As the dust settles on last week’s killing of 77 people in bombing and shooting attacks in Norway, the issue now facing Europe’s security authorities is overspill.
Will Anders Breivik’s massacre prove a call to arms for the far right of radical Christian fundamentalism?
Between information listed in Breivik’s online manifesto and further tracing of his movements, the Norwegian authorities have ascertained that he had extensive cont a c t s with ot h e r European individuals with far-right tendencies.
But while it seems that he discussed ideology and planning with these men, authorities believe that he orchestrated his act of terror more or less on his own.
The problem now is that his manifesto may act as a manual for radicalisation of the far right, as well as a ‘‘how-to’’ guide for the single terrorist.
The most difficult aspect of the operation for Breivik was the bombing in Oslo. Despite his careful amassing of a large amount of explosives - 950 kilogrammes of ammonia nitrate - he did not manage to kill more than eight people and did not demolish any buildings.
In more experienced hands, such a quantity of explosive material could have killed many more people and caused considerably more damage to infrastructure.
This means that law enforcement and intelligence agencies must now start to focus more on the ‘‘how’’ of terrorist attacks, rather than the ‘‘why’’, if they are to prevent them. In the recent past, racial and ethnic profiling was used extensively in an effort to contain terrorism.
However, a clever and adaptable terrorist or grouping will always try to circumvent this by turning such profiling on its head.
Richard Reid, the Briton who attempted to detonate a shoe-bomb on an American plane, was a convert to radicalism and did not come from a typical Islamic background.
And as Breivik has proved, there will always be the potential for individuals who have no outward connection to anything sinister to have their heads turned by obscure and dangerous ideologies.
National authorities will therefore have to adapt their anti-terrorism strategies.
While the Israelis have led the way in terms of monitoring websites and making contact with recruiting sergeants for radical groups, other governments will now have to devote more time and attention to who has the material and knowledge necessary to carry out acts of terrorism.
The Sunday Telegrah also said that Breivik, under the username "andrewbrei," used eBay to order a drill press vice, a full-face respirator and a "hazmat" suit.
In addition to the Oslo bombing, Breivik is accused of opening fire on Utoya Island, killing 69 people on July 22.
EBay Inc did not respond directly to the Sunday Telegraph report, but released a statement that made reference to the Norway attacks and said that the company is working with local authorities.
"We are deeply saddened by the recent events in Oslo and our thoughts are with the victims and families involved in this horrific incident. eBay and PayPal coordinate regularly with law enforcement around the world and we are assisting Norwegian law enforcement in their investigation," the company statement said.
An eBay spokewoman declined to comment further, citing an "ongoing criminal investigation."
Breivik, who is being held in solitary confinement at Ila Prison, near Oslo, mentioned eBay repeatedly in his purported 1,500-page manifesto that rants against Muslims and lays out meticulous plans to prepare for the attacks.
The author of the manifesto described how he used eBay to procure various items, some of which were not discovered during the Sunday Telegraph investigation, suggesting Breivik could have had more than one eBay account, the newspaper reported.
"Ebay is not the best place to look as it is mostly civilian body armour available. But now and then, some inexperienced sellers simply make a mistake and list high grade mil spec armour and some times, Ebay is unable to stop the auction in time, which allows you to 'swoop in and pick it up' with a winning bid. I finally managed to buy 2000 USD worth of plates," the manifesto author wrote.
At another place in the manifesto, the author told his readers: "Ebay is your friend."
Breivik has admitted carrying out the bombing in Oslo and the shootings on Utoya, his lawyer and a judge have said. He has also pleaded not guilty in court.
The attack on Utoya targeted members of the Norway Labour Party's youth movement as they attended a summer camp.
Norwegian authorities completed the identification of the dead last week, releasing the names of all 77. Their ages ranged from 14 to 61.
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