Norway mass killer Anders Behring Breivik defends massacre: "I would have done it again"

Right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik gestures as he arrives in Courtroom 250 at the central court of Oslo April 17, 2012, for the second day of his trial. / AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 12:10 a.m. ET

(AP) OSLO, Norway - Norwegian gunman Anders Behring Breivik insisted Tuesday he would massacre 77 people all over again, calling his July rampage the most "spectacular" attack by a nationalist militant since World War II.

Reading a prepared statement in court, the anti-Muslim extremist lashed out at Norwegian and European governments for embracing immigration and multiculturalism. He claimed to be speaking as a commander of an anti-Islam militant group he called the Knights Templar — a group that prosecutors say does not exist.

Maintaining he acted out of "goodness, not evil" to prevent a wider civil war, Breivik vowed, "I would have done it again."

Pressed by prosecutors to explain what he meant, he compared his attacks to the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on Japan during World War II.

"They did it for something good, to prevent further war," Breivik said.

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Breivik has five days to explain why he set off a bomb in Oslo's government district on July 22, killing eight people, and then gunned down 69 others, mostly teenagers, at a Labor Party youth camp outside the Norwegian capital. He denies criminal guilt, saying he was acting in self-defense, and claims the targets were part of a conspiracy to "deconstruct" Norway's cultural identity.

"The attacks on July 22 were a preventive strike. I acted in self-defense on behalf of my people, my city, my country," he said as he finished his statement, in essence a summary of the 1,500-page manifesto he posted online before the attacks. "I therefore demand to be found innocent of the present charges."

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Norway suspect Anders Behring Breivik

He compared Norway's Labor Party youth wing to the Hitler Youth and called their annual summer gathering an "indoctrination" camp. But he later told prosecutors he would have preferred attacking a conference of Norwegian journalists instead, but wasn't able to carry out that "operation."

Breivik's testimony was delayed after one of the five judges hearing the case was dismissed for his comments online the day after the attack — comments that said Breivik deserves the death penalty. Lawyers on all sides had requested that lay judge Thomas Indreboe be taken off the trial, saying the comments violated his impartiality. He was replaced by backup lay judge Elisabeth Wisloeff.

Norway doesn't have the death penalty. If found mentally sane — the key issue to be decided in the trial — Breivik could face a maximum 21-year prison sentence or an alternate custody arrangement that would keep him locked up as long as he is considered a menace to society.

Breivik is being tried by a panel of two professional judges and three lay judges — citizens appointed for four-year terms who participate on an equal basis in deciding guilt and sentencing. The system is designed to let ordinary people have a role in the Norwegian justice system, though the lead judge still runs the trial.

On Monday, Breivik rejected the authority of the court, calling it a vehicle of the "multiculturalist" political parties in power in Norway. He confessed to the "acts" that caused the 77 deaths but pleaded not guilty.

Again on Tuesday — just like the start of his trial on Monday — Breivik entered the court smirking before flashing a clenched-fist salute.

According to Breivik, Western Europe was gradually taken over by "Marxists and multiculturalists" after World War II because it didn't have "anti-communist" leaders like U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The senator dominated the early 1950s with his sensational but unproven charges of Communist subversion in high government circles in the U.S. His probes gave rise to the term McCarthyism, which describes the persecution of innocent people on the charge of being Communists.

"But even McCarthy was too moderate," Breivik said.

Judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen repeatedly interrupted Breivik, asking him to keep his statement short.

"It is critically important that I can explain the reason and the motive" for the massacre, Breivik replied.

Mette Yvonne Larsen, a lawyer representing victim's families, also interrupted Breivik, saying she was getting complaints from victims who were concerned that the defendant was turning the trial into a platform to profess his extremist views.

Her remarks prompted the judge to again urge Breivik to wrap it up. But Breivik replied if he wasn't allowed to continue he might not speak at all.

He warned that Europe was heading toward a civil war between "nationalists and internationalists" and praised others suspected of right-wing extremist attacks in Europe. They included Peter Mangs, a Swede suspected of shootings against immigrants in 2010 and three Germans — Uwe Boehnhardt, Uwe Mundlos and Beate Zschaepe — suspected in the killings of eight people of Turkish origin, a Greek man, and a policewoman between 2000 and 2007.

Asked why he started crying in court on Monday, when prosecutors showed an anti-Muslim film that Breivik posted on YouTube before the attacks, he said: "I was thinking about Norway and Europe, which are ruled by politicians and journalists killing our country. I was thinking that my country is dying."

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[Resin-Smoker]

While his murderous actions were wrong, he was right in saying that Europe is being lost to multiculturalism. It's bad enough that immigrants are not being absorbed into society by failing to learn the language and not conforming to expected norms. They're demanding free handouts as if welfair was their god given right. It's amazing why people wonder why taxes are so high in Europe...

I don't know if anyone recalls or not but the riots in France a (few years back) grew from such conditions. Being unable to speak French and lacking a complete education, the immigrant youth were unable to find jobs. This is in a country were people already have a difficult time finding employment as once hired, you practically have a job for life. Needless to say, someone eith has to retire or die before another position is avalible.

[hypnotoad72]

It's not as simple as that, after all:

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/hiring-illegal-immigrants.html

"corporations are people too" -- if you or I helped somebody who did a crime, we'd be complicit. So why aren't these corporations going to jail, especially with the number of politicians and judges claiming they deserve full personhood rights and everything else... to say nothing of predatory actions designed to kill competition... Murder One... Or do they only want things when it benefits them?

[jeannettelj]

Sorry to tell most of you that Norway does not have the death penalty.

[wlhoppers]

The story already said that

[filabilly]

I think that they should let him go free like he wants. Just let the families of the kids that he killed know when and where and bring some bats.

[notparicular]

Well this is Norway. They are civilized people; don't beleive in death penalty. They will probably send him to a "repenting" center.

[aaggd]

Can somebody just punch him in the face until he dies? Thanks.

[Kieren1]

Stop the continued mad commentary of this cold blooded mass killer. The Norwegian government cannot allow a situation where these families have to endure this for years. He needs to be put down. Plain and simple.

[chipndale610]

Shoot the bastard

[Big-Daddy-Kahuna]

In Norway? IT WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN!

[wlhoppers]

Perfect!

[thelovegod]

Rush Limbaugh probably worships this guy.

[VA_Jill]

Turn the gun around, stupid, and stop aiming at other people! The barrel should be pointing at YOUR face.

[starving1968-3]

This lunatic is DEFINITELY a conservative republican!!

[notyrants]

It truly is how many of them believe, they often just keep it down or a little to themselves.

[JustSayIt]

I was just thinking that the Tea Party is probably funding his defense team. He basically in some extreme and perverted way stands for the base of the ultra conservative here. Shame in this day and age.

[mrsherman]

It seems everyone is referring to "race". When a White person goes around killing mostly other whites< I don't think it's a race problem unless other people bring it up. This guy's a self-rightous fanatic and by his own admission of doing the action, should be fried.