Richard Clarke's Suspicions of Al Qaeda Involvement in OKC Bombing (Book Excerpt)

Against All enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, (New York: Free Press, 2004) | 2004 | Richard A. Clarke

[Wallaby]

"Another Conspiracy Theory intrigued me because I could never disprove it. The theory seemed unlikely on its face: Ramzi Yousef or Khalid Sheik Muhammad had taught Terry Nichols how to blow up the Oklahoma Federal Building. The problem was that, upon investigation, we established that both Ramzi Yousef and Nichols had been in the city of Cebu on the same days. I had been to Cebu years earlier; it is on an island in the central Philippines. It was a town in which word could have spread that a local girl was bringing her American boy friend home and that the American hated the U.S. government.

Yousef and Khalid Sheik Muhammad had gone there to help create an al Qaeda spinoff, a Philippine affiliate chapter, named after a hero of the Afghan war against the Soviets, Abu Sayaff. Could the al Qaeda explosives expert have been introduced to the angry American who proclaimed his hatred for the U.S. Government? We do not know, despite some FBI investigation. We do know that Nichols's bombs did not work before his Philippine stay and were deadly when he returned. We also know that Nichols continued to call Cebu long after his wife returned to the United States. The final coincidence is that several al Qaeda operatives had attended a radical Islamic conference a few years earliler in, of all places, Oklahoma City.

(Against All Enemies, p. 127.)

[Wallaby]

Mr. Clarke: If your suspicions are correct, if the "mastermind" of September 11 was also behind the Oklahoma City bombing, would your apologies to the families of the 9-11 victims be extended to cover the families of those killed in the Oklahoma Federal Building?

[JohnHuang2]

Great post.

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[ottothedog]

I completely believe that could be an Iraq connection to OK City bombing. McVeigh was a disgruntled Gulf War I vet. I also think that Saddam would use any mechanism possible to hit the U.S. after his defeat in Gulf War I.

[epluribus_2]

our government failed you. Oh yes, that would be when the rats were in power.

[Oberon]

I still have to wonder. There was a staffed ATF office in the Murrah Federal Building; but for some reason, not one of the ATF employees showed up to work the morning of the bombing.

[PhiKapMom]

Where was he when Clinton declared this domestic terrorism? Why didn't he come out then? Mr. Clarke is a self-serving fool like Robert McNamara IMO!

That said -- I have thought all along that Saddam was involved in Al Qaeda and OKC Bombing. Saddam was involved with all the terrorists in that part of the world and gave safe haven to them along with money.

[Frank_Discussion]

Ditto, and might I add: If Clarke can publish this now, why couldn't he have brought this concern to light sooner? The guy is a regular snake in the grass.

[american spirit]

It's also interesting to note that after Desert Storm our benevolent fedgov relocated ex-Iraqui soldiers and families to the OKC area. It should've been obvious even to the fedgov morons that these people most likely were less than thrilled to be re-located to the country that caused so much death and destruction to their homeland......could've been a real hotbed for anti-American factions. Still wondering how Judge Wayne Alley was tipped off not to come to work that day in the Murrah building.

[LS]

"not one of the ATF employees showed up for work"

How about some documentation---and not from Terry Nichols' brother, but from a federal source? Sounds to me like an urban legend, like "no Jews were in the WTC on 9/11."

[philosofy123]

I just started to read this book. It is a fantastic reading for political junkies. There are lots of things that never make the news for the average guy to know. If you like to get to more depth, you need to watch C-Span, and read these kinds of insider tell all books. Granted some times there are hidden agenda in these books, but a smart reader can detect that, and go to the meet of the subject.

[ottothedog]

I have to admit that I don't know a lot about it, but it seems to me that the law enforcement types shut down avenues of investigation based on their preconcieved notions. For instance, they refuse to consider that the anthrax attacks were perpetrated by islamofascists. During the Klinton years they definitely seemed focused on these "right wing" extremist groups. What I find interesting is that all terror groups seem to have ties with the al Qaeda types.

[M. Dodge Thomas]

Here's the Intelwire summary of the evidence for a link:

http://www.intelwire.com/nichols022004.html

It would be an Asian /al Qaeda link though, not a Middle Eastern / Iraqi link.

It's also a good example of what a *lot* of the connections US intelligence would have been analyzing prior to 9/11 looked like: highly suggestive, but short of actionable.

[Sacajaweau]

But Bubba had the last word: "Discount any connection with Iraq or terrorists....and get out of here! Can't you see I'm busy!"...as he chomped on a cigar and looked for his contact lense under his desk. (Sarcasm) Duh

[PatriotCJC]

This is a theory that is gaining credibility

1) Al Qaeda or Saddam or some combination there of assisted in the OKC bombing.

2) Clinton and Janet Reno got the proof but was squashed. The implication was to great to be made public. If it was made public Clinton would have had no choice but for a true war against terrorism as we are doing today.

3) Ramzi Yousef took refuge in Iraq.

4) Would Terry Nichols or Timothy McVeigh acknowledge the truth? Probably not. In their own sick way they believed they were fighters for their country. They most likely believe that its better to die a martyr for their ilk than to die as a patsy traitor.

4) The bush administration had the truth, but could they make it public? No. If they (the Bush Admin) made it public that the Clinton administration had covered up foreign involvement in an attack on our country, the ramifications could be devastating on the way the executive branch can and could function in the future.

[soozla]

The sketch that was put forth in the very early days of the OKC bombing, of a "John Doe" who was seen with McVeigh but never captured, is THE SPITTING IMAGE of Jose Padilla!

[MrB]

And these aren't the same guy?

[Mr.Atos]

And while we're at it... IF (per the fringe left moonbat's convenience) you consider Richard Clarke to be remotely credible, then might one consider Iraq to be a legitimate target in the war on Terror. I mean, it is a little hard to make the case that Iraq "posed no threat to the US" nor "ever attacked the US" when there is credible suspicion that Iraqi agents helped mastermind one of two horrendous acts of terrorist mass homicide and destruction on US soil... and perhaps both.

Atos

[Mr.Atos]

Whoa! Can your source that image for me? Is this part of Carlson's (?) investigation?

[Mr.Atos]

Oops disregard. I missed the link on #13. Reviewing now. Interesting! THX!