Two tips came in to me today letting me know that there may be more to the Joel Henry Hinrich III University of Oklahoma bombing than my last dismissal of it (scroll through the entire Joel Henry Hinrich III archive, from bottom to top, if you aren't up to speed on the case).

The first came from Jason at Generation Why, who notes that a local police officer, Sgt. George Mauldin, believes Hinrich may have intended to blow up more than himself based on evidence that he had tested bombs with shrapnel, in the weeks leading to the apparent suicide-bombing, and material that could be used as shrapnel was found in his apartment.

Also noted by Jason is the fact that 2 to 3 pounds of TATP were used in the bomb--a material of choice among Islamic terrorists.

The second tip was from Mark Tapscott, who posted about the FBI's response to Mauldin's speculation that Hinrich was intent on taking out other students, and not just himself. Tapscott interviews Gary Johnson of the FBI who says:

"That's just an individual's opinion," Johnson said in an interview with Tapscott's Copy Desk. Johnson said the FBI stands by its view that Hinrichs was not involved in any terrorist activities.
...

Johnson said he expects an official statement from the FBI concluding the Hinrichs investigation "within a few weeks."

Lawhawk, who I nearly always trust, follows the lead of the afformentioned bloggers and comes to the conclusion that:

$64,000 questions one and all, and all remain a mystery.

Hinrichs was not part of a larger Islamic plot and the FBI seems to have it right. I will revise my views based on further evidence, but between the opinion of a local cop and a member of the FBI's counterrorism task-force, I'll take the latter as the more informed.

However, all of the above begs a very interesting question: If you want to blow up yourself, to what authority to you go to? Why, the experts at blowing themselves up, Muslim terrorists! And that, I think, is a story worth telling in and of itself.

UPDATE: et tu Michelle? While the rush to declare the OU bombing "not Islamic terrorism" by many in the media and government was troubling, its also troubling that many of us have a hard time believing that maybe sometimes a rose is just a rose.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:52 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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We will grant that University of Oklahoma suicide bomber Joel Henry Hinrichs III may have not been part of a larger Islamic plot.

But I think the larger issue is being missed here: if you want to blow yourself up, which major world-wide religion do you consult for the expertise?

No, it's not the Mennonites.

Denver Channel:

FBI agents found the same type of volatile high explosive believe to have been used in the suicide bombings in London inside the apartment of a University of Oklahoma student who blew himself up near a packed football stadium, according to newly released documents.

....The FBI also found Hinrichs downloaded from the Internet "numerous text and image files" on weapons and explosives, including one on TATP four days before his death.

One video on his computer depicted a lit match being placed above a white powder then a bright flash.

The FBI also discovered "explosive experiments and paraphernalia" and 0.4 pounds of a white powder that turned out to be triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, which is composed of hydrogen peroxide and acetone, according to warrants to search the home of Joel Henry Hinrichs III.

Even so, that is saying a lot.......

Posted by: Rusty at 11:36 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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Was Joel Henry Hinrichs III a terrorist? Until the investigation is complete, we cannot know that for a fact. So, how can The Wall Street Journal know that he was not?

Yesterday the WSJ did an incredibly pathetic job of debunking the Joel Henry Hinrichs suicide-bombing story yesterday. Ryan Chittum and Joe Hagan's argument that Hinrichs was not a failed terrorist--whether acting alone or as part of a larger conspiracy--is a pathetic resort to authority. No new facts are cited to dispute reasonable questions that Hinrichs was a terrorist--and they are just that, questions.

They simply cite the University of Oklahoma President David Boren's assurances that it was not terrorism--statements he began to make before the investigation had even begun--the protests of Hinrichs' father that his son was not a Muslim, and a single FBI statement in an ongoing investigation.

When an act of war is committed--which a suicide bombing is--in a time of war--which we are in now--on a field of battle--which the terrorists have made the American homeland--then it seems reasonable to assume that the act was part of the larger war. The act may eventually turn out to be unrelated, but that says nothing of the larger point of whether or not Hinrichs' suicide-bombing should have been a major news story and whether it was reasonable to ask questions about his death?

