise a hateful narrative Jody McIntyre Tuesday, 26 July 2011 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/07/26/the-bbc-continue-to-normalise-a-hateful-narrative/ “The central question still remains,” Jeremy Paxman began on BBC Newsnight last night, “was this the action of a solitary, deranged individual, or do his actions reflect a wider unease both in Norway and perhaps beyond, about immigration and asylum seekers, which people like Breivik can exploit?” The third, and most obvious answer is left ignored; that Breivik was a white supremacist emboldened by the right-wing, Islamophobic rhetoric of European governments. When Muslim extremists commit atrocities, their entire ideology, beliefs and even religion are examined, analysed and condemned, but in the case of Breivik, his are real problems in society that one man took too far. Indeed, if this had been carried out by a Muslim attacker, or any person with brown skin, we would currently be witnessing a media frenzy of racist and xenophobic propaganda. Because Breivik is a white, Christian, European man, only the individual, and not those elements of his identity, is blamed. It seemed that the “#blamethemuslims” trend, so aptly initiated by Sanum Ghafoor in the wake of the Norwegian tragedy, had died down, but BBC Newsnight continued with the myth: “Many in Norway presumed they were being attacked by Islamic terrorists,” the report continued. How does this make sense, when the first person arrested was a Nordic man with blond hair and blue eyes? How does this make sense, when, as Gary Younge observed in his Nation column this week: “According to Europol, between 2006 and 2008 only 0.4 percent of terrorist plots (including attempts and fully executed attacks) in Europe were from Islamists. The lion’s share (85 percent) were related to separatism.” Nevertheless, the Newsnight reporter seemed genuinely surprised when he said, “But this wasn’t the work of al-Qa’ida,” as if that was the logical conclusion. So-called ‘experts’ reminisced of a time when “Norway was lily-white”. Never one to fail to provide an opportunity for self-glorification and pity, the BBC had once again invited the leader of the EDL, Stephen Lennon, for an extended interview. Paxman is notorious for his harsh and confrontational interviewing style, but with Lennon, this never seems to have been the case. Lennon is not interrupted often, and allowed to repeat a hateful narrative of intolerance over and over again. Not once does Paxman raise the point that the frustration and anger of Muslims living in England may have something to do with the foreign policy of the British state, which has recently engaged in the bombing of three predominantly Muslim countries; Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The EDL are consistently emboldened and empowered by these much-discussed media opportunities; it legitimises their rhetoric, and provides them with the platform they thrive on. So much is their confidence growing that, throwing off the pretence of a focus on “Islamic extremism [and/or] fundamentalism”, Stephen Lennon now has no qualms with announcing, on national television, that “Islam is a threat.” I cannot begin to imagine the stream of apologies that would be emanating from BBC headquarters had an interviewee made this assertion about any other religion. At one point, Paxman and Lennon were even finishing each other’s sentences: “No-one is denying there is great anxiety,” Paxman began. “About Islam,” Lennon agreed. The argument that rational-minded people will see Lennon’s racism for what it is does not hold water when one takes into account the constant attack on Muslims and immigrants by government officials and respectable media sources. With increasing frequency, the EDL are being presented as the genuine and legitimate voice of a disillusioned population. Tommy Robinson warns that a Breivik-style attack could happen in England within the next few years. If it does, then the BBC, which continues to provide the platform for right-wing leaders such as Stephen Lennon and Nick Griffin to spread their ideals without rigorous questioning, will have to recognise the role they have played. *** Norway massacre: Anders Breivik took drugs to make himself 'strong' before shooting Anders Behring Breivik had taken drugs to make himself "strong, efficient and awake" before he embarked on his mass killing spree, his lawyer said. Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter 26 Jul 2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/norway/8662603/Norway-massacre-Anders-Breivik-took-drugs-to-make-himself-strong-before-shooting.html Geir Lippestad Mr Lippestad said it was “too early” to say if his client was mad, but added: “The whole case has indicated that he is insane.” He said his client had taken drugs before going on the rampage “to be strong, efficient and awake” and was “sorry that he had to do this but it was necessary because he is in a war”. Asked to describe Breivik, Mr Lippestad said he is “a very cold person” but “I can’t describe him because he is not like anyone else”. The lawyer also confirmed that Breivik did make visits to Britain as he planned his “war” against Islam, and he said Breivik had referred to other “cells” outside Norway that were ready to follow his example. “He says there are two cells in Norway and others from the Western world,” Mr Lippestad said at a press conference in Oslo. Scotland Yard officers are trying to unravel Breivik’s links to British extremists after it emerged he had extensive contact with members of the right-wing English Defence League. Mr Lippestad said his client had told him “he travelled to Britain” but did not say when or where. Members of the EDL have said Breivik came to London in March 2010 when the far-right Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, visited the House of Lords. He is also reported to have been on an EDL march in Newcastle. Mr Lippestad said his client had pleaded not guilty to murder when he appeared in court yesterday because: “He believes that he is in a war and he believes that when