Norway massacre: Breivik ‘planned to kill politicians’

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

bbc.co.uk