The European nation of Norway grieved for the victims of Friday's shooting and bombing attacks as gunman Anders Behring Breivik confessed to carrying out the assaults that killed dozens. Breivik, however, did not accept criminal responsibility and pleaded not guilty in court.
Breivik confessed to detonating a bomb outside several government buildings in Oslo and then opening fire at a youth camp, on a nearby island, which is organized by the ruling Labor Party.
Police admitted he had shot dead 68 people on the island, not 86, as they had originally reported.
Hundreds assembled outside the courthouse in Oslo, but the court ruled that the hearing would be heard in closed session. However, the judge emerged to share Breivik's first explanation for his murderous actions.
Reports said the accused explained that the Labor Party has failed the country and the people, and the price of their treason was what they had to pay yesterday.
Breivik was quoted as saying that "the operation was not to kill as many people as possible, but to give a strong signal that cannot be misunderstood, that as long as the Labor Party keeps driving its ideological line and keeps deconstructing Norwegian culture and mass importing Muslims, then they must assume responsibility for this treason. And any person with a conscience cannot allow its country to be colonized by Muslims."
Breivik, who will be in solitary confinement for the next eight weeks, also claimed there were two more cells in his organization. Police are investigating his claims.
Quotes
"The operation was not to kill as many people as possible, but to give a strong signal that cannot be misunderstood, that as long as the Labor Party keeps driving its ideological line and keeps deconstructing Norwegian culture and mass importing Muslims, then they must assume responsibility for this treason..." -Anders Behring Breivik, gunman.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is an extremist? Give some examples of extremists throughout history.
2. What part of the world is Norway in?
3. What is 'domestic terrorism?'
Discussion Questions
1. According to Breivik, the Labor Party keeps "deconstructing the Norwegian culture by mass importing Muslims." What does he mean?
2. According to the video, what explanation did Breivik give for attacking the Labor Party? What position does the Labor Party currently hold in Norwegian government?
3. Is what happened in Norway this week an example of political extremism? How so?
4. Why are people so shocked that these attacks happened in Norway, specifically? What do you think that means about the nature of terrorism?
Additional Resources
7 Dead in Oslo Explosion; 80 Killed in Shooting at Camp
Norway Reels as Death Toll Rises From Day of Unexplained Horror
