KIEV, July 23 – Ukraine strongly condemned the two terrorist attacks that rocked Norway on Friday, calling them an “obvious threat” to values of European democracy.

Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko, in a statement, called on Council of Europe countries to step up international cooperation for preventing and stopping the terrorist attacks.

“Such disgusting attacks have no justification,” Hryshchenko said. “These barbaric acts cannot be viewed other than a direct challenge to the family of people of the Council of Europe, and are an obvious threat to European democratic values.”

Hryshchenko reacted to two terrorist strikes in Norway on Friday that left at least 92 people dead. The strikes included a bomb explosion near offices of the Norwegian government, followed by shootings on an island near Oslo.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a statement, said the United States strongly condemns terrorism no matter who perpetuates it or where it comes from. The attacks, Clinton said, "strike right at the heart and soul of a peaceful people."

A gunman who opened fire on an island teeming with young people kept shooting for 1.5 hours before surrendering to a SWAT team, which arrived 40 minutes after they were called, Norwegian police said Saturday.

Survivors of the shooting spree have described hiding and fleeing into the water to escape the gunman, but a police briefing Saturday detailed for the first time how long the terror lasted — and how long victims waited for help.

When the SWAT team arrived, the gunman, who had two firearms, surrendered, said Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim.
“There were problems with transport to Utoya” island, where the youth-wing of Norway’s Labor Party was holding a retreat, Sponheim said. “It was difficult to get a hold of boats, but that problem was solved when the SWAT team arrived.”

At least 85 people were killed on the island, but police said four or five people were still missing. Divers have been searching the waters around the island.

The attack followed a bombing at a government building in Oslo, where seven people were killed. Police are still digging through rubble there, and Sponheim said body parts remain in the building.

Police have not identified the suspect, but Norwegian national broadcaster NRK say he is 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik. Authorities have not identified a motive but have said he visited Christian fundamentalist websites and once belonged to the youth-wing of a rightist party. (nr/ez)