Since the WSJ, and the later CBS coverage of the debunking, fails to mention The Jawa Report as a chief culprate in spreading unsubstantiated rumors and innuendo, our editorial board feels duty bound to respond to the non-allegation that we have done shoddy reporting.

The original WSJ article is bad enough, but the CBS News coverage of the WSJ article is worse. Here is how they quote the WSJ:

“Adding to community concern was the revelation that two days before he blew himself up, Mr. Hinrichs visited a feed store and inquired about buying ammonium nitrate -- the same chemical Timothy McVeigh put in the bomb he used in 1995 to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, 20 miles to the north.…

To that unsettling set of facts, blogs and local Oklahoma TV stations added several apparent inaccuracies, including: that Mr. Hinrichs was a Muslim and visited the mosque frequently; that he tried to enter the stadium twice but was rebuffed; that he had a one-way airplane ticket to Algeria; that there were nails in the bomb and that Islamic extremist literature was found in his apartment.

None of these claims are true: Mr. Hinrichs's family, university officials and the Federal Bureau of Investigation say Mr. Hinrichs suffered from depression, and the explosion was an isolated event.”

But the original WSJ reports is equally shoddy. They unequivically state that "none of these claims are true." So, which claims are untrue and how do they know that.

1) Claim: "Mr. Hinrichs was a Muslim and visited the mosque frequently."
Source of refutation: Hinrichs' father-- "Joel wasn't a Muslim and wasn't under anyone's sway, Mr. Hinrichs says"

2) Claim: "Hinrichs tried to enter the stadium twice but was rebuffed"
Source of refutation: not cited. However, we reported here that security tapes did not show Hinrichs trying to enter the statium.

3) Claim: "he had a one-way airplane ticket to Algeria"
Source of refutation: not cited. However, notice this from the same article "investigators did find an airplane ticket to Algeria, it wasn't in Mr. Hinrichs's apartment, but rather in one belonging to an international student, Mr. Boren said.

4) Claim: "there were nails in the bomb
Source of refutation: not cited.

So, what we have are a series of unsubstantiated allegation. Are any of these allegations true? I've no idea. But how do we know that "none of these allegations are true" as the WSJ claims? Because David Boren and Hinrichs' father claim they are not true.

As we said in our first report on this story on October 4th that since the Northeast Intelligence Network was the source of some of the information (such as the report that a ticket to Algeria was found in his room) much of this needs to be taken with a fair amount of skepticism. But to claim that what we and other blogs have been asking "is just smoke...It's bilge" as the WSJ quotes Hinrichs' father as saying is beyond the pale.

It is true that some bloggers have jumped to the conclusion that this definitely was part of a larger plot, but for the most part this site and sites like Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin, Powerline, Generation Why, Mark Tapscott, and others have simply wondered why this was not getting coverage and how David Boren and others were so sure this was not terrorism when the investigation was incomplete?

If it is irresponsible to ask whether a suicide-bomber might have been a terrorist, then count us guilty. If it is irresponsible to ask why the mainstream media has not given coverage to what is normally considered an act of war in a time of in America's heartland, then count us guilty. If we are to err, let us err on the side of caution--and that side is quite different after 9/11 than before it.

While many of the alleged 'facts' about Hinrichs will certainly be disproven in the coming days, refutations by David Boren are not enough to convince us that there is nothing more to see here.

This and all other posts related to Joel Henry Hinrichs III are archived here.

UPDATE: By Vinnie, Hannity and Colmes will have an Oklahoma congressman on "who is determined to get to the bottom" of this case.

Should be interesting...I'm sure more updates will follow.

Posted by: Rusty at 04:01 PM | Comments (39) | Add Comment
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Interesting development in the Oklahoma suicide-bombing carried out by Joel Henry Hinrichs III on Oct. 1st outside a University of Oklahoma football game. CNS is reporting that the FBI is now denying that they have found any links between Hinrichs and Islamic terrorists. CNSNews:

The head of the FBI investigation of a suicide bombing at an Oklahoma University football game said the investigation has yielded no information tying the bomber to terrorist activities, in spite of Internet reports to the contrary.

