Posted on 05/11/2002 9:51:36 PM PDT by glorygirl
Ever since the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, critics have contended that more people were involved than Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. A recent federal lawsuit alleges that Iraqi agents also played a role and McVeigh’s former defense attorney claims that prior to the bombing Nichols made contact with international terrorists.
In a special report CBS 11’s Steve Narisi says the trail some investigators are following leads to the Philippines.
“The U.S. Government has contended all along that any link between Nichols and Islamic extremists is strictly coincidental. During Nichols and McVeigh’s trial, the court didn’t allow the theory to be pursued. Now that there is a federal lawsuit alleging conspiracy, the legal system will be obliged to take a hard look at the connection for the first time.
THE TERRORISTS
The possible link between Nichols and terrorists stretches all the way to the Philippines. In this crowded, impoverished country in the early 1990’s, Al-Queda connected terrorists were planning horrific crimes against the United States. During that same time Nichols was a frequent visitor, his last trip coming just before the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Some of the bombing victims are claiming that those terrorists in the Philippines were part of a conspiracy that provided Nichols with the technical expertise to take down the Murrah Building. Lead counsel Michael Johnston of Judicial Watch, a non-profit group, says, “it was relatively common knowledge in the fall of 1994 that there was an enclave of a number of anti-U.S Arabic organizations were meeting and planning, a convention of terrorism in the Philippines.”
Two of those terrorists allegedly met with Nichols. One was Ramzi Youssef, the convicted bomber of the World Trade Center and Abdul Hakim Murad convicted of trying to blow-up U.S. airliners over the South Pacific. Both of these men are now in U.S. prisons. But back in the 90’s, they and others were experimenting with explosives and timers before their cell was exposed and broken up.
NICHOLS IN THE PHILLIPINES
In Cebu City in 1990, Nichols took a 17 year-old bride, Marife Torres. Over the next several years Nichols often would return to the Philippines, sometimes with his wife, sometimes not. Passport records obtained by CBS 11 show that Nichols traveled at least five times to the Islands. It’s unclear how many visits were actually made, an FBI copy of his passport is missing ten pages. But the final trip was in November of 1994 and lasted two months. His journey began when Islamic terrorists were most active and ended when they were exposed.
Once Nichols returned home there was a flurry of calls back to the Philippines. Many were to pay phones and untraceable numbers often made in the middle of the Filipino night.
THE WITNESS
There is at least one witness who connects Nichols to Islamic terrorists active in the Philippines…a shadowy character named Edwin Angeles. He was a double-agent who infiltrated terrorist groups for the Philippine government.
Angeles was once a member of Abu Sayyef, a local Muslim group responsible for kidnappings, murders, and bombings. But, later he suddenly switched sides and surfaced as a star witness for the government. Philippine authorities trusted him so much, they presented Angeles at this news conference and credited him with unmasking native and foreign terrorists.
Timothy McVeigh’s former defense attorney, Stephen Jones says his investigators interviewed Angeles a year after that news conference. He says Angeles described meeting with a man fitting Nichols description and referred to him as “the farmer”. Angeles went on to describe Nichols as an American, from the Midwest. Jones went on to say that Angeles, “ drew a sketch that resembled Nichols but with his hair being a different color. We were satisfied it was the same person, and he said he saw Nichols meeting with Ramzi Youssef, gave us the location, and described two other people present, one of those being Abdul Murad.”
Jones says the topic of the meeting was explosives, “they were talking about bombs and explosives and Nichols was seeking bombs and advice.”
Documents obtained from Judicial Watch shows that the Philippine Bureau of Immigration investigated Nichols Island connections. A report describes a meeting with terrorists from Pakistan, Iran, and the local terrorist group, Abu Sayyef. Immigration officials involved with report now refused to discuss it. As for Angeles he’s no longer alive. After a falling out with the government he was tried on kidnapping and murder charges and acquitted. Three years ago he was gunned down while leaving a mosque. The murder is still unsolved.
In an apparent about-face, the Philippine National Police are distancing themselves from Angeles. Col. Rudolpho Mendoza helped investigate the terrorist cell, “we don’t believe that to be true. In the case of Terry Nichols and Ramzi Youssef doing some cooperation…it is a big question.”
The questions posed in the Philippines are now to be answered in the U.S. Courts.
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