Thread: Oklahoma student blows himself up outside football game

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=46640

Tuesday, October 4, 2005



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Oklahoma bomber
had jihad material
Documents found in apartment of student who blew himself up

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Posted: October 4, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern



By Jon Dougherty



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© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
An Oklahoma University student who killed himself by detonating a bomb strapped to his body outside a packed stadium over the weekend was a "suicide bomber" in possession of "Islamic jihad" materials, according to a new report.

Joel Henry Hinrichs III, 21, an engineering major at the school blew himself up outside OU's football stadium during Saturday night's game against Kansas State. Doug Hagmann, a seasoned investigator, told WND he was informed by multiple reliable law-enforcement sources familiar with the investigation into the incident that authorities recovered a "significant amount" of "jihad" materials, as well as Hinrichs' computer.


Hagmann also said those same sources indicated police and federal agents "had pulled additional explosives from [Hinrichs'] house," including triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, "homemade explosive [that is] very potent but relatively easily manufactured."

TATP was also used in the July mass transit bombings in London, CNN reported, and was used by attempted bomber Richard Reid, who packed his shoes with the compound in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy a U.S.-bound American Airlines flight in December 2001.

The confiscated jihad documents "referenced bomb-making manuals and that type of thing," Hagmann said, who added Hinrichs' apartment in Norman, Okla., is "located near the Islamic Society."

A phone at the Islamic Society of Norman went unanswered yesterday. Also, there was no response to an e-mail inquiry by press time.

Hagmann reported his findings on his website.

WorldNetDaily reported earlier that officials carted away a huge cache of explosives from Hinrichs' apartment. Police were overheard telling residents it would take "several trips and could take up to 24 hours" to remove it all, according to the Daily Oklahoman. A canister trailer used for detonating or transporting potentially explosive material was being used to haul items away.

University officials have shrugged off reports Hinrichs was anything other than a disturbed student who acted alone.

"We know that he has had what I would call emotional difficulties in the past. There is certainly no evidence at this point which points to any other kind of motivation other than his personal problems," said University President David Boren over the weekend.

In a joint statement, the FBI's Oklahoma bureau chief, Salvador Hernandez, U.S. Attorney John Richter and OU Police Chief Elizabeth Woolen said, "At this point, we have no information that suggests that there is any additional threat posed by others related to this incident."

FBI spokesman Gary Johnson told WND he couldn't add anything, other than the investigation is ongoing.

His agency has been joined in the investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Joint Terrorism Task Force; the University of Oklahoma Police Department; the Norman Police Department; and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.

Official accounts say Hinrichs detonated an explosive device while seated on a bench outside Cross Hall, a university science building about 100 yards from the stadium.

Some 84,000 people were inside watching the game at the time of the explosion. Officials say it did not appear Hinrichs attempted to enter the venue.

Attacks inevitable?

While it is too soon to know whether the Hinrichs incident was isolated or part of a larger scheme to launch suicide attacks in the U.S. similar to those in Great Britain earlier this year and those that are a regular occurrence in Iraq, experts believe it is only a matter of time before such attacks do occur in U.S. cities.


Bruce Newsome, a terrorism researcher at the Rand Corporation, a noted think tank, told ABC News shortly after the London bombings the four-man plot carried out there is a "likely model for future U.S. attacks."

He said the four men used for the attack were clean: no criminal records, did not show up on any terrorism watch lists, and were not part of any extremist activities – like Hinrichs.

That makes tracking such attackers virtually impossible, Newsome pointed out.

And, in Iraq last week, a woman pushed her way into a line of men at an army recruitment center before detonating a bomb she carried. The last time women were used in suicide attacks was during the war in Iraq in 2003, when two women in a car – one of them pregnant – detonated a device, killing three soldiers, the BBC reported.

http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/

Some interesting terror tie ins along with some other stuff

MANY PATHS SEEM TO INTERSECT IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA

In early July 2000, Mohammed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi visited the Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma.

On or about 29 September, 2000, Zacharias MOUSSAOUI contacted Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma using an e-mail account he set up on September 6 with an internet service provider in Malaysia.

On or about 26 February 2001, Zacharias MOUSSAOUI opened a bank account in Norman, Oklahoma where he deposited approximately $32,000 in cash.

Between 26 February 2001 and 29 May 2001, MOUSSAOUI attended the Airman Flight School in Norman, Oklahoma, ending his classes early.

And more recently...26 September 2005: A University of Oklahoma student charged with bringing an explosive device to an airport pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in federal court in Oklahoma City. Charles Alfred Dreyling Jr. of Norman, Oklahoma faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine at a future sentencing hearing. Dreyling, 24, was arrested in August at the Will Rogers World Airport after security personnel noticed a suspicious object in his carryon bag as he was leaving for a family vacation with his parents. He later told FBI agents the device -- a modified carbon dioxide cartridge filled with gunpowder -- was "basically a pipe bomb," according to court papers that he had forgotten was in his bag. (Former Oklahoma City, OK Mayor Kirk Humphreys-- who was also DREYLING'S landlord-- spoke on behalf of DREYLING at his bail hearing).

