The 2011 Norway attacks carried out by Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people and shocked the world. In the aftermath, investigators and journalists uncovered a trail of connections between the Norwegian extremist and far-right networks across Europe, including claimed links to the English Defence League in the United Kingdom. A 1,500-page manifesto published online hours before the attacks laid out Breivik’s ideology, his operational planning, and his alleged contacts with international extremist groups.
The 2002 London Meeting and the Knights Templar Network
According to the manifesto, Breivik’s path toward political extremism began at a small gathering in London in 2002. He claimed to have met eight other extremists from various European countries at this meeting, where the group allegedly decided to “re-form” an organization called the Knights Templar Europe. Breivik described the group’s stated purpose as seizing “political and military control of western European countries” and implementing what he called a “cultural conservative political agenda.”
The manifesto was signed “Andrew Berwick London 2011,” using an anglicized version of Breivik’s name, and was titled “2083: A European Declaration of Independence.” Anti-racist organizations in the UK noted that they had no prior knowledge of the Knights Templar Europe and cautioned that Breivik may have fabricated some or all of the organizational details described in the document.
Claimed Connections to the English Defence League
The manifesto contained multiple references to the English Defence League, a far-right street protest movement that had been staging demonstrations across the UK since its formation approximately two years earlier, many of which had turned violent. Breivik wrote that he had maintained more than 600 EDL members as Facebook friends and claimed to have communicated with “tens of EDL members and leaders.” He further asserted that he was among the individuals who provided the organization with “processed ideological material” and rhetorical strategies during its early formation.
Unconfirmed reports from within the EDL’s own ranks suggested that Breivik may have attended at least one EDL demonstration in the UK in 2010. One EDL supporter posted online that the 32-year-old “did come over for one of our demo in 2010” while condemning his subsequent actions.
The EDL issued a formal statement condemning the Norway attacks, describing itself as a peaceful organization that rejected all forms of extremism. The group denied any official contact with Breivik and noted that its Facebook page, which had approximately 100,000 supporters at the time, received tens of thousands of comments daily, making it impossible to monitor individual supporters. The EDL also pointed out that Breivik himself had been critical of the organization within the manifesto, describing it as “dangerously naive.”
Other Far-Right Groups Distance Themselves
Another UK-based organization, Stop Islamisation of Europe, told the Reuters news agency that Breivik had attempted to join their Facebook group but had been rejected due to his apparent neo-Nazi connections. The group acknowledged, however, that it was possible Breivik had attended one of its public demonstrations without their knowledge.
These responses reflected a pattern among European far-right organizations in the immediate aftermath of the attacks: acknowledging that Breivik may have operated on the periphery of their movements while firmly denying any direct organizational relationship or responsibility for his actions.
Inside Breivik’s 1,500-Page Manifesto
The manifesto, published online just hours before the July 22 attacks, combined elements of a political tract, bomb-making manual, and personal diary. Emblazoned with a red Iron Cross and written entirely in English, the document revealed an obsession with the medieval Crusades and what Breivik characterized as an existential threat to Christian Europe posed by Muslim immigration and mainstream political leaders.
Breivik outlined a prediction that a European civil war would unfold in three stages, culminating in 2083 with the execution of so-called “cultural Marxists” and the mass deportation of all Muslims from the continent. The document included a detailed 82-day diary covering the period leading up to the attacks, recording the attacker’s mood swings, his attempts to manufacture explosives on a remote farm, and mundane personal details.
On the morning of July 22, Breivik wrote what he described as his final diary entry: “I believe this will be my last entry. It is now Fri July 22nd, 12.51.” He signed off as “Justiciar Knight Commander, cell 8, Knights Templar Europe.”
Operational Planning and Target Selection
The manifesto revealed that planning for the attacks had been underway for at least 18 months. During that period, Breivik expressed concern that his research activities and the acquisition of materials and addresses might have attracted the attention of security services. A March 2010 entry read: “I do fear sometimes that my endeavours relating to the research of the book, and acquisitions of these addresses has resulted in me being put on various watch lists. The question is; have they flagged me? I guess I will find out eventually.”
Breivik’s target selection methodology explicitly prioritized attacking civilians over hardened targets. He argued that it was “much more rational and pragmatical to focus on the easier unprotected targets instead of sacrificing good men on an impossible target.” The document outlined plans for attacking what he classified as “category A and B traitors,” including detailed scenarios involving vehicle bombs followed by firearms assaults.
Among the potential targets discussed in the manifesto was an annual gathering of investigative journalists in Norway, which Breivik described as one of the “most attractive” targets, noting that approximately 500 delegates attended and that he considered 98 percent of them to be targets. The level of operational detail in the document underscored both the premeditated nature of the attacks and the broader threat posed by self-radicalized individuals with access to extremist networks and ideological materials online.