you are in a war you can do things like that without pleading guilty. “He looks upon himself as a warrior who has started a war and he takes some pride in that. “He expects this is the start of a war that will last for 60 years. He thinks the rest of the world don’t understand his point of view but in 60 years’ time we will all understand him.” Mr Lippestad, who is a member of the Labour Party, the target of Breivik’s attacks last Friday, said his client had been “surprised” that he was not stopped sooner as he bombed Oslo and gunned down students on the island of Utoya. Police have come in for heavy criticism for taking 90 minutes to reach the island, where Breivik shot dead 68 people. “He was a little surprised that he succeeded,” said the solicitor. “He was expecting to be stopped earlier by the police or someone else on the actual day.” Mr Lippestad said he did not know why Breivik had chosen him as his legal representative, and was shocked when he got a call from police on Saturday morning. “I thought about it for 10-12 hours,” he said. “But it’s important in a democracy to hold democracy high and the legal system is an important part of a democracy.” *** Anders Behring Breivik: 'I'm surprised I wasn't stopped' Norway gunman told lawyer he expected to be killed before he reached Utøya island Mark Townsend in Oslo and Helen Pidd The Guardian, Wednesday 27 July 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/26/norway-killer-breivik-surprised-stopped The man behind Norway's terror attacks has told his lawyer he was surprised he was not stopped straight after he bombed Oslo city centre, and that he expected to be killed before he reached the island where he shot dead 68 people. Anders Behring Breivik was a "very cold" man who had taken drugs to keep himself awake during the shootings, the lawyer, Geir Lippestad, told a press conference yesterday. Breivik, who has confessed to killing 76 people in the atrocities in Oslo and on Utøya island, told Lippestad he was at war with the world, and that killing was justified in a war. "He was a little surprised he succeeded – in his mind succeeded," Lippestad said. "He was expecting to be stopped earlier by the police or someone else during the actual day. He was surprised that he reached the island. "He thought he would be killed after the bombing, after the action in the island, and he also thought he would be killed at the trial. He believes someone will kill him." Breivik also claimed that he was part of an anti-Islam network that has two cells in Norway and "several" more abroad. Asked to explain Breivik's mindset, Lippestad said: "He says he is sorry he had to do this but it is necessary. He looks upon himself as a warrior. And he started this war, and takes some kind of pride in that. "He believes this is the start of a war that will go on for 60 years," Lippestad said. "He believes the other cells will continue the war." Lippestad said that after several meetings with his client, he believed Breivik was mentally ill. "This whole case indicated that he is insane," he said of the 32-year-old, who denies he is a criminal. The lawyer, a member of Norway's Labour party whose youth wing was targeted by Breivik, said he did not know why the killer had chosen him to represent him. He added that if his client were to refuse to take psychological tests he would quit from his defence. Two psychiatric experts will now evaluate Breivik's mental state. According to Lippestad, Breivik remains unaware of the revulsion his attacks have sparked and does not know the number of people he killed last Friday. In isolation, a request by the suspect for a copy of the WikiLeaks files was reportedly rejected by the authorities last night. It also emerged the Utøya Island massacre was, partly, drug-fuelled. Lippestad said the gunman had taken unspecified drugs in order "to be strong, to be efficient, to keep him awake" during the shootings. Focus continues to intensify on links between British far-right groups and Breivik, with London the city where the suspect claimed to have launched his so-called organisation to "save Europe from Muslim takeover". Johan Fredrikson, the chief of Oslo police, said that despite an international investigation, including involvement by British police, they still had no evidence that there was an accomplice or network behind the attacks. Breivik's claims that he was surprised not to have been stopped earlier will add to pressure on police, who have been criticised for taking more than an hour to reach Utøya island. It emerged on Tuesday that the nearest police helicopter available was not able to intervene because its pilots were on holiday. Teenagers trapped on the island during the shootings last Friday claimed that they were told to stay off the line because authorities were dealing with the earlier Oslo bombing, according to relatives and local reports. Broader questions have since emerged concerning the failure of Norwegian intelligence over the attacks. Breivik was allegedly placed on a watchlist after buying fertiliser in Poland that may have been used to build the Oslo bomb. It is thought that no further action was taken. On Tuesday night, Norwegian police detonated a cache of explosives found at a farm leased by Breivik. "Explosives were found at the farm," police prosecutor Trine Dyngeland told Reuters. "The police carried out a controlled detonation of the explosives." She said no one was hurt in the controlled blast, at Rena, about 100 miles (160km) north of Oslo. Officials confirmed they have opened an investigation into a Polish chemist after he admitted supplying chemicals to Breivik. The internal security agency in Warsaw said that a Polish man faces up to eight years in prison for selling to Breivik via the internet "substances that could be potentially dangerous to the life and health of many people". The device that exploded on Friday had a devastating ferocity. Since the blast, the justice minister, Knut Storberget, has revealed that employees from his department still remain missing in the ruins of the destroyed government building.