On a bus trip to the University of Oklahoma, Zacharias MOUSSAOUI was on the same bus as Nicholas BERG, the American man who was beheaded in Iraq in 2004 by Islamic terrorists. At some point on that trip, MOUSSAOUI asked BERG if he could use BERG'S laptop computer. Government sources said BERG gave the MOUSSAOUI his computer password...

September 11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah’s ticket (United Airlines Flight 93) was purchased from a computer terminal at Oklahoma University.

Norman, OK is also cited on a number of occasions in the best-selling book, the most comprehensive investigative work by Jayna Davis titled The Third Terrorist, about the truck bomb blast that killed 171 souls and destroyed the Murrah Federal Building on 19 April 1995 (An absolute MUST read).

http://www.normantranscript.com/cnhi/th ... cturestory

More Info

Stadium security to be stepped up

By James Tyree
The Norman Transcript

University of Oklahoma President David Boren on Tuesday said investigators are saying there is no known threat connected to the Saturday bomb explosion near a packed football stadium, and an FBI press release repeated Boren’s opinion.

OU engineering student Joel Henry Hinrichs III died when an explosive near or on him detonated as he sat on a bench outside George Lynn Cross Hall, the botany/microbiology building, on the South Oval. About 100 yards to the east was Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where more than 84,000 people were watching the OU-Kansas State football game.

“While it would be premature to comment on the specifics of the current investigation or draw any final conclusions before the investigation is completed,� the release said, “the following is provided … as to facts relevant to public safety.�

The FBI release continued by stating, “There is no known current threat posed by any additional explosive materials. At this time, there is no known threat from any other person(s) related to this incident. At this time, there is no known link between Hinrichs and any terrorist or extremist organization(s) or activities.�

The FBI has not announced details about the bomb, but Channel 5 News reported Tuesday night that Hinrichs’ bomb contained acetone peroxide, or TATP. The highly unstable chemical can be made from household items, but it is very sensitive to heat and shock.

Law enforcement found more bomb-making materials Sunday at Hinrichs’ residence at the Parkview Apartments, and they were detonated that evening. Earlier last week, Hinrichs tried to buy ammonium nitrate fertilizer from Ellison Feed and Seed in east Norman.

Dustin Ellison said the student visited his store on Wednesday and asked to buy the fertilizing ingredient often used in bombs. Ellison said Hinrichs didn’t know how much he needed, and the store operator asked why the fertilizer was needed. After further discussion, Ellison said “something didn’t feel right� and decided not to sell any materials to him.

Hinrichs, 21, was a National Merit scholar from Colorado Springs, Colo. Boren said Hinrichs did not participate in a pregame recognition of freshmen National Merit scholars because he was not a freshman.

“Was he in the stadium, did he attempt to enter the stadium?� Boren asked rhetorically. “To our knowledge, at this point, the answer to that question is no.�

While saying it appears no one else is connected to the bombing, Boren made a shift in describing Hinrich’s death by saying, “I do not say suicide, I say it’s an individual death that we’re dealing with. That’s all we really know.�

Boren gave an overview of security measures OU takes for football games, a plan he said was developed shortly after the 9/11 attacks. OU uses bomb-detecting dogs and equipment to thoroughly check the stadium and surrounding areas for bombs and places many law enforcement officers throughout the stadium.

The precautions won’t change, Boren said he will suspend passouts, items given at certain gates during halftime that allow people to leave and re-enter the stadium. In addition, bag searches will intensify.

“We are going to ask our people to make an even more thorough search, be very careful to look down into those purses, bags, backpacks â€â€

Even more stuff:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/003668.htm

"***updated...attempted ammonium nitrate purchase?...bomb contained TATP...Hinrichs attended the same mosque as Zacarias Moussaoui?...Hinrichs' Pakistani roommate briefly detained...***"

http://tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com/2 ... facts.html

"Finally, if Hinrichs was just a disturbed guy who decided to kill himself with a bomb 100 yards from a crowd of 84,000 people instead of simply putting a bullet through his temple, slashing his wrists or some other traditional way of doing away with himself, why is the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force now the lead agency in the investigation?"

It appears the father is in denial.

www.dallasnews.com

Dad: Politics had no role in death
Father says OU student who blew self up meant no harm to others


11:43 PM CDT on Monday, October 3, 2005

Associated Press


NORMAN, Okla. – A University of Oklahoma student who died when an explosive device he was carrying detonated near a packed football stadium wasn't politically motivated, his father said Monday.

