Sorry, but the beard gives this little jihadi-wannabe's game away.
Posted on 07/16/2006 9:04:08 AM PDT by MizSterious
OU death not linked to terrorism
By Nolan Clay
The FBI concluded a University of Oklahoma student who blew himself up last year on campus was not a terrorist, the top agent in Oklahoma says.
"We have no evidence he had a social or political agenda that he was trying to bring attention to," said Salvador Hernandez, the FBI's special agent in charge in Oklahoma.
"We don't consider this terrorism the way we define it," he said. "There would have to be a cause."
Joel "Joe" Henry Hinrichs III, an engineering student, died Oct. 1 when his bomb went off at a campus bench a short distance from an OU night football game.
Fans inside the packed stadium heard the blast during the second quarter of OU's game against Kansas State.
Hernandez spoke about the investigation to the media for the first time last week as he prepares to end his two-year stint in Oklahoma. He has been promoted to a new position with the FBI in Washington.
He disclosed the FBI interviewed more than 200 people during the bombing investigation but never found any evidence that Hinrichs had extremist views or ties to extremist groups.
Hernandez would not speculate whether the student intentionally set off the bomb on the bench as a suicide or if he also had intended to harm others and the bomb went off prematurely.
"None of us can know what was going on in his head," Hernandez told The Oklahoman.
Hernandez described Hinrichs, 21, as a loner who had a longtime interest in explosives.
Hinrichs, who was from Colorado Springs, Colo., was very bright, but his grades had slipped at OU, the agent said. Hinrichs belonged to the Triangle Fraternity, an organization of engineers, but just didn't seem to fit in, the agent said.
Hernandez said agents did not find any conclusive evidence Hinrichs tried to enter the stadium. They found no evidence he bought or tried to buy a football ticket, Hernandez said.
The top agent also said two ticket-takers who saw Hinrichs' photo in the media thought they might have seen him outside the stadium but they could not provide descriptive information when interviewed.
Agents viewed hours and hours of tapes from stadium security cameras but never spotted Hinrichs, Hernandez said.
Agents also turned up no evidence Hinrichs ever went to the mosque near his apartment, Hernandez said.
He said fellow students knew Hinrichs was interested in and had experimented with bombs and they should have reported it to law enforcement.
"People should be more vigilant or more responsible and bring this stuff forward," he said.
Officials said earlier that Hinrichs built the bomb from hydrogen peroxide and acetone. The explosive is known as triacetone triperoxide or TATP.
In the interview with The Oklahoman, Hernandez revealed these new details about the bombing:
Using receipts, agents determined Hinrichs bought the bomb ingredients from local retail stores a few days before. One store had a video camera and agents reviewed the tape from it. Hinrichs was alone.
Agents could not reconstruct much of what Hinrichs did the day of the bombing, a Saturday. They believe he was on the Internet in the morning. They believe about 6:15 p.m. he typed, "None of you are worth living with. You can all kiss my ass," on his apartment computer. They believe he then walked to where he died. The bomb went off about 7:30 p.m.
Hinrichs made a final payment on handlebars for his mountain bike a few days before the bombing.
Hinrichs apparently was carrying the TATP around in a plastic container and could have accidentally set the volatile bomb off by simply opening the container.
The bomb did not go off in Hinrichs' backpack.
FBI agents interviewed some witnesses who live in Europe and had dealt with Hinrichs on eBay, the Internet auction site.
Do you think they believe what they're saying?
They sure made a lot of changes at the stadium after this--considering it was a "simple suicide" and all. This statement just floors me. And he gets a promotion.
That explains it, then. :)
I sure don't. I think Dave Boren and others from OU (pretty powerful, politically) got them to shut this up to keep students and donations coming to OU. (Who wants to send their kids to a terrorist nest? Yet, despite putting lipstick on this particular pig, that's exactly what it is, has been, and will likely continue to be the way things are looking.)
I'm also wondering about the building that blew up in NYC last week. It could have been a guy killing himself, but blowing up a four story building is a pretty extreme form of suicide. I don't have any evidence to the contrary, but I sure don't trust reports from government officials.
Interesting -- I'll bet that's the exactly correct assessment of why they're saying this too, Miz.
Pure speculation... Still you have to wonder.... Klintoons motives were reaaallly shallow.... Bushs are much harder to read.
Remember also the shoe bomber. At first they tried to paint him as a mostly harmless nut, and tried to say the shoe bomb would have done no serious damage. But it didn't work because a lot of people knew the bomb could have done some real harm.
The building in NYC was, I think, a genuine suicide nut case. The perp died overnight, I think. A terrorist would have likely done something that would have harmed more civilians--they like to hurt women and children, brave he-men that they are...
No. Nobody allowed in public without an escort is that stupid.
Di I need to post the "Shut Up Be Happy" song again. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
Well, except Cindy Sheehan....
That's what they always say. I say BS!
Our government is insulting our intelligence.
Just like: "Lets just keep the Southern Border open even though Hezbolla has entered through it..nothing to see here..move along.."
"What's the motivation of the FiBIrs? What and who are they protecting?".....
their butts. You see, in Washington if you screw the pooch publically, the sh%tstorm that hits Capitol Hill from flyover country brings Congressional investigations...etc..etc.
They might also be just the teensiest bit afraid that we would be wakened and filled with a terrible resolve...
She travels with her handlers...
More of the same baloney and we all know it.
Lots of muslim terrorist links are being swept under the carpet. Why do we do this? Is it because we're afraid that the people who are trying to kill us might get angry?
L
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