CONSPIRACY: The Okla. City-Sept. 11 Connection

Philadelphia News ^ | Oct. 03, 2002 | Michael Smerconish

[aculeus]

I'M NOT A conspiracy guy. I think Oswald killed Kennedy, and that he acted alone. And, like all Americans, I figured that the tragic bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was the work of two sick ex-Army guys, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.

Now I'm not so sure.

Last night, my radio station, the Big Talker 1210, brought three speakers to town for a remarkable presentation: Jayna Davis, a reporter from Oklahoma City; Larry Johnson, ex-deputy director of the State Department's office of counterterrorism, and Patrick Lang, Mideast expert formerly of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

In a spellbinding presentation, they made the case for a connection between Mideast terrorism, the Murrah bombing - and the attacks on the Twin Towers.

Now I know why former CIA Director James Woolsey has been quoted as saying that when the full truth is known about these acts of terrorism, the nation will owe Davis "a debt of gratitude."

Why her name is not already a household word is the greatest mystery of all. Just this week, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that U.S. intelligence has "bulletproof" evidence of links between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Rumsfeld didn't offer specifics. But here is what we know from the work of Davis.

When the Murrah bombing occurred at 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, Davis was a reporter for the NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City. She was among the first journalists to broadcast that an enormous truck bomb had rocked the heartland, killing 168 and injuring hundreds.

In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, the FBI launched an international pursuit of several Middle Eastern-looking men seen fleeing the Murrah Building in a brown Chevy pickup right before the blast. Without explanation, that all-points bulletin was later canceled. Two days later, Timothy McVeigh was a household name. So was Terry Nichols.

And that's where most of us left the tale. Stunned, but convinced that two Army buddies, homegrown terrorists, acted alone.

Thankfully, Davis didn't close this book as quickly as most of us did. She pursued the APB and set off to track reports of multiple sightings of McVeigh with an elusive dark-haired accomplice. The infamous sketch of John Doe No. 2 was always tucked firmly in her grip.

Davis soon uncovered that several employees at an Oklahoma City property- management company said they had seen a brown Chevy truck like the getaway vehicle aggressively pursued by law enforcement parked outside their office in the days before the bombing. The company's owner was a Palestinian with a rap sheet and suspected ties to the PLO.

Davis learned that, six months before the bombing, the Palestinian hired a handful of ex-Iraqi soldiers to do maintenance at his rental houses. Eyewitnesses told Davis that they celebrated the bombing.

She was also made aware that these same men were absent from work on April 17, 1995, the day McVeigh rented the Ryder truck that carried the bomb.

While pursuing the story of these Middle Eastern men, Davis also became aware of another ex-Iraqi soldier in Oklahoma City named Hussain Hashem Al-Hussaini. She was taken aback to see that Al-Hussaini's picture, when overlaid with the government sketch of John Doe No. 2, was arguably a perfect match. He even sported a tattoo on his upper left arm indicating that he likely had served in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard.

Davis then set about looking for a connection to McVeigh, Nichols, Al-Hussaini and other Iraqis. It came when a colleague located two eyewitnesses who claimed to have independently seen Al-Hussaini drinking beer with McVeigh in an Oklahoma City nightclub just four days before the bombing.

This convinced her station to run with the Iraqi-connection story. It was met with some controversy.

The Justice Department responded that the identification of John Doe No. 2 was merely a case of mistaken identity. Al-Hussaini contacted local reporters, claiming to be falsely accused. Davis did not back off because she believed she could repudiate Al-Hussaini's alibi.

AND SHE LOCATED two dozen witnesses who identified eight specific Middle Eastern men, the majority of whom were ex-Iraqi soldiers, who were seen with McVeigh and Nichols. Two witnesses named Al-Hussaini as the dark-haired, olive-skinned man they observed one block from the Murrah Building just before daybreak on the day of the blast.

She also uncovered evidence that implicated several of Al-Hussaini's co-workers. One of these men was identified as sitting in the driver's seat of a Chevy pickup at an Oklahoma City apartment complex hours before the truck was abandoned on the lot and towed to the FBI command post. According to police records, the truck had been stripped of its vehicle identification numbers and identifying body molding.

