Posted on 10/09/2005 11:22:54 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl
NORMAN - University of Oklahoma officials, the Muslim community, students and others are waiting for the FBI to connect the dots in last week's public suicide of an OU student.
Joel Henry Hinrichs III, 21, was killed Oct. 1 in an explosion that officials say he caused not far from a packed Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
But the dots cannot be connected, at least at this point, said Stephen Sloan, a former University of Oklahoma professor who is alarmed that far-right extremist groups have taken to the Internet with conspiracy theories attempting to link the actions of Hinrichs to the Muslim community of Norman and to the Middle East.
The FBI has provided little information about its investigation but said last week that there is no known link between Hinrichs and terrorist or extremist organizations. But questions linger as to Hinrichs' intent before he died in an explosion while sitting on a park bench in front of the George Lynn Cross microbiology building about 100 yards west of the stadium.
"No doubt there are a lot of questions to be answered," Sloan said. "But it is unfortunately logical to think that he was trying to get into the stadium."
The terrorism expert said the size of the explosion indicates that it was designed to hit more than Hinrichs. He said it seems more than coincidence that this occurred on the Saturday night of a football game.
A student, Adam Smith, related last week that he learned from a ticket taker at Gate 6 on the north side of the football field that a young man had tried to gain entrance. The ticket taker wanted to examine the man's backpack, which prompted the man to sprint away, Smith said he was told.
The FBI reportedly has confirmed that its review of surveillance cameras in the stadium did not reveal that Hinrichs tried to gain entrance. However, OU President David Boren declined at midweek to say whether cameras are mounted at all entrances.
The FBI has kept mum about the explosive that Hinrichs used and declined to comment on reports that large amounts of explosives were in his apartment.
The explosion that killed Hinrichs also burned a large area around the bench. If the explosion had occurred inside the stadium, it could have killed fans, prompting the question of whether that was Hinrichs' intent all along.
A suicide note apparently has not been found. Hinrichs' father, who had conversations with the FBI, told The Associated Press that his son did not leave a suicide note.
Joel Hinrichs Jr. told the Tulsa World that he knew his son was troubled, but he had no idea he wanted to die.
"I would have been there within whatever the speed limit would allow me to be if I had any inclination that he was this unhappy," the father said from his family's home in Colorado Springs the day after the explosion.
It remains unanswered as to whether Hinrichs could have concocted the explosive device on his own, although there are no indications he acted with others.
Those who knew of him -- from his high school teacher in Colorado Springs to fellow engineering students at OU -- said he was typically a loner who sat by himself in the classroom. He was among the National Merit Scholars whom Boren has attracted to the OU campus.
His father told the Colorado Springs Gazette that at an early age, Hinrichs was fascinated with science. At the time of his death, he was a third-year engineering student at OU.
Boren has said it appears this is an "individual suicide," noting that Hinrichs waited until people were inside the stadium before he took his life.
University officials say they have no record of Hinrichs having a season ticket or purchasing one for the OU-Kansas State game.
OU Vice President of Communications Catherine Bishop added, however, that the university has no way of knowing whether Hinrichs could have purchased a ticket from someone outside the stadium, where many people typ ically sell tickets on game day.
Sloan said the public should note the fact that if Hinrichs did try to get into the stadium, he was stopped.
"If Hinrichs was turned away, that is a positive mark in terms of security awareness," he said.
While Hinrichs' individual actions are still being probed, the Islamic community of Norman is on edge, fearful that this troubling event is somehow linked to Muslims.
"Haven't we learned from the bombing of the Murrah Building (in 1995) in Oklahoma City, when the first reports tried to tie the bombing to a foreigner from the Middle East?" Sloan said. "But that proved to be false.
"It is much too early to render a full judgment," said Sloan, who regrets that some people already are convinced this is a conspiracy.
Hinrichs lived at Parkview Apartments, just a few blocks from the mosque of the Islamic Society of Norman. Also fueling the link to some kind of Middle East terrorism is the fact that Hinrichs' roommate, Fazil Cheema, is from Pakistan. Acquaintances of Cheema's say he is not a practicing Muslim and never attends services at the mosque.