Joel Henry Hinrichs III, 21, died Saturday when the device attached to his body exploded about 8 p.m. while he sat on a bench outside George Lynn Cross Hall, officials said. The blast could be heard inside the stadium less than 100 yards away, where more than 80,000 people attended OU's game against Kansas State.

Mr. Hinrichs' father, Joel Hinrichs Jr., said he's confident his son didn't intend to harm anyone and wasn't motivated by politics.

"He was pretty disengaged from politics," the father said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "And he took the care to select an open area where there was no one around."

His son also had an interest in explosives, he said.

"Every little boy does that," he said. "He went a little further than most."

Mr. Hinrichs said his son did not leave a suicide note and that FBI agents told him hydrogen peroxide was used to construct the bomb. On Sunday, FBI investigators searched the younger Mr. Hinrichs' Norman apartment and his family home in Colorado Springs, Colo.

As a father, Mr. Hinrichs said he would like to believe that the explosion was an accidental death, but he said the evidence points to suicide. "He was checking out," Mr. Hinrichs said.

FBI spokesman Gary Johnson said officials were not yet releasing any additional details about the incident.

Donald Hamilton, interim director of the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City, said it appears the incident was not terrorism.

"Scholars of terrorism immediately and categorically exclude irrational acts from their definition of terrorism," Mr. Hamilton said. "Terrorists have purpose. They have motive. It's just as simple as that. ... And if that is not present, it's not terrorism."

On the OU campus Monday, students returned to classes and the south oval where the suicide took place was reopened. The bench where authorities say Mr. Hinrichs was sitting was removed, and a new one was installed.

There were no immediate plans to modify security operations at the stadium, but the possibility will probably be discussed at a regular briefing Wednesday, said Kenny Mossman, a spokesman for the OU athletic department.

http://www.dnronline.com/opinion_detail ... =Editorial


Suicide Bomber?

Posted 2005-10-06

The case of Joel Henry Hinrichs, the young man who blew himself up 100 yards from a stadium with 83,000 Oklahoma fans last weekend may be the most recent case of a suicide bomber.

Although the official story is that Hinrichs was a mentally disturbed young man with no connections to terrorist groups, there are other, more chilling details about the case.

The obvious fact is Americans who commit suicide tend to be solitary in the act, using a gun or poison. The nation does not have a history of suicide bombers. Walking toward a football stadium would indicate Hinrichs wanted to kill others, not just himself. Chances are his explosives went off prematurely, thus saving any number of lives. If you want to cause terror and panic â€â€

www.10news.com

Police Were Investigating Student Who Blew Self Up
Officer Had Written Down License Plate, Started Probe

POSTED: 4:33 am PDT October 7, 2005

NORMAN, Okla. -- A University of Oklahoma student tried to buy fertilizer of the type used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing two days before he committed suicide using explosives outside a packed football stadium.

Police said Thursday that the attempted purchase raised the suspicions of an off-duty officer who happened to be in the feed store at the time. But though an investigation was begun, authorities were not able to act swiftly enough to stop the student from taking his own life.

Joel Henry Hinrichs III died Saturday when explosives -- made of hydrogen peroxide, not fertilizer -- strapped to his body detonated while he sat on a park bench about 100 yards from the stadium.

Nobody else was injured, and FBI and university officials have said there was no indication he tried to get in the stadium or that he had any links to terrorism.

Lt. J.D. Younger said Hinrichs tried to buy the ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the Ellison Feed and Seed store on Sept. 29. The store no longer carries that type of fertilizer.

The off-duty officer, whose name has not been released, followed Hinrichs from the store and wrote down his tag number, Younger said.

From there, police identified Hinrichs as an OU student and determined his address. A police bomb squad was also contacted, and the off-duty officer was planning to submit a written report Monday.

"Unfortunately the incident that occurred Saturday was before the information could be forwarded," Younger said.

Hinrichs' father, Joel Hinrichs Jr., said the FBI told him the bomb his son had was made of hydrogen peroxide. He said the FBI told him more high-density hydrogen peroxide was found in the apartment. He said he thinks his son wanted to commit suicide and didn't want to harm others.

Meanwhile, OU president David Boren released a letter Thursday cautioning the news media and community from jumping to any hasty conclusions about the case.

"We believe that we should not judge others ... on the basis of color, race, gender, economic status or freely exercised religious beliefs," the statement read. "To rush to judge others or make assumptions about them on that basis is nothing short of prejudice."

It was not clear what Boren was referring to, but the statement went on to note that some people incorrectly concluded early on that the Oklahoma City bombing was the work of a Middle Eastern terrorist.

"As we all now know, the person responsible was not someone from the Middle East but was Timothy McVeigh and at least one other American who assisted him," the statement read.

Police led Hinrichs' roommate and three other Muslim students from a party after Saturday's explosion, Ashraf Hussein, president of the Muslim Student Association, has said. All were later released.