MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Norwegian mass killer says the organization has “two more cells”

Breivik accused the Norwegian Labour party of “mass import of Muslims”

Anders Behring Breivik told a Norwegian judge Monday his bombing and shooting rampage that killed over 80 people aimed to save Europe from a Muslim takeover, and said that “two more cells” existed in his organization.

Breivik has previously said he had acted alone and police have said they have no other suspects in Friday's attacks. His remarks were relayed by the judge, Kim Heger, in a news conference held after a closed-door custody hearing.

It was not clear whether Breivik is in fact part of an organization, although he has written about a revival of the Knights Templar, a medieval order of crusading monks.

After the hearing, Heger said he had ordered Breivik detained in solitary confinement for eight weeks, with no letters, newspapers or visits, except from a lawyer. The detention, in line with a request from prosecutors, will allow them to investigate the case against Breivik.

Heger said Breivik had accused the ruling Labour Party of betraying Norway with “mass imports of Muslims.” He said his bombing of government buildings in Oslo and massacre at a summer camp for Labour’s youth wing was aimed at deterring future recruitment to the party. “The goal of the attack was to give a strong signal to the people,” the judge quoted Breivik as saying.

Breivik planted a bomb on Friday outside Stoltenberg's Oslo office which killed seven, then drove to the wooded island of Utoeya and shot dead 86 at the Labour Party youth camp.
In a rambling 1,500-page tract posted online just before the massacre, Breivik explained how violence was needed to rescue Europe from Islam, immigration and multi-culturalism.

If he survived his assault and was arrested, this would “mark the initiation of the propaganda phase,” he wrote. His lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said: “He has been politically active and found out himself that he did not succeed with usual political tools and so resorted to violence.” The judge's decision to close the hearing to the public followed an outcry from Norwegians enraged at the possibility that Breivik would be allowed a public platform for his views.

The maximum jail term in Norway is 21 years, although that can be extended if there is a risk of repeat offences. “In theory he can be in jail for the rest of his life,” said Staale Eskeland, professor of criminal law at the University of Oslo.

Norwegian newspapers focused on the victims as shock turns to mourning, giving chilling new accounts of the island massacre and focusing on acts of bravery which saved many lives.