The story gathered steam. Here, it would appear, was the deserted pickup that was the same vehicle that was seen speeding away from the vicinity of the Murrah building with two Arab-looking occupants.

And there was more. Five witnesses independently fingered several of Al-Hussaini's associates as frequent visitors to an Oklahoma City motel in the months, days, and hours leading up to 9:02 a.m. on April 19. On numerous occasions, the subjects were seen in the company of McVeigh, and during a few instances, associating with Nichols - at the same motel!

Davis spoke to the motel owner and a maintenance worker who said the men came within feet of a large Ryder truck parked on the west side of the parking lot at 7:40 a.m. on April 19. An unexplained odor of diesel fuel emanated from the rear carriage. Minutes later, McVeigh entered the motel office and returned the room key. The motel owner then saw McVeigh drive off the lot with a man identified as Al-Hussaini.

To this day, the Justice Department has refused to return the original registration logs for the motel.

Davis has 80 pages of affidavits and 2,000 supporting documents, and they suggest not only an Iraqi connection to the Murrah bombing, but also to the attacks against the Twin Towers.

For example, Nichols was a man of modest means. Yet he traveled frequently to the Philippines. Davis discovered that Nichols was there, in Cebu City in December 1994, at the same time as the convicted mastermind of the first World Trade Center attack, Ramzi Yousef.

She has also found evidence that Islamic terrorists boasted of having recruited two "lily whites" for terrorism.

Al-Hussaini had a very American response to Davis' investigation. He sued for defamation. In a ruling on Nov. 17, 1999, federal Judge Timothy Leonard dismissed the case.

In 1995, the federal grand jury proclaimed in the official indictment that McVeigh and Nichols acted with "others unknown." And several members of the Denver juries who convicted the two said publicly that they thought they had help.

Since 1997, Davis has repeatedly tried to interest the FBI in her investigation. She has been rebuffed.

As for Al-Hussaini, after leaving Oklahoma City, he went on to work at Boston's Logan International Airport, the point of origin for several for the 9/11 hijackers, including Mohammad Atta.

One more thing. That motel where McVeigh, Nichols and Al-Hussaini were seen together was later visited (pre-9/11) by Atta, Zacharias Moussaouy and Marwan Al-Shehi.

Michael Smerconish's column appears Thursdays. E-mail mas@mastalk.com.

© 2001 philly and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.

[glorygirl]

"Speaking of FedShills -- is _Jim still around?"

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's bad enough already. Why can't we just act like adults and have a DISCUSSION?:^)

Just to throw in my two cents (like it's never happned before) -- for all the criticism we take about being "tinfoilers", obsessed, etc. etc.

Imagine what it would be like to be someone whose biggest charge of the day is disrupting threads on FR. I mean, this is REALLY sad.

The sadder part, though is,as a result FR could might a "mini-me" of AOL -- monitors on every thread, private groups, blocking participants, invitation-only discussions, I guess. Then, we KNOW it's too late.

Too bad we can't have a federal bureau of Free Republic to intervene somehow before this occurs!

[Lion's Cub]

Thanks for the ping, but I doubt very seriously if this is really going anywhere. This and TWA 800, and a few others have been covered up because the government chose to look the other way. This ME terrorism on American soil has been going on for many years. September 11 would have been covered up, too, if it had been possible.

Should the government decide to reveal the Iraq connection, it will be interesting to see how Ashcroft covers the coverup. I suppose they will suddenly find more "misplaced" documents.

It's too bad that OKCSubmarineer, who wrote of these things for years and fought so hard to get all of this out, was banned from FR and isn't here to see his efforts vindicated.

[honway]

For all of you who believe Oliver Stone's depiction of Specter being "crazy" -- he is crazy like a fox.

If he takes up this issue in a serious way now, there is a reason for it.

I agee 100% with your assessment. I do not believe Specter would publicize the Middle Eastern connection to the OKC bombing without an OK from the White House. A turning point may have been when Bill Clinton went to England to criticize President Bush. It is possible that the Bush Administration no longer sees protecting the Clinton Administration from public exposure of the cover up as a priority.

[honway]

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is wanted for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy plot, based in Manila, The Philippines, to bomb commercial United States airliners flying routes to the United States from Southeast Asia in January of 1995. He was indicted in the Southern District of New York in January of 1996.

