Attorney: Client thinks ‘he is in war’

OSLO, Norway – The attorney for Norwegian terror suspect Anders Behring Breivik described his client Tuesday as emotionally cold, probably insane and hopped up on drugs during the twin attacks last week that killed at least 76 people.

The comments offered the first glimpse into a possible legal defense strategy in what is expected to be Norway’s most explosive criminal trial since the prosecution of Nazis after World War II.

Geir Lippestad, a public defender who was handpicked by Breivik, also said the 32-year-old extremist – now held in solitary confinement – is unsure how many people he killed and expressed surprise that Norwegian police took so long to stop his attack.

“This whole case has indicated that he’s insane,” Lippestad told reporters in Oslo, saying Breivik believes he is leading an anti-Muslim revolution to overturn Western governments and that the victims from his downtown Oslo bombing and Utoya Island shooting rampage were casualties of war.

“He says he is sorry that he had to do this, but it was necessary to start a revolution in the Western world,” Lippestad said. “He believes he is in a war.”

Legal experts said Lippestad appears to be laying the foundation for an insanity plea, particularly since authorities say that Breivik has already confessed to both attacks.

“I don’t think there are any other possibilities for this defendant,” said University of Oslo law professor Stale Eskeland.

It is expected that Breivik will first be examined by court-appointed psychiatrists to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial. If he is deemed unfit, he would be sent to an institution for an indefinite time – possibly the rest of his life – until doctors deem him stable.

If psychiatrists decide Breivik is fit to stand trial, his attorney could still argue he is not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. But legal experts predicted such a strategy would be difficult because the attacks appeared to be so well-planned and methodically executed.

Also the defendant may object to such a legal defense. In his 1,500-page manifesto, Breivik argued that violence was justified as a way to draw attention to his anti-Islamic, anti-immigration ideology. He repeatedly predicted in his text that he would be labeled “insane” after the attack.

On Monday, Breivik had hoped to dress in uniform and address the world through the international media during his first court hearing, but a judge ruled that the proceedings be held behind closed doors.

“He’s looking to spread his manifesto and his ideology,” Lippestad said. But the attorney said he had no plans to build his defense around Breivik’s controversial views, saying, “I don’t think they’re of any importance to this case.”

He added that if Breivik objects to his legal strategy, he is free to request another attorney.

Lippestad confirmed that his client told police about two other alleged terror cells operating in Norway and others outside the country, but said Breivik has provided no other details about the cells.

Lippestad declined to specify what drugs his client allegedly took before the attack. In his manifesto, Breivik writes about using energy-boosting workout supplements and steroids.

According to Lippestad, Breivik expected police would kill or apprehend him before he was able to reach the ruling Labor Party’s youth retreat on Utoya Island. The comment is likely to increase pressure on Norwegian police, who have been criticized in the media for taking at least an hour to reach the lake island retreat. By then, the gunman had systematically hunted down and killed 68 people, mostly children. Another eight died in the Oslo car bombing.