Anders Behring Breivik

Anders Behring Breivik (cropped)

Anders Behring Breivik (born 13 February 1979) is a Norwegian far-right terrorist who committed the 2011 Norway attacks. On 22 July 2011, Breivik detonated a car bomb near the office of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in Oslo, killing eight people. He then carried out a mass shooting at a camp of the Workers' Youth League (AUF) of the Labour Party on the island of Utøya, killing 69 people, mostly teenagers. Breivik's actions on that day became the deadliest attack in Norway since World War II.

Breivik claimed that his actions were necessary to save Norway and Western Europe from a Muslim takeover, and that the Labour Party had to pay the price for "importing Muslims into Norway". His attacks have been described as being motivated by far-right and anti-Muslim views, and he has been linked to a wider "counter-jihad" movement.

Early Life

Breivik was born in Oslo, Norway, to Wenche Behring, a nurse, and Jens David Breivik, a civil economist. His parents divorced when he was a year old. Breivik spent part of his childhood with his mother and his stepfather in the west of Oslo. He had a troubled relationship with his mother and was taken into care by social services when he was 15 years old.

Political and Ideological Beliefs

Breivik was a member of the Progress Party's youth wing in his late teens but left the party as he found it too liberal. He expressed extreme anti-Islamic and anti-immigration views and claimed to be fighting against the Islamization of Europe. Breivik spent years writing a 1,518-page manifesto titled 2083: A European Declaration of Independence, in which he outlined his ideology. He emailed this manifesto to thousands of addresses shortly before carrying out the attacks.

2011 Norway Attacks

On 22 July 2011, Breivik carried out the two sequential attacks that would make him known worldwide. The first attack was a car bomb explosion in Oslo's government district, killing eight people and injuring more than 200. The second attack occurred less than two hours later at a summer camp on Utøya Island, where Breivik, dressed in a homemade police uniform and presenting himself as a police officer, shot and killed 69 participants, most of whom were teenagers.

Trial and Imprisonment

Breivik was arrested on Utøya Island by the police and was charged with mass murder, causing a fatal explosion, and terrorism. In August 2012, he was convicted of mass murder, causing a deadly explosion, and terrorism, and sentenced to 21 years of preventive detention, the maximum sentence under Norwegian law. This sentence can be extended indefinitely as long as he is considered a danger to society.

Impact and Legacy

The attacks led to significant changes in Norway's approach to national security and counter-terrorism. Breivik's actions also sparked a national debate on the country's immigration policies and its efforts to integrate minorities. Despite the tragedy, Norway's commitment to democracy, openness, and tolerance was reaffirmed, with the Prime Minister at the time, Jens Stoltenberg, emphasizing unity and the country's core values in response to the attacks.