Journalists listed as ideal targets by Oslo gunman

By KJ Mullins (Guest Contributor/Digital Journalist)

Journalists were one of the targets detailed in the manifesto by Anders Behring Breivik, Norway’s alleged gunman of the Friday murders in Oslo and Utoya Island.

Just hours before the worst mass murder in Norway’s history, Anders Behring Breivik released a video on YouTube entitled “2083: A European Declaration of Independence.” Breivik credited the name Andrew Berwick in the release.

In his manifesto under “Category A, B and C traitors,” Breivik stated that annual gatherings of journalists in Norway were the most attractive targets for large-scale attacks.

A conference held by Stiftelsen for en Kritisk og Undersøkende Presse (SKUP) that promotes investigative journalism was identified as a perfect target.According to the manifesto, journalists are to be viewed as “multiculturalist political warriors and overwhelmingly left wing political activists.”

It now appears that Norway’s Prime Minister’s offices were not the prime target in the Oslo bombing Friday. In fact, the building that was hit houses the largest newspaper of Norway, VG.

SKUP published a portion of the manifesto on its website that detailed the way to attack a group of journalists using a primary and then secondary attack. The first attack would use one to three detonations followed by an assault using flame thrower, assault rifles or grenades to execute any survivors.

“This just emphasizes the madness of the tragedy that took place on Saturday,” said SKUP chairman Heidi Molstad Andresen. “Pointing out a political organization or a journalist conference as targets, is a direct attack in the core of democracy and freedom of expression. SKUPs thoughts goes to all the victims of the terrorist bomb in Oslo and the massacre at Utøya and their relatives.”

This article was originally published on Digital Journal [Link]