Anders Behring Breivik : a Lone Killer?

He has claimed sole responsibility for his actions, having penned his own nazi-esque manifesto entitled 2083 : A European Declaration of Independence.  He was active in online neo-nazi groups and entered into debates online about the “Islamation of Western Europe” and was a member of the right-wing Progress Party, who hold the second largest number of seats in Norway’s Parliament.

It appears that whilst his lawyers are claiming his insanity, that he was meticulous in his planning of this diabolical event, even joining a gun club back in 2005 to obtain access to firearms and training in the use thereof.   From a broken home, Anders was estranged from his diplomat father, perhaps explaining the target of his car bomb, and had not spoken to him for more than a decade.  It appears that from his early 20’s Anders was already deeply involved in the right-wing movement and that as his age increased so did his paranoia and hatred.

It seems that the police and intelligent gathering aspects of all the Governments are trying to show that this was a co-ordinated and planned attack involving multiple people, but what if they are wrong?  What if they know the truth that Anders acted alone and are trying to ‘dig up’ accomplices to stop a wave of copycat killings?  It seems feasible, if not morally comprehensible, that one individual could do both these attacks.  Information on bomb making is readily available online and may even have been touched upon during Anders’ National Service.  He was already an active member of a gun club, so had access to weapons and ammunition.  He used cover companies to acquire the raw materials for the bomb and there seems to be no aspect that he himself has not dealt with.

Why would the law enforcers hate the idea of a sole gunman?  Well, they pick up information from our Emails, telephone calls, blogs (no doubt reading this one too!) and it is these inter-group communications, along with ground intel (the word on the street) that they use to gather information.  If the gunman is working alone then he needs to tell no one, co-ordinate with no one, call no one – he can be effectively off-grid for the planning stage and suddenly appear to do the dastardly deed.

But, are they doing themselves any favours by creating a terror cell?  Probably not, they will be losing credibility in not having been able to spot the cell ahead of this catastrophe, to do anything to stop the needless killing.  It is a no win situation for the law enforcers, who probably now wish that they had shot and killed Anders on the Island so as to avoid his testimony.

Will we ever know the complete truth?  I very much doubt it!