Thanks for this information. Terry Nichols was in the Philippines in January of 1995 and affadavits place Nichols in meetings with Khalid's organization. After the fire in Yousef's apartment which exposed the plot descibed above, Nichols and the rest of the terrorists, including Yousef fled the Philippines.

[honway]

It is very likely that next week the Fox News Channel will interview David Schippers and he will share with the viewers that he has an affidavit from a government official stating that the official has viewed a surveillance videotape from the vicinity of the Murrah Building and the tape records two people in the Ryder truck.

Ironically, one of the first internet sites with this information was Freerepublic two days ago, however Jim Robinson pulled the thread because it was an article by Pat Briley.

[VaBthang4]

"Hey VaB, you are not alone in this thread when it comes to crazy freepers trying to start silly arguments (i have seen the posts where you got attacked for pinging people)! There are 2 fellas who somehow took some questions i asked in the wrong way. Strangely other freepers answered my questions very well, however these two fellas act like i defecated in their temple and slaughtered their holy cow!"

Here's the problem as I see it...

You have a subject that may or may not be credible....OKC linked to Saddam...

You have honest people who watch from a distance and wait for the case to be made and for obvious questions to be answered.

The problem is the "contrarianites".

Not exclusive to the OKC Saddam link...the Contrarianites flow to anything with a hint of backroom machination or conspiracy.

They come with alot of bluster and passion but when you ask legitimate questions...they percieve the questions as attacks on their identity [which they have firmly rooted in contrarianism]. When you ask for links to stories or sources of information [like any reasonable person does] you are immediately indentified as another dupe or member of the Worldwide Whatever Conspiracy Of The Week.

I read this article....pinged some people to it because I really think it is interesting...and I was immediately accosted by another poster who has had several threads pulled [relating to this subject] because he doesnt provide links to the stories when he posts them. Of course his threads being pulled have nothing to do with his inability to follow simple posting guidelines...no...Jim Robinson is on the Federal Government take [sense the Contrarianism creeping in?].

If I ask a question about a source or link, I too am a member of the kool aid crowd. If you raise legitimate questions, you too are a member of the kool aid crowd. Questioning their questioning is not tolerated. There is only one layer of questions allowed on a particular subject....after that anyone posing questions is a member of the CFR & Worldbank.

So...if that is the route they take, I go with'em. Yeah it destroys a thread but eventually they'll figure it out and stop attacking people for asking questions. It is almost exactly like the situation that arose with the "5" being posted. Everytime you backed the President's play...you got personally attacked....so we started dropping "5" on every thread the Contrarianites came up with...they originally chose to attack everyone who supported going to War with Iraq so we started mocking them with the #5...they got very pissed about it, ranted and raved, went to other sites and complained...but you see they changed their ways didnt they?

...it is unfortunate but it is how it has to be with Contrarianites.

They are like Liberals in how they operate and orientate themselves with others...you have to completely destroy what they are trying to build before they stop and consider their own actions. It'll get rough but dont stop...they will quit.

I saw your [Spetznaz] questions...they are legitimate. What happened? You got attacked.
This is how they operate. I choose not to play their game...when they attack, mock them.

Mock them again and again until they puke and scream for someone to come along and do something about it. Mock them when it is unsolicited. Mock them everytime you see one of their posts.

That is the only way to orientate yourself towards these people. They will figure it out...and maybe in a month or year or two we can all have decent conversations again.

Sad but true.

[rwfromkansas]

a bump to read and also to remember what happened to OKCSubmariner.

[VaBthang4]

"however Jim Robinson pulled the thread because it was an article by Pat Briley."

I thought I was the one who pulled your thread? Make up your mind.

The thread was jacked because it had no link to the article.

Stop making excuses for your own inability to follow simple directions.

[VaBthang4]

"Since when did you become interested in the OKC bombing conspiracy?"

I am not interested in the OKC Conspracy....I am interested in the truth. Like every other decent American.

"People will help you if you let them."

Old Man you can save your condescension. Help is not what is required. Factual responses to questions asked are....not personal attacks by dimwits and rebukes by ignorant old men trying to shore up the ranks.

Dont help me....help the Nation by posting facts and saving the supposition, inuendo and word parsing for some other website.

