Norway massacre: Breivik 'planned to kill politicians' (original) (raw)

The man who confessed to killing 77 people in Norway in July planned to kill three leaders of the ruling Labour Party, a newspaper reports.

Anders Behring Breivik told police he had memorised a speech to be read and recorded before executing them, according to Norwegian tabloid VG.

None of the three - Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jonas Gahr Stoere and Eskil Pedersen - was hurt in the attacks.

Police are investigating the leaking of interrogation records.

It was reported earlier that Breivik had meant to kill specific people but this is believed to be the first time they have been identified.

Breivik has admitted that, disguised as a police officer, he planted a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in the capital Oslo on 22 July, killing eight people.

He then drove to the island of Utoeya, where the Labour Party's youth movement was hosting a summer camp, and shot dead 69 people, most of them teenagers.

His attacks, which he justified as "necessary" to save Norway and Europe from Muslims and multiculturalism, left a further 151 people injured.

According to transcripts VG said it had obtained, Breivik had wanted to abduct Ms Brundtland, a former prime minister, as well as Mr Gahr Stoere, the foreign minister, and Mr Pedersen, head of the party's youth wing.

Ms Brundtland and Mr Gahr Stoere visited Utoeya just before the attacks, and Mr Pedersen was on the island when they happened.

Breivik reportedly told interrogators he had planned to film the executions, in which he would have used a bayonet or knife, and send video to the media through the internet.

However, he changed his mind because of the time it would have taken to upload the clips, the VG report says.

VG executives would not say how the paper had obtained the interrogation details.

Police released a statement calling it "unfortunate" that classified documents from the investigation had been leaked.

Police lawyer Pal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said police would investigate the leak, the Associated Press reports.

Breivik's defence lawyer, Geir Lippestad, told VG his client had launched his attack on the island as a result of the failure of his bomb to demolish the prime minister's offices in Oslo.

The date of Breivik's trial has been set for 16 April, pending psychiatric tests.

He made his first public appearance in court on Monday, in front of his victims' families, survivors of the attacks and reporters.

The court extended his period in custody for a further 12 weeks but the judge agreed to gradually relax the conditions of his solitary confinement.