Muslims who attend the mosque also say they are not aware that Hinrichs ever set foot in the mosque.
The quest for the truth, however, has been hindered by the fact that Cheema himself has not made himself available to the media since the incident occurred. He has left the apartment where he lived with Hinrichs, although he is still believed to be in Norman.
Acquaintances say that Hinrichs and his roommate have in common the fact that both could be called loners, and possibly ended up as roommates at Parkview because neither of them had other friends, so they were assigned to live together.
Tariq Alzoubi, a Muslim who has been part of the Islamic community in Norman for several years, said when he found out that the individual who died was white and not Middle Eastern, "I was not happy, but I was relieved. Then the issue came up that his roommate might be Pakistani."
Originally from Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Alzoubi said Muslims have been on edge when something like this happens ever since Sept. 11, 2001.
"Before 9-11, I knew 30 Saudi students at OU; all but two of them left," he said.
"My only concern in all of this is that we stay away from collective punishment for something bad that happened here," he said.
Mick Hinton (405) 528-2465 mick.hinton@tulsaworld.com
"You left out Boren's ties to intelligence."
You're right, I did, didn't I? That's an important point.
Correct me if I'm wrong but he was on the Senate Intelligence Committee and left in 1994. He then joined the University.
I cannot find a soul, not to say there is not one, that will confirm we had surveillance cameras at the stadium except maybe at the Switzer Center where all the OU memorabilia is on display plus the places I mentioned.
My daughter had a CD player stolen last April from her car parked in a parking garage and OU PD told her they are not allowed to have surveillance cameras on campus in the parking garages because student groups and ACLU would be upset. He was not a happy camper. First thing I asked was about surveillance tapes when he called me and he confirmed what she had to say. Only the valuable exhibits have the surveillance cameras.
"This see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil approach by Boren is getting on my nerves."
I couldn't agree with you more.
"I would have been there within whatever the speed limit would allow me to be if I had any inclination that he was this unhappy," the father said from his family's home in Colorado Springs the day after the explosion.
Funny how dad knew his son was not involved with Islam or terrorism, but he didn't have a clue his son was suicidal. Of course, perhaps his son was not suicidal.
Wow...
Really, what the heck is going on here?
Good point.
That line was like throwing red meat to the lions. I know plenty of FRiends believe just the opposite.
Google in why Boren "supposedly" left the Senate in 1994 -- I always thought it was Clinton but got the shock of my life last night.
http://globalresearch.ca.myforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=11044
One of many links on the subject of David Boren that has come to light -- boy do I feel dumb since telling my kids that I didn't think it could be true. Listen to your college students on certain issues -- they are correct. Long but interesting read.
Now I want to know if he recommended OKC for some of the relocated Iraqi Republican Guard from Gulf War I.
"The terrorism expert said the size of the explosion indicates that it was designed to hit more than Hinrichs. He said it seems more than coincidence that this occurred on the Saturday night of a football game."
The above statement was in the article. The author of the article isn't such a hot writer, or he would have linked "terrorism expert" to Sloan's actual name. It appears that who you are talking about is one and the same with the prof being quoted. He is no long at OU - too lucrative to pass up all these gigs downplaying Muslim terrorism and exaggerating the threat from the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.
They are quite a bunch of liars. The press in this country just isn't worth a damn anymore. Haven't been since they covered up Kennedy's assassination.
This is really mind boggling stuff...
I haven't finished it yet. I'd be interested in hearing what your college kids know...e-mail privately if you'd like.
Here you go. I agree - that little unkempt beard is very reminiscent of other white boys taking on Islam as their new religion.
http://www.oudaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/03/4341fe8b294e8
Yikes! The number of unconnected dots just increased by a quantum leap. And I only glanced over the first several paragraphs. That's worth bookmarking.
Yes - the intervening paragraphs (such as the one bemoaning the lack of information from the FBI) between the introduction of the esteemed Doctor's name and the description of his trade obscured the link.
I found double sourcing from other sources last night as well. It was astounding but the puzzle pieces are starting to fit.
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