Two terror cells remain free, killer told police

THE self-described perpetrator of one of the worst modern mass murders in peacetime told Norwegian authorities that he expects to spend the rest of his life in prison but two other cells of his terror network remain free, officials said yesterday.

Anders Behring Breivik has admitted bombing Norway’s capital and opening fire on a political youth group retreat, but he entered a plea of not guilty, saying he wanted to save Europe from Muslim immigration.

Prosecutor Christian Hatlo told reporters that Breivik was very calm and “seemed unaffected by what has happened”. He said Breivik told investigators during his interrogation that he never expected to be released.

Police announced, meanwhile, that they had overcounted the number of people slain in a shooting spree at a political youth group’s island retreat and were lowering the confirmed death toll from 86 to 68.

The overall toll in the attack now stands at 76 instead of 93.

Police also raised the toll from a bombing outside the government’s headquarters in Oslo before the shooting spree, from seven to eight.

The search for more victims continues and police have not released the names of the dead. But Norway’s royal court said those killed at the island retreat included Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s stepbrother Trond Berntsen, an off-duty police officer, who was working there as a security guard.

In an interview with Swedish tabloid Expressen, Breivik’s father said he was ashamed and disgusted by his son’s acts and wished he had committed suicide.

“I don’t feel like his father,” said former diplomat Jens David Breivik from his secluded home in southern France. “How could he just stand there and kill so many innocent people and just seem to think that what he did was OK? He should have taken his own life too. That’s what he should have done.”

Breivik said he first learned the news of his son’s attacks from media websites. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was totally paralysing and I couldn’t really understand it.”

“I will have to live with this shame for the rest of my life. People will always link me with him,” he said.

Jens David Breivik said he had severed all contact with his son in 1995 when the latter was 16.

Police surrounded his house in the south of France. Initially they were searching the premises, but later said they were there to ensure public order.

Poland said today that Breivik bought some of the components for his bomb-making there, adding that the online purchases were legal. Pawel Bialek, the deputy head of the Internal Security Agency, said that the chemicals can be bought anywhere in Europe. They included a synthetic fertiliser.

The court ordered Breivik held for eight weeks while prosecutors investigate, four of which will be in isolation, saying Breivik could tamper with evidence if released. Typically, the accused is brought to court every four weeks while prosecutors prepare their case, so a judge can approve his continued detention. Longer periods are not unusual in serious cases.

Breivik made clear in an Internet manifesto that he planned to turn his court appearance into theatre, preparing a speech for his appearance in court even before launching the attacks, then requesting an open hearing in which he would wear a uniform. Both of those requests were denied.

The suspect has said he staged the bombing and youth camp rampage as “marketing” for his manifesto calling for a revolution that would rid Europe of Muslims.

“The operation was not to kill as many people as possible but to give a strong signal that could not be misunderstood that as long as the Labour Party keeps driving its ideological lie and keeps deconstructing Norwegian culture and mass importing Muslims then they must assume responsibility for this treason,” according to the English translation of Judge Kim Heger’s ruling read out after the hearing.