[VaBthang4]

"When it comes to argumentative debate I would rather stick to familiar territory eg Sukhois (lol)."

LOL

[Vigilantcitizen]

"honway, I feel like you do about OKCSub's departure from FR. Very saddened and disappointed."

Same here.

[VaBthang4]

"You gave an instant insight into your method by posting a comment to one which was pulled and using it to ping the site owner and the person who was with you when the other thread on the subject was hassled off the site."

Dude how big of a Loser are you? You have no idea about what you are discussing but you keep on typing away.

1. Honway attacked me for actually pinging people to this thread.
2. Honway accused me of having something pulled. I am not a member of the FR staff. I cant have anything "pulled". It was an asinine statement and you have chosen to to try and support the person making it.
3. I pinged JR to it because "he" is the person who pulled idiotboy's thread, not me [Something Honway now admits].

Now you can whine and cry all you want but it dont make a hill of beans to me...if you dont like it....logoff. I promise you, the Sun will rise in my World tomorrow morning.

"Go swoon on the daily dose threads with the other girls."

I dont understand that sentence. Do you have a problem with other threads or with girls?

"Trying to get everyone banned but you and your pals is a job for the bait and snitch squad."

Am I sensing some sort of bitter projection going on here?

Have all your "contrarianite" buddies been banned so you wanna go after someone for it? Go away Loser. Head over the the License Forum for some real conversation....LOL!

I'd challenge you to provide the proof that I have hit the abuse button once since joining FR.

[baseballmom]

Thanks, glorygirl. Yes I would like to be added to the OKC ping list.

And please add Pettifogger, who has also asked to be included on any OKC ping list.

Thanks.

[rwfromkansas]

I do not usually do this, but I would really appreciate it if EVERYONE on this thread would reply to Jim Robinson and the Admin Moderator to have OKCSubmariner reinstated. If enough people do so, it could have an impact.

[The Great Satan]

I didn't catch what OKCSubMariner was banned for, but I will say that he appears to have been way ahead of the curve on this story. We need people like that.

[rdb3]

The problem is the "contrarianites".

Contrarianites. I diggin' that term!

[rwfromkansas]

I finally saw the thread that caused his banning. I do not like what he said in the thread, but from what I remember of what Rivero alleged, it was nothing compared to Rivero. It would not have resulted in a banning by me.

At least I can still go to Liberty Post and read Briley's work there. FR is my home for conservative forums, but I will have to go elsewhere for his posts.

[Kevin Curry]

I didn't catch what OKCSubMariner was banned for, but I will say that he appears to have been way ahead of the curve on this story . . .

Way ahead of the curve and around the bend.

[PsyOp]

"2) Secondly (and possibly by far more important) when GW came into office, and this informationw as true, why did he not immediately do something about it? If there was verifiable proof that Iraq took part in the OKC bombing i think there would not even be talk of war ....it would be war instantaneous! And if GW had this information his call for taking care of Iraq would not have calls for 'international unity' or a strive to develop cohesion in the UN before an attack. He would strike Iraq. Furthermore his push for war would be made extremely easy if this info was to be given."

First of all, suppression of evidence linking McVeigh to Iraqi or other middle-east terrorists would have been handled by only a few individuals, probably on direct orders of Reno from the pres. Later, they would have a vested interest in denying any such involvement and keeping others from making the connection.

When and if the Bush administration found out about such a cover-up the question then becomes what to do about it. The FBI's reputation was already on the ropes for numerous Clinton scandals and Reno's well -known interference with the justice department on her boss' behalf. To have exposed this publicly would have obliterated any public confidence remaining in the FBI and the Justice department at a time when the Bush administration was trying to rehab that institution. I light of what happened on 9/11, a discredtied FBI then becomes a liability rather than an asset in the war on terrorism.

Therefore, from a political and practical standpoint, it is better to deal with these matters internally, as quietly as possible, in order to make sure they don't happen again - rather than publically air the dirty Clinton laundry and compromise the FBI's ability to do its job.

Especially when the wrong-doing was probably limited to a handfull of investigators loyal to Reno and Clinton and not representative of the Agency as a whole.

[Fred Mertz]

You need to get rid of that chip off your shoulder. Need help?