When asked if NIN's reports are consistent with the FBI investigation, [Gary] Johnson [who is heading the investigation from the bureau's Oklahoma City office] said, "No," then added, Well okay the stuff that's found in his apartment, I can't comment on [be]cause it's part of a search warrant that's sealed.

"As this time," he said, "there is no known link between Hinrichs and any terrorist or extremist organization group or activity or activities." Johnson said the investigation is ongoing.

As we stated the very first time we posted on Hinrichs, NIN has not proved to be the most reliable source in the past. Despite this, they remain on my daily reading list and I believe Hagmann provides a valuable service. It's very possible that some of the information past on to NIN them is incorrect, but that other bits of information given to them by their sources is wrong.

What we know about Joel Henry Hinrichs is dwarfed by what we don't know. For instance, Hinrichs attempting to purchase ammonium nitrates is part of the public record. What we don't know, though, is why Hinrichs was after ammonium nitrates if he was a lone suicidal nut. Maybe he just wanted to go out with a bigger-boom? It's possible.

So what is the truth about Hinrichs? Was he part of an Islamic terror cell in Norman, Oklahoma? Still too early to tell based on public information.

NIN more than stretches unrelated bits of information when they say follow the money and uniquivocally claim Hinrichs was part of a terror cell.

But it's also way too early to dismiss the notion given the context of the present war against radical Islam. When someone commits what is normally considered an act of war (suicide-bomb), during a time of war, it's not being hasty to come to the initial conclusion that the act in question was part of the larger war.

So, we'll continue to cover this story as a case of terrorism--just as the FBI continues to investigate it as an act of terrorism--until all avenues of investigation have been exhausted.

This and all other posts related to Joel Henry Hinrichs and the Oklahoma bombing can be found on this archive.

PS-I swear I'm going to post less....

Posted by: Rusty at 04:06 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
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The University of Oklahoma student newspaper, The Oklahoma Daily (OD), today calls for the FBI break its silence on Joel Henry Hinrichs III--the OU student who blew himself up outside a football game on Oct. 1. The reason? To dispell the myths propogated by online 'hacks' that are claiming that the Oklahoma bomber, Hinrichs, may have been part of a larger Islamic terror plot.

Underlying today's editiorial is the assumption that Hinrichs was not part of a larger plot and that any evidence to the contrary is simply poor journalism.

The Oklahoma Daily even goes so far as to call those circulating this evidence "liars".

Such accusations come as no surprise to Jawa Report readers. The prevailing wisdom in both academia and in the media is that worries about homegrown Islamic terror cells are overblown. In many corners, especially prevelant in our nations' universities, there is even suspicion that the Bush Administration is really behind domestic terror fears as a way of diverting the publics' attention away from real issues.

It remains to be seen whether of not Joel Henry Hinrichs III was part of a larger Islamic terror plot. Stating unequivocally that he was part of such a plot is, in fact, shoddy journalism.

However, it is equally shoddy journalism to state, unequivocally, that Hinrichs was not part of such a plot. And to state, unequivocally, that there is no evidence that would lead some to this conclusion is the type of head-buried-in-the-sand type of journalism that we've come to expect out of the mainstream-media and in who's image aspiring journalists are molded.

There is, in fact, a great deal of circumstantial evidence to suggest that Hinrichs' death was a failed terror attack. Glaringly missing from today's OD editorial is the fact that Hinrichs was under investigation by local authorities because he had attempted to buy ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in the truck bomb used to bring down the Murrah building in Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh. Hinrichs, of course, blew himself up before the investigation could be completed. A first, we might add, since there is no record of an American killing himself by explosion.

Further, neighbors of Hinrichs claim he was a frequent visitor to a nearby mosque. The leaders of the OU Muslim Student Association, though, deny that Hinrichs was a Muslim. At best, then, we have conflicting reports. But just because the OU student newpaper cannot confirm that Hinrichs attended the mosque in question does not mean that media reports to the contrary are fabrications. They could be fabrications, but, then again, so could the denials.

