Nichols responds to 'Third Terrorist' evidence
Congressman discusses Mideast connection with convicted bomber
June 30, 2005
After a meeting with convicted Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols, a
U.S. congressman reaffirmed evidence of a Middle East connection to
the 1995 attack.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. – who has publicly vowed to address
unanswered questions about the bombing – went with a staff aid to the
super-maximum security prison in Florence, Colo., where Nichols is
serving 161 consecutive life sentences, according to the Northeast
Intelligence Network, a private, counter-terrorist research and
investigation group.
In his quizzing of Nichols, the congressman relied heavily on the
investigative work of journalist Jayna Davis and her book, "The Third
Terrorist: The Middle Eastern Connection to the Oklahoma City
Bombing," published by WND Books.
Davis asserts Nichols and Timothy McVeigh were not the lone
conspirators but were part of a greater scheme involving Islamic
terrorists and at least one provable link to Iraq.
As WorldNetDaily reported, Rohrabacher has said he is "deeply
disturbed" that the FBI did not follow up on affidavits Davis turned
over to the bureau from 22 witnesses supporting evidence that Iraqi
intelligence agents infiltrated the United States to recruit and
assist McVeigh and Nichols.
Davis spoke with Rohrabacher after his visit with Nichols and gave a
tape of her conversation to Northeast Intelligence Network Director
Douglas Hagmann.
The congressman told Davis: "Yours is the only game in town that has
any evidence."
Nichols acknowledged the existence of John Doe No. 2 – the alleged
third terrorist – but stopped short of identifying him, claiming he
"did not want to speculate."
However, according to Rohrabacher, Nichols said "he thought other
people [beyond Nichols and Timothy McVeigh] were involved" in the
Oklahoma City bombing.
"Timothy McVeigh on a number of occasions, had talked about Middle
Easterners," Rohrabacher told Davis. "Terry didn't say anything that
would dispel the theory, the central theory of your research, which is
these people [witnesses featured in "The Third Terrorist"] actually
saw Tim McVeigh and he was with Arabs, and these are the people that
you tracked down."
Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations, said Nichols did not say anything that would undercut
Davis' finding of a definitive Middle Eastern connection to the
bombing.
The congressman said Nichols "didn't do anything that would in any way
.... counter the witnesses that you have dug up and put on the record."
The witnesses provided sworn affidavits to Davis and Chicago-based
attorney David Schippers, who served as chief investigative counsel to
the House Judiciary Committee for the impeachment trial of former
President Clinton.
Schippers also prosecuted a number of high-profile organized crime
figures under U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy.
After conducting lengthy videotaped interviews with more than a dozen
of Davis' confidential witnesses in May, Schippers stated: "Given the
credibility of these witnesses, I could get an indictment with just
one day of testimony before a grand jury."
Former CIA director James Woolsey also has found the witness
statements accumulated by Davis to be credible, including many who
attested to observing Middle Eastern nationals in the company of
McVeigh and at the Murrah building at the time of the bombing.
Rohrabacher told Davis: "Your evidence remains the heaviest"
Despite the information he received from Nichols, the congressman told
Davis he still was "in no hurry" to convene congressional hearings,
but said he wanted to see more of her evidence.
As WND reported, on the 10th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing,
in April, Rohrabacher asked in a House-floor speech why the FBI
ignored strong evidence of a Middle East connection to the attack.
Rohrabacher said at the time that if the FBI does not provide
satisfactory answers to his questions, he will call for congressional
hearings.
Two years ago, on the eve of U.S. action in Iraq, Davis' reporting on
the Oklahoma City bombing was vindicated when the U.S. 10th Circuit
Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit filed against her after finding
"defendants did not recklessly disregard the truth" in reporting on an
Iraqi soldier's alleged involvement in the bombing.
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