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Lawyer: Norway Terror Suspect Will 'explain himself' Monday
 Part of channel(s): 2011 Norway attacks (current event)

July 23, 2011 8:22 p.m. EDT CNN

Oslo, Norway (CNN) -- The suspect in the bombing and mass shooting in Norway believed the terrorist attacks were "horrible," but "in his head (they) were necessary," a man who identified himself as the suspect's lawyer told Norwegian broadcaster TV2.

Geir Lippestad told TV2 late Saturday that he represented Anders Behring Breivik, who was arrested Friday after twin terror attacks that left at least 92 dead.

Breivik "is ready to explain himself" in a court hearing Monday, Lippestad said.

CNN unsuccessfully attempted to contact Lippestad.

While they have only arrested one suspect, police in Norway have not ruled out the possibility that someone else may have been involved in the explosion in Oslo and a shooting at a youth camp on Utoya island.

"We're not sure it's just one person... based on statements from witnesses, we think there may be more," Acting National Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim said Saturday.

A 32-year-old Norwegian was detained and charged with terrorism, but police have not officially released his name. Local media have identified the man as Breivik, who has been described as a right-wing Christian fundamentalist.

"It's very difficult at this point to say whether he was acting alone or whether he was acting as part of a larger network," Sponheim said.

The suspect has been talking to authorities, but Sponheim described the day-long interrogations as "difficult."

At least four people are still missing, he said, as investigators continued to search for bodies of victims of the bomb attack in downtown Oslo.

The fragility of the damaged structures have made it a slow process, he said.

"We know that there are remains of bodies in the ruins of the buildings. And it's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle and a very difficult search. There are body parts in the buildings," Sponheim said.

Seven people have been confirmed dead from the bomb attack. Police said that the explosive was in a car.

At least 85 others were killed in a shooting at a youth camp in nearby Utoya island.

Norway's prime minister called it the country's worst atrocity since World War II.

Norway's King Harald also spoke in a televised address.

"There is still a lot that we do not know about yesterday's situations," he said. "This we do know, that the situations in Utoya and Oslo is an attack on the nation. It's an attack on the core of the Norwegian democracy."

Official sources and social media indicate that Breivik might be a right-wing Christian fundamentalist who may have had an issue with Norway's multi-cultural society. The attack may have been politically motivated, one official said.

"I think what we have seen today is that politically motivated violence poses a threat to society and I commend the police for carrying out a very swift and effective investigation, but that is still ongoing," Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters.

Other new details emerged Saturday about the attacks.

An employee at a Norwegian agricultural cooperative told CNN that the man identified in media reports as the suspect bought six tons of fertilizer from her company in May.

Oddmy Estenstad, of Felleskjopet Agr, said she did not think the order was strange at the time because the suspect has a farm, but after Friday's explosion in Norway's capital, Oslo, she called police because she knew the material can be used to make bombs.

"We are very shocked that this man was connected to our company," said Estenstad. "We are very sad about what happened."

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said Saturday that many world leaders had reached out to him after the tragedy. "The world is with Norway at the moment. That will not restore the lives lost, of course, but it gives support and they hope it will help in their grief," he said.

Together with Norway's king, queen and crown prince, Stoltenberg visited with victims' family members and survivors of the attacks at a hotel.

Vivian Paulsen, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian Red Cross, said that the survivors are in varied emotional states -- with some "very vocal" and others more guarded.

"Many of them are in shock, and they will need help for a long time," Paulsen told CNN on Saturday.

The prime minister said it's too early to tell how the massacre will change Norwegian society.

"But I hope we will maintain" the things that make Norway unique, Stoltenberg said.

Together with Norway's king, queen and crown prince, Stoltenberg visited with victims' family members and survivors of the attacks at a hotel.

It was while authorities were searching for survivors of the mid-afternoon bombing that a man wearing a police uniform and identifying himself as an officer arrived by boat at Utoya island, about 20 miles from Oslo, where word was spreading among the campers about the explosion in the capital, said Adrian Pracon, a survivor of the mass shooting.

The man asked to address the group, and then started shooting. According to police, the gunman was active and shooting for an hour and a half before authorities arrived. He used at least one automatic weapon and one handgun, police said.

What followed, Pracon says, was panic and chaos as some campers ran from the shooter, while others went toward the man because they believed it was a drill or a test.

Pracon said the shooter chased people to the shore, screaming at them as he fired.

An elite police unit took the gunman into custody on the island, Sponheim said. The man did not put up a fight during his arrest.

Authorities were searching the waters Saturday around Utoya, looking for the bodies of campers who may have drowned trying to swim to safety, police said.

"This happened at a place where I, in my young side, became politically active and I said earlier today it was a paradise for youngsters and yesterday it was turned into a hell. We have to regain this. Nobody's going to take this away from us," Stoltenberg said.