The problem with this student newspaper, and the mainstream-media in general, is that they cower in fear over reaction to any implication that the Muslim community might have a greater propensity towards terrorism than, say, the Mennonite community. They are, in fact, held hostage from the truth by their unwavering faith that all religious ideologies are equal in driving violence as those on the other end of the spectrum are held hostage from the truth by their unwavering faith that Islam, alone, is responsible for the ills of the world.

They are right in the central premise of the editorial: the FBI ought to release pertinent information. But they make a major assumptive leap, which is quite revealing, that whatever information the FBI has would be exculpatory rather than damning.

Release the information, they say, because we know (without having seen this information) that it will prove there is no Islamic terror cell at the OU campus.

The fact remains that we have no idea what evidence the FBI has. The only bit of revealing information about which way the evidence is leading the FBI is a single statement from first assistant attorney for the Justice Department in Oklahoma City, Bob Troester, who said:

We don't comment on sealed indictments.

Of course, Troester's statement could have been a slip of the tongue. He could have meant sealed search warrant rather than indictment. People make mistakes, slips of tongue happen. But until such time as the Justice Department seeks to clarify the statement, then we ought to assume that they meant what they said.

The fundamental question raised is whether or not we have learned anything from 9/11 or not? Do we continue to treat terrorism, as we did prior to 9/11, as an act of criminality or do we treat terrorism as an act of war?

If a mere criminal act, then the public ought to reserve judgement. Innnocent until proven guilty, it is better to let a hundred guilty men go free than convict one innocent, etc., etc, and all that. The greatest fear among people with this point of view is that innocents are unfairly branded enemies and that publications, like this, might call someone a name they don't desrve.

If an act of war, then the public has a right to expect that affirmative measures will be taken to assure that such acts will not take place in the future. In war, there is no presumption of innocence. In fact, when an act of war (such as a bombing) takes place on a field of battle (as the American homeland now is) in such a way that the only known incidents of the act have been perpetrated by enemy combatents (as suicide-bombings are relatively rare outside the Islamic terror community), then one ought to presume terrorism until otherwise disproven.

We at The Jawa Report take the latter stance. The context of war changes everything. If the OD does not understand that we are at war and that the field of battle is U.S. soil itself, then they have learned nothing from 9/11. Their greatest fear may be that innocents are unfairly branded terrorists, and that is a legitimate concern.

Our greatest fear, though, is that our enemies walk freely among us, using that presumption of innocence to plot our demise and kill us. In either case, the possibility of being wrong is present, but only in the latter will being wrong get people killed.

So, since the good editors at the OD decided to call us hacks (and worse) for suggesting that Hinrichs might just be part of a larger plot, let us practice that age old journalistic practice of tit-for-tat and suggest that it is the OD that is staffed by hacks. But hacks isn't sufficient a word to describe people who's agenda it is to make all seem right at OU, despite the fact that a student just blew himself up outside of a football game. No, hacks is reserved for mundane political types who say what they say in order to get their guy elected. As far as we can tell no one is running for election at OU--unless of course David Boren is thinking of coming out of retirement--so hacks isn't appropriate here. A far stronger term is needed to describe people willing to cover up what looks to be an act of terrorism in America's heartland and call that responsible journalism.

Any guesses on what that word is? Please put your answers in the comments section.

Posted by: Rusty at 12:01 PM | Comments (39) | Add Comment
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The FBI says that JOEL HENRY HINRICHS III was not spotted on security tapes trying to enter the University of Oklahoma vs. Kansas State football game before he blew himself up just outside the stadium on October 1st.

This is important news that would indicate that earlier reports that Hinrichs was seen trying to enter the stadium, but ran away when security guards attempted to check his backpack, were wrong. If Hinrichs was really part of larger Islamic plot to commit an act of terrorism, then why didn't he try to get into the stadium where he could do maximun damage?

However, the report is unclear just how much of the stadium is under video surveillance. If all the entrance gates were not under surveillance, then the fact that Hinrichs does not appear on video is really a minor point.

