The June 24 interview lasted a little over an hour, and the questioning was limited to issues outside the bombing evidence. McVeigh spoke with pride about his Army record, denied speculation that his parents' divorce had ruined his life, and also denied allegations that he had belonged to a militia group in Michigan.and - Oklahoma Jones maintains his 'fantasy' about a 'conspiracy' in direct contradiction to McVeigh's revelations ...Despite all the restrictions on the interview, Hackworth did manage to become the first journalist to ask McVeigh, point-blank and on-record, whether he bombed the Murrah Building.
"This is the question that everyone wants to know: did you do it?" Hackworth asked.
"The only way we can really answer that is we are going to plead not guilty," McVeigh said.
Hackworth pressed the issue.
"But you've got a chance right now to say, 'Hell, no!'" he said.
"We can't do that," McVeigh said.
"And if he says, 'Hell, no!' " Jones interjected, "the government isn't going to just say, 'Well, okay, that settles that.' "
It turned MeVeighs stomach to dodge Hackworth's question [McVeigh wanted to confess he did it himself]. It was just another missed opportunity to tell his story, to get his message out. But McVeigh kept his silence, much to his frustration.
The feds hadn't come up with any evidence of a wide-ranging conspiracy, but that did not stop the lawyer McVeigh sarcastically called "Sherlock Jones" from searching for one.Jones was convinced that federal agents hadn't done enough to explore Elohim City, the white separatist group whose members lived in trailers in northern Oklahoma. Jones learned that Carol Howe, a former undercover informant for the ATF, told the feds that two men who frequented Elohim City had talked about bombing a federal building.
Jones alleged the two men - Dennis Mahon, a former KKK leader, from Tulsa, and Andreas Strassmeir, a German citizen whose grandfather helped form the original Nazi party - had had something to do with the bombing. But McVeigh denied the story. Yes, he admitted, he had met Strassmeir at a gun show in Tulsa; he had traded him a pair of military long underwear for a dagger. They had even discussed some political issues. But Strassmeir had no role in the bombing, and neither did Mahon, whom McVeigh said he'd never met.
Jones and the defense team maintained their skepticism about McVeigh's claims, especially after they gave McVeigh a polygraph test to examine the truthfulness of his statements about the crime.
The polygraph examiner found that "McVeigh was being truthful" ...
The Kansas City Star October 28, 1995 Section: NATIONAL/WORLD Edition: METROPOLITAN Page: A4
Camera saw figure in bomb truck
Oklahoma City video is unclear, but it may show John Doe No. 2.
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY - Videotape from a surveillance camera captured a glimpse of a shadowy figure in the passenger seat of a bomb-laden Ryder truck minutes before it blew apart the federal building, a federal law enforcement source says.
The footage is not clear enough to identify anyone, but it adds to the body of evidence that a third figure - perhaps the long-sought John Doe No. 2 - took part in the attack with two other persons, the source said.
``There's a shape in there, but they can't see a face,'' the source said of footage, which was taken by a camera on a nearby apartment building. The camera picked up the shadowy passenger about three minutes before the bomb went off April 19 at the Murrah Federal Building.
The government says Timothy McVeigh drove to Oklahoma City in the truck, parked it in front of the federal building and made his getaway in a yellow Mercury Marquis. But prosecutors have given no indication that Terry Nichols, also charged in the case, was in Oklahoma City the day of the bombing.
Although a federal grand jury indicted only McVeigh and Nichols on murder and conspiracy charges, agents scoured the country for a third conspirator, known only as John Doe No. 2, who was portrayed in sketches distributed shortly after the blast.
Authorities later said that an innocent Army private resembled the sketches. But the drawings were never withdrawn. Moreover, the indictment accuses McVeigh and Nichols of acting with ``others unknown,'' and agents were still hunting for other conspirators.
A call Friday to Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Mullins, a spokesman for the prosecution team, was not returned immediately.
Prosecutors repeatedly refused to discuss surveillance tape or other evidence in the case.
McVeigh's lawyer, Stephen Jones, said he had not seen the tape and could not comment.
A senior federal official in Washington said recently that agents currently searching did not expect to turn up another key player in the plot.
The law enforcement source, however, said many investigators remained convinced that John Doe No. 2 was still at large.
McVeigh and Nichols go on trial May 17.
A clear conscience may start with a call by you to your buddies at DOJ demanding a release of the videotape of the Ryder truck described in the AP article.
AFFIDAVTIT
I, HENRY C. GIBBONS, being duly sworn, do hereby state that I am an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, having been so employed for 26 years and as such am vested with the authority to investigate violations of federal laws, including Title 18, United States Code.
Further, the Affiant states as follows:
1. The following information has been received by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 19-20, 1995.
2. On April 15, 1995, a powerful explosive device detonated in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at approximately 9:00 a.m.