U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon both talked Saturday with Stoltenberg to extend their condolences and, in the case of Obama, to offer assistance, those two leaders' offices said in statements.

Ban's conversation came the same day that the U.N. Security Council issued a statement condeming the attacks and stating "that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security."

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Added: Jul-23-2011 Occurred On: Jul-23-2011
By: ThinWhiteRope
In:
World News, Politics
Tags: Oslo, Utoya island, Norway, bombing, mass shooting, youth camp, terrorism, right-wing radical, politically motivated, violence, Christian fundamentalist, Atrocity, 92 dead
Location: Oslo, Oslo, Norway (load item map)
Marked as: approved
Views: 6685 | Comments: 30 | Votes: 1 | Favorites: 1 | Shared: 0 | Updates: 0 | Times used in channels: 3
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  • The dumb shit just started a deathblow to his own cause before it had a chance to get off the ground.

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (3)

  • Gun control. Lets create a safe society.

    Yes the government will protect you.
    It only toke a hour and a half to get there.

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (3)

    • @patrickzeeland Since you do not know anything about the local conditions and/or the Norwegians relationship with firearms. Maybe it's best for you to just be quiet?

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (-2)

    • @nomadlife has nothing to do with a specific area ..its like me in my small town in alberta canada if your lucky 20 min response ..usally 40 min response ...if someone went off and decided to go home to home killing people ..there would be many dead

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (1)

    • @mace43 Aren't you guys alowwed guns out in the boonies?

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (0)

    • @Rob8729 norway has more guns per capita than usa and canada has plenty of firearms, canadians can buy guns even americans cant

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (0)

    • @Rob8729 oh ya forsure we are ...just saying if someone did go off on a human hunting spree it would be long minutes before a cop came into town or for that matter it would be a tactical team response i doubt normal cops would go in and do anything just seal off area.

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (0)

  • I say we let the victims family form a firing squad and publicly execute him with bb guns! Who cares if it takes 50,000 bbs!

    Posted Jul-23-2011 By 

    (2)

    • Comment of user 'ThinWhiteRope' has been deleted by author!
    • @ThinWhiteRope Couldn't agree more!

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (2)

    • @Jibbz

      I like that one.Thumbs up for creativity.

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (1)

    • @ThinWhiteRope
      He needs justice,sharia law style;
      http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1d6_1234539823
      Or maybe better yet, turn him over to the Syrian police department
      http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1a5_1311501413
      where they can mount him on the roof of a truck like a trophy buck

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (1)

  • In cases like this when there's no doubt they should just take him out back and put a bullrt in his head. The cop who wounded him should be fired for being a shitty shot.

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (2)

  • here's a good reason to be a strong swimmer...

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (1)

  • ahhh, please give him as much publicity as possible!... ;>
    I wonder how many norwegians actually support his views.

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (1)

  • How did he get from the bombing site to this island so fast? Timer on the bomb?

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (1)

  • THat lady is as dumb as a rock

    Posted Jul-23-2011 By 

    (0)

  • isnt it nice all the nations condemning the shooting ...kinda late they should be supporting the victims families in all kinds of ways to help lessen the grief ..if thats even possible

    Posted Jul-23-2011 By 

    (0)

  • Strange.... When a moose limb runs amok, they don't ask him to 'explain himself' in a public forum.
    Why is that ?

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (0)

  • They screamed for the police to please put their guns down, because they thought they were there to kill them, now that's a damn shame. And the island was so perfect, it was small and far enough for people to think twice about swimming, and impossible for police to rush the scene and he created a huge decoy. Thank goodness he did not have an assault rifle.

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (-1)

    • @major9985 umm he did? An M16 their saying now, his pictures hes is posing with a mini 14 though.

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (1)

    • @lusthog03 Yeah I have found that out just recently, first reports was he had a sniper, and i thought it was a bolt action with a scope. I did not know they could have assault rifles in that country, he does work on a farm, so maybe that is how he got it.

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (-2)

  • Comment of user 'antigaranti' has been deleted by moderator!
    • Comment of user 'Big TX Paychecks' has been deleted by item owner!
    • @antigaranti
      wlefare folks in the US need better air conditioners !
      what U talkn bout Willis ?

      Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

      (0)

  • Norway terror attacks – Something aint right here

    This whole thing just dont add up, it stinks of a set up. A few questions people have raised.
    1. This guy couldnt have been any more “Aryan” if he wanted to be, looks like an actor selected for a job.
    2. Hes a “right wing extremist” with anti Muslim views, yet he didnt attack any Muslims, he slaughtered his own people only. He could just have easily walked into a Mosque.
    3. If, as we are told, the Prime Minister was due at the Island More..

    Posted Jul-24-2011 By 

    (-4)