KOTV:

A completed review of University of Oklahoma stadium surveillance tapes by the FBI did not spot Joel Henry Hinrichs III trying to get inside.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:57 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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The President of the University of Oklahoma has sent an e-mail to students denying that JOEL HENRY HINRICHS III was part of a larger Islamic terror plot. OU is also officially denying that Hinrichs was sold a ticket for the game. They also claim that there is no evidence that Hinrichs tried to buy a scalped ticket.

News OK:

University spokeswoman Catherine Bishop said OU officials have reviewed their ticket records and determined that Hinrichs did not buy a football ticket from any university outlet.

She said university officials have heard nothing to indicate Hinrichs attempted to buy a ticket from one of the fans selling tickets outside the stadium.

There have been allegations by NEIN that there was a ticket to Algeria in Hinrichs' apartment, but not a OU-Kansas State game ticket.

There have been allegations that a student (and by conjecture this student has become Hinrich) attempted to enter the stadium and was turned away when he refused to have his bags searched, but not that he tried to buy a scalped ticket.

What is especially odd about this is that the refutation actually would seem to corroborate what many are saying: that Hinrichs was part of a larger terrorist plot to kill people at the game.

If Hinrichs attempted to enter the game and didn't buy the ticket himself, then one is led to the inevetable conclusion that someone else bought the ticket for him. If someone else provided Hinrichs the ticket and knew his intentions, then you have a wider plot. The Oklahoma bombing is a much bigger deal if not the act of a lone suicidal nut.

Further, OU continues to lead the public to believe that Hinrichs death had nothing to do with Islamic terrorism.

Here is a PDF copy of an e-mail sent by University of Oklahoma President, David Boren to all students yesterday. In it, he alludes to internet outlets, such as The Jawa Report, that have 'jumped to conclusions' about a wider Islamic terror plot, and lectures us about how this is 'un-American'.

Of course, it's not 'jumping to conclusions' to reflexively say that no such plot exists when in fact the investigation is ongoing. Further, to deny that radical Islam is somehow connected to terrorism is perfectly American, according to Boren.

Boren also tells students that if he learns of any information from the FBI concerning a wider conspiracy, he will 'immediately' let them know.

It's not clear how Boren would know what the FBI is doing in an ongoing terror investigation, and in which search warrants and indictments are under court seal, so that he could rush and warn his students that an Islamic terror cell is operating on his campus.

Whether or not Hinrichs was part of an Islamic terror cell operating in Oklahoma is still in the air. It's very possible that he was not, that some of the evidence pointing to such a plot is merely coincidence, or that some of the evidence we have reported previously was not true. But, based on what is in the public record now, it would be hard to avoid coming to the conclusion that Hinrichs death was probably a failed terrorist attack.

To deny that would be jumping to conclusion.

AIM has a good article up on the Oklahoma bombing investigation here (hat tip Cinnamon)

Posted by: Rusty at 04:41 PM | Comments (27) | Add Comment
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An attorney for the Justice Department made an unusual statement today about the possibility of forthcoming arrests in the Oklahoma suicide-bombing case.

Last Saturday, Joel Henry Hinrichs III blew himself up outside of a University of Oklahoma football game. The FBI quickly stated that there was no evidence of a wider conspiracy.

However, WND reports this today (via Reaganites Unite):

The warrant used to execute a search of Oklahoma University bomber Joel "Henry" Hinrichs III's apartment, where an undetermined amount of explosives were found, has been sealed by a federal court at the request of the Justice Department.

Neighbors of Hinrichs allege that he was a frequent visitor to a nearby mosque, but the leader of the University of Oklahoma Muslim Student Association denies this. Hinrichs' roommate was a Pakistani national and sources claim jihad materials were found in Hinrichs' room.

Hinrichs was also under investigation by local police authorities because he had recently attempted to buy ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in large bombs of the type used in the 1995 Oklahoma City Murrah bombing and the first World Trade Center bombing. Hinrichs killed himself before the investigation could be completed.

