Breivik harboured other targets

The man admitting responsibility for Norway’s double terror attacks planned to also hit several other targets, according to police.

After 10 hours of interrogation on Friday, media reports emerged claiming that 32 year-old Norwegian national Anders Behring Breivik also wanted to target the royal palace and the ruling Labour Party headquarters. Police have, however, declined to identify any specific locations.

Police lawyer Paal-Fredrik, who said Breivik was “more than willing to co-operate” and “more than willing to explain himself”, told reporters on Saturday that, “In general, I would say that he had in his plans other targets but on this day it was only these two which were successful.”

Shortly after, tabloid newspaper Verdens Gang claimed that the far-right extremist had wanted to attack the Labour headquarters, because of his loathing for the party’s liberal values, and the royal palace, because of its symbolism in Norway. The newspaper did not name its source, however, and the claims have not been verified.

Speaking to Aftenposten, Breivik’s lawyer Geir Lippestad confirmed that his client hoped to carry out “several projects of different scale for that Friday”. “Things happened that day, which I don’t want to go into, which meant events unfolded differently from what he had planned,” he added.

He went on to say that Breivik, who he believes is probably insane, has continued to show no remorse for the killings, claiming they were “a necessary act” in the “war against rule by Muslims”.

Meanwhile, funerals have begun for the 77 people who were killed in the bombing in Oslo’s government quarter and the subsequent mass shootings at a youth camp on Utoya Island on Friday 22 July. Investigations are ongoing while Breivik is exposed to a psychological evaluation.