Anders Behring Breivik who killed a total of 77people, 8 with a bomb in Oslo and another 69 in ashooting spree at Youth Camp, showed no remorse ashis trial began on Monday.
Dressed in a dark suit and sporting a thin beard,the right-wing fanatic defended the July 22massacre as an act of "self-defense" in hisprofessed civil war, and sat stone-faced asprosecutors described how he killed each of hisvictims.
But he was gripped by emotion when they showed avideo warning of a Muslim takeover of Europe andladen with crusader imagery that he posted onYouTube before the attacks. Suddenly, the self-styled "resistance" fighter's eyes welled up. Hecringed his face and wiped away tears withtrembling hands.
"Nobody believes that he cried out of pity for thevictims," said Mette Yvonne Larsen, a lawyerrepresenting survivors and victim's families inthe court proceedings.
Breivik showed no signs of remorse on the firstday of a trial that is expected to last 10 weeks.After being uncuffed, he extended his right arm ina clenched-fist salute. He refused to stand whenthe judges entered the room.
"I don't recognize Norwegian courts because youget your mandate from the Norwegian politicalparties who support multiculturalism," Breiviksaid the first time he addressed the court.
The 33-year-old Norwegian also announced hedoesn't recognize the authority of Judge WencheElisabeth Arntzen because he said she is friendswith the sister of former Norwegian Prime Ministerand Labor Party leader Gro Harlem Brundtland.
Eight people were killed in Breivik's bombing ofOslo's government district and 69 were slain inhis shooting massacre at the left-leaning LaborParty's youth camp on Utoya island outside thecapital.
Breivik has said the attacks were necessary toprotect Norway from being taken over by Muslimsand that he deliberately targeted the governingLabor Party, which he claims has betrayed Norwaywith liberal immigration policies.
"I admit to the acts, but not criminal guilt," hetold the court, insisting he had acted in self-defense.
While Norway has a legal principle of preventiveself-defense, that doesn't apply to Breivik'scase, said Jarl Borgvin Doerre, a legal expert whohas written a book on the concept. "It is obviousthat it has nothing to do with preventive self-defense," Doerre told The Associated Press.
The key issue to be resolved during the trial isBreivik's mental state, which will decide whetherhe is sent to prison or into psychiatric care.Anxious to prove he is not insane, Breivik willcall right-wing extremists and radical Islamiststo testify during the trial, to show that othersalso share his view of clashing civilizations.
One mental examination found him legally insane,while another said he wasn't sick enough to becommitted to psychiatric care instead of prison.If deemed mentally competent, Breivik would face amaximum prison sentence of 21 years or analternate custody arrangement under which thesentence is prolonged for as long as an inmate isdeemed a danger to society.
Breivik did not appear to have any family orsupporters in court. His parents, who aredivorced, did not attend the hearing. His father,Jens Breivik, answered when The Associated Presscalled his home in France on Monday.
"I don't want to comment on anything," he saidbefore hanging up.
Anne Marita Milde, a psychology professor at theUniversity of Bergen, said Breivik's tears duringthe video show he's not completely "flattened"emotionally -- even though they didn't come whenyou might have expected them.
"He may in many areas be emotionally flattened,that he doesn't display emotion and so on, butit's not all or nothing here -- there are facetswithin behavior," she said.
Utoya survivor Bjorn Magnus Jacobsen toldreporters he was perplexed by Breivik's reaction.
"It might be that he is crying because of pride orbecause he thinks the video is so brilliant," saidJacobsen. "But it might also be he feels that he'slost his battle, but I don't really know that."
The tears came during a portion of the video thatglorified armed resistance against Islam inEurope. Asked what prompted Breivik's emotions,defense lawyer Geir Lippestad said they stemmedfrom his conviction that he had to carry out theattacks "because he wants to save Europe from anongoing war."
After a lunch break, Breivik was againexpressionless as he watched prosecutors presentsurveillance footage of the Oslo explosion. Theblast ripped through the high-rise building thathoused government headquarters, blowing outwindows and filling surrounding streets with smokeand debris.
He didn't flinch as prosecutors played a three-minute recording of a young woman's frantic phonecall to police from Utoya.
"I'm pretty sure that there are many injured,"Renate Taarnes, 22, said with panic in her voiceas more than a dozen shots in close successioncould be heard.
"Are you still there?" the police officer asked.
"Yes," she whispered. She fell silent, breathinginto the phone as more shots cracked in thebackground.
Taarnes escaped the massacre unharmed and isscheduled to testify later in the trial.
Many survivors and families of victims are worriedthat Breivik will use the trial to promote hisextremist political ideology. In a manifesto hepublished online before the attacks, Breivik wrotethat "patriotic resistance fighters" should usetrials "as a platform to further our cause."
Norway's NRK television was broadcasting parts ofthe trial live but was not allowed to showBreivik's testimony.
Breivik wants to be judged as a sane person andwill call radical Islamists, and extremists on theright and left to testify to support "hisperception that there is a war going on inEurope," Lippestad told the court. Lippestad saidBreivik wants to read a new document he's writtenat the start of his testimony on Tuesday.
After he surrendered, Breivik had toldinvestigators he is a resistance fighter in a far-right militant group modeled after the KnightsTemplar -- a Christian order that fought during thecrusades. Police, however, have found no trace ofany organization and say he acted alone.
"In our opinion, such a network does not exist,"prosecutor Svein Holden told the court on Monday.
In his manifesto, Breivik described the supposedgroup's initiation rites, oaths and the "clenchedfist salute" that he used in court, symbolizing"strength, honor and defiance against the Marxisttyrants of Europe."
After blowing up parts of the government buildingand shooting dozens to death on Utoya island,Breivik surrendered to police 1 hour and 20minutes after he arrived on Utoya. The policeresponse to his terror spree was slowed by aseries of mishaps, including the lack of anoperating police helicopter and the breakdown ofan overloaded boat carrying a commando team to theisland.
Breivik called police twice, saying he wanted toturn himself in. In one of the calls, played incourt Monday, he identified himself as a commanderof "the Norwegian resistance movement" and said hehad "just completed an operation on behalf ofKnights Templar."
When the operator asked him to repeat himself,Breivik sounded irritated and hung up.