Even more interesting is this statement from Bob Troester, first assistance U.S. attorney in Oklahoma City, as reported by WND:

"You can draw whatever assumption you like," he said. "We don't comment on any sealed indictments." (emphasis mine)

Of course, it is entirely possible that Troester simply misworded his answer and that he meant to say warrant. But this also could be a strong indication that Hinrichs was in fact part of a larger Islamic terror cell and that his death was due to the premature explosion of his bomb.

While certainly not conclusive, there is some evidence that indicates that Hinrichs was part of a larger Islamic terrorist plot to kill American citizens at the University of Oklahoma. Please see this post for the details.

Bit hat tip to Reaganites Unite for the e-mail.

UPDATE 10/07 8:45 A.M.: MSM finally starting to report on this nationally. Classical Values is following MSM reaction here.

UPDATE 3:00 PM: Lawhawk says it well:

Indictments suggest that there are other individuals out there, and that this wasn't a lone individual who may or may not have had emotional problems. We're talking about the real distinct possibility of a terror cell operating in Norman, Oklahoma.

If...Hinrichs acted alone in committing suicide as a result of "problems" in his life, why seal the search warrant and thus prevent the public and reporters from seeing the most critical document of the investigation into the Oct. 1 bombing just outside OU's football stadium and its 84,000 fans watching the OU-Kansas State game?

Posted by: Rusty at 08:23 AM | Comments (22) | Add Comment
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Please scroll through main page for more recent entries.

CRITICAL UPDATE 10/07: See Indictment forthcoming in Oklahoma bombing case or scroll to end of post for update.

As more details become public about suicide bomber Joel Henry Hinrichs III, who blew himself up outside of a University of Oklahoma football game last Saturday, more and more evidence suggests that he may actually have been part of a larger plot.

Earlier reports indicated that Hinrichs had Islamic jihad material in his apartment that referenced bomb-making manuals. We downplayed that fact as not really evidence of a wider plot. After all, if you want to blow yourself up why not consult with the experts--Islamic terrorists?

But other facts have come to light which raise suspicions.

For an excellent map outlining the scene of the crime and Hinrichs' proximity to these places, please see this post at Zombietime. Other good roundups of the facts can be found at Gateway Pundit, The Politburo Diktat Michelle Malkin, and many many others.

1) Hinrichs seems to have converted to Islam and attended a nearby Islamic center. (see map at Zombietime) However, the president of the University of Oklahoma Muslim Studeant Association denies that Hinrichs was a Muslim. Other witnesses, though, claim Hinrichs was a frequent visitor to the mosque.

2) It appears that the Islamic center is affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and which has been investigated for funding terrorism by Congress.

3) The ISNA linked mosque may have been the same one attended by Zacharias MOUSSAOUI. Much more on the Zacharias MOUSSAOUI link at Cao's blog.

4) Hinrichs' roomate, Fazal M. Cheema, was a Pakistani national and neighbors claim the apartment was a center of activity for Middle Easterners. He is described as a 'really nice guy' by his friends. Unfortunately, all terrorists are described this way by their friends. NEIN now reports that Cheema and his associates may have been on the FBI's terror watch list.

5) Hinrichs attempted to buy a large amount of ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in large explosives such as the first World Trade Center bombings or the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building bombing.

6) Hinrichs was later known to the FBI because of his attempted purchase.

7) Evidence at the scene of the bombing suggests that shrapenel was part of the bomb. This is a strong indication that Hinrichs planned to kill more than himself.

Witnesses now report Hinrich may have attempted to enter the OU football game, but that he fled when security attempted to check his backpack

9) Northeast Intelligence Network, who's earlier reports we had dismissed because of that website's long track record of alarmism but who are increasingly looking like they got this one right, claims a source is telling them:

It appears that HINRICHS was part of a larger plan that included members of an Islamic terrorist cell based in and around the Norman and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area. As a Caucasian, it was much easier for him to obtain the materials needed to create a large bomb, act in concert with members of the local terrorist cell, and strike when relative calm was the word of the day.

