The attacker responsible for the carnage in Norway may have been inspired by an Armageddon-like idea of “bringing the system to its knees,” a leading expert in global terrorism told The Courier.
If Anders Breivik harboured far-right beliefs, he would be strongly opposed to the Norwegian government’s pursuit of peace and conflict resolution, said Paul Wilkinson, emeritus professor of international relations at St Andrews University.
The atrocity could therefore have been a domestic challenge to the political establishment, he said.
“We’ve heard (the suspect) described as a man with far-right links,” he said. “We know Norway has groups of that kind, and if that’s the case the likelihood is it’s a domestic challenge to the prime minister and ruling party.
“A person on the far right would be bitterly hostile to (their) policies and to socialism. I would think it would be a domestic motivation of hatred of the ruling government and a kind of Armageddon idea of bringing the system to its knees.”
The possibility the killer had links to international extreme right groups should not be ruled out, Professor Wilkinson added.
He said it probably has links to racist organisation across Europe including the English Defence League and had clearly spent much of his life studying methods of “mass terror.”
However, he believes Friday’s attacks, which claimed at least 92 lives, were ultimately “a one man show.”
Breivik is expected to appear in court today and has promised to explain why the bombing and mass shooting was a “cruel but necessary” slaughter.
“I think that he (Breivik) was clearly the key person in this,” Professor Wilkinson added. “There may have been a collaborator or two, particularly to help him obtain materials and to assist during construction of the bomb.
“This was a huge bomb and it would have been very difficult for him to do it all on his own. However, it appears that the horrific massacre of the young people was a one man show.
“He was the only gunman, but took out a vast number of lives.”Curious manifestoProfessor Wilkinson described a rambling internet “manifesto” purportedly produced by Breivik as “curious.”
“Much will be made of this document. It shows that he has a lot in common with neo-Nazis. He was clearly opposed to what he saw as the denigration of the Norwegian race.”
It has widely been reported Breivik spent years meticulously planning the chilling attacks that brought so much fear to a normally peaceful country.
“He has most likely got links with the English Defence League and other racist groups in other European countries,” Professor Wilkinson said.
“One of the most amazing things in his statement is his admiration for al Qaida. He clearly sees their methods of mass terror as something that is worth copying.
“Of course, that does not mean he is a supporter of Islam in fact he is an Islamophobe. However, he admires their methods this is a man who is a fanatic with a brutal idealism.”
Professor Wilkinson said the Norwegian government and the country’s peace-loving people will work hard to defeat such acts of terrorism.
“One hopes there are not too many people like this in the world. It is worth remembering at this time that Norway has had a very peaceful history.
“I think that democratic tradition will prevail and I think the Norwegian prime minister is quite right to say that the nation should not give in to this kind of terrorism.”
Professor Wilkinson said Breivik was probably determined to bring “the system to its knees.”
“A person on the far right would be bitterly hostile to (Norway’s) policies and to socialism,” he said.
Breivik’s lawyer Geir Lippestad said, “He feels that it was cruel to have to carry out these acts but that, in his head, it was necessary.”
Meanwhile, Oslo police spokeswoman Viola Bjelland revealed that the suspect was being “co-operative.”
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user MmMmMmMat.