3. On April 19, 1995, a Special Agent of the FBI received information that a witness near the scene of the explosion saw to individuals running from the area of the Federal Building toward a brown Chevrolet truck prior to the explosion. The individuals were described as males, of possible Middle Eastern descent, approximately 6 feet tall, with athletic builds . One of the persons was further described as approximately 25-28 years old, having dark hair and a beard. The. second person was described as approximately 35-38 years old, with dark hair and a dark beard with gray in it. The second person was further described as wearing jogging pants, a black shirt and a black jogging jacket. A third person, not further identified, was believed to be in the brown Chevrolet truck.
4. At approximately 10;O a.m. on April 19, l995, an American Airlines flight left Oklahoma City en route to Chicago, Illinois. Aboard that flight was Abraham Abdallah Ahmed. Ahmed was scheduled to fly from Chicago to Rome, Italy and finally to Jordan.
5. American Airlines personnel-in Oklahoma City observed Ahmed prior to the flight and thought he was "acting nervous." They called the American Airlines national security office in Dallas, Texas, who in turned notified the Chicago office of the FBI.
6. Ahmed was interviewed by FBI Agent Chuck Miller upon his arrival in Chicago at about 12:30 p.m. Ahmed stated that he was travelling to Jordan to discuss his father's planned marriage. He also advised that he was born in Jordan but, was a naturalized United States citizen. He also said he was not scheduled to return to the United States until July 1595. Ahmed was observed to be approximately 5' 8" tall, weighing approximately 140 pounds, and wearing a moustache. His date of birth is July is, 1963.
7. The luggage of Ahmed continued on the connecting flight from Chicago to Home, Italy, while Ahmed remained in Chicago. The luggage was searched in Rome by Italian officials who discovered, inter alia: (a) multiple car radios (b) a substantial quantity of shielded and unshielded wire; (c) a small tool kit and other tools, consistent with use for both explosive devices and normal electronic repair or installation; (d) blue jogging pants and a blue jogging jacket with a floral pattern around the neck; (e) black sweatpants; (f) video cassette recorder; and (g) solder.
8. At the conclusion of the interview, Ahmed secured passage on a flight to London, England.
9. On April 20, 1335, British authorities informed the FBI Command Center in Washington, D.C., that they detained Ahmed in London and have determined that he is ineligible far entry into or transit through England and will be returned to the United States. Ahmed is expected to arrive at Washington- Dulles international Airport at 7:25 p.m. on April 20, 1995.
10. Based on the proximity in time of Ahmed's flight from Oklahoma City following the explosion to a destination outside the country, and his possession of multiple car radios, the wire, tool kit and tools, a blue jogging suit and black sweatpants, the testimony of Ahmed is required before a Federal Grand Jury investigating the April 19, 1995 explosion in Oklahoma City.
11. Ahmed's demonstrated intent to leave the country indicates that his testimony cannot be secured through the issuance of a subpoena.
Further your affiant sayeth not.
(signed) HENRY C. GIBBONS Special Agent Federal Bureau of Investigation
That doesn't really mean much does it? Most of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 didn't know what the plan was either. It's called operational security and is a well known and rigidly observed doctrine of ME terrorist groups. Those guys were all dyed in the wool, raised and trained Muslim Fundamentalist operatives and were still completely insulated from operational information they didn't need to know.
Page 259
But the most telling indication was Tim’s “manifesto” to the defense team of November 24,1996. It was handwritten, addressed to “All Attorneys Assigned to U.S. Versus McVeigh,” and it read as follows:
--------------------------------------------------
Defense strategy:
As official notice, let it be known that I do not approve of a trial strategy in which Terry Nichols is attacked, blamed or otherwise implicated in any crimes. Further, I do not approve of pointing the finger of responsibility at anyone else who I know is not responsible or who is in no way deserving of such scrutiny. I have relayed this wish orally for 18 months-not only concerning Terry Nichols, but also addressing the “foreign” investigations and the “neo-Nazi” investigations. My oral requests have been basically ignored for the past 18 months and it is only recently that Judge Matsch has forced the defense into partial compliance with my wish. However, the defense still tries to ignore my wishes-demands where Terry Nichols is concerned.
I will not allow you to coerce me into lowering my moral and ethical values to that of attorneys and lawyers.
So that it is clear, I approve of any general reference to unknown others or cover-ups, but I expressly do not approve of any specific allegation against specific groups or individuals-unless those groups or individuals are clearly approved by me in writing.(The only person or groups that I currently give permission to attack is Roger Moore.) For further explanation of my feelings, see the letter I wrote to Jeralyn Merrit with attached 4 x 6 Post-its which I delivered to Bob Wyatt on October 30,1996. Attached to this letter was a request for general circulation and comment, but it also has been ignored.
(signed)
Tim McVeigh
November 24, 1996
Jones continues on page 259:
In other words, we were now restricted from raising the possibility of anybody else involved, unless Tim gave us permission in writing, and the only person he was authorizing was Roger Moore, against whom he nursed a grievance but who, from everything we knew, hadn’t been involved in the bombing!”
More disinformation.
From "Others Unknown" p.123
From the polygragh administrator's report:
Tim Domgard:
"After a short pause, I reaffirmed the statement advising McVeigh that there's absolutely no doubt in my mind he's attempting to keep someone's identity, who is involved in this situation, from me."