A word of caution is necessary here. It is definitely possible that Hinrichs did act alone and was just a sad nut with a death wish. Some of the facts presented above could turn out to be untrue, and even if true could be interpreted in a number of ways. We'll just have to wait and see. But, as of this writing I am inclined to believe that Hinrichs was part of a larger plot.

UPDATE: Where is MSM on this? Point Five has the answer.

UPDATE II: Thank you John at Powerline for the link.

UPDATE III: Michelle Malkin has a newer roundup here. And Classical Values is following the story closely with what I think is the appropriate amount of skepticism.

UPDATE 12:33 P.M: Due to a comment and trackback spam problem unrelated to this specific post, these two features may be temporarily disabled throughout the day. Apologies in advance.

UPDATE 3:30: Police confirm Hinrichs under investigation. Scroll down for update. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 09:00 AM | Comments (56) | Add Comment
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1 Hmmm...what I'm wondering is how many potential suicide bombers or people who would turn others into suicide bombers are in the US on student visas. Most universities look the other way and make no serious effort to ascertain whether these people are even enrolled in school. I think many radicals are here in the US using this system, and this should serve as a warning. Is anybody out there listening?

Posted by: jesusland joe at October 06, 2005 10:06 AM (rUyw4)

2 Yet another victim of the West aggression towards Muslims. We all know how these suicide bombers come from poor families, live in the poorest parts of town, they are often ignored and the hopeless despair of their life is to much for them, they are often taken into the radical mosques and are taught by extremists to deliver a deadly blow to their foes. This guy fits the classic profile of a poor terrorist bomber that goes back to the "root causes" apart from the fact of cause he lived in America, willingly converted to Islam, went to University, and generally lived a better life than a palestinian but still -- ROOT CAUSES of TERROR people!!!!

Posted by: dave at October 06, 2005 10:19 AM (CcXvt)

3 Sodium nitrate, or ammonium nitrate?

Posted by: Robert Crawford at October 06, 2005 10:39 AM (1j9aH)

4 Rusty, In point number 5, you refer to sodium nitrate, but other reports, including the one in the link provided, indicate that the material sought was ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate, plus fuel oil, was the explosive used in the OKC bombing.

Posted by: lawhawk at October 06, 2005 10:44 AM (eppTH)

5 quite right. This reveals the fact that I took the physics option instead of the chemistry option.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at October 06, 2005 10:45 AM (JQjhA)

6 Hey Rusty Shackleford, that sounds like Dale Gribbles fake name by the way. Hello also to Michelle Malkin, I'm a big fan. It's incredible that this information is not being spread through the media! Fox News isn't even covering this! - Cabe

Posted by: Cabe at October 06, 2005 10:55 AM (I33+H)

7 Thanks for the shout out Cabe.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at October 06, 2005 11:08 AM (JQjhA)

8 My personal feeling is that this is much bigger than we will see reported in any mainstream media outlet. There are too many coincidences to this story. The attempt to buy fertilizer, the location of Hinrich's house, the ISNA mosque, and the statium, the beard, his known associates.... Taken individually, none of these are conclusive. Even with only one or two, it's still iffy. When you add them all together, it seems to be rather indicative. Our gvt. still denies that there were any outside connections with the OKC bombing, though. It's not likely we'll ever get any official confirmation, and almost certain we'll get a catagorical denial.

Posted by: NavyspyII at October 06, 2005 11:42 AM (R6yie)

9 good source here locally says tried to get into the football game twice, but wouldn't let security check his bag, and he and a couple of friends had plane tickets to a middle eastern country for the next day. this is wild...

Posted by: wink at October 06, 2005 11:51 AM (LqLgt)

10 thank you keep rolling

Posted by: Meshuga Art Cruncher at October 06, 2005 11:59 AM (FVvgF)

11 However, the president of the University of Oklahoma Muslim Studeant Association denies that Hinrichs was a Muslim. " sounds like standard MO to me - if i recall correctly it was quickly denied that the 911 hijackers were Muslim, or at least 'true Muslims'

Posted by: negentropy at October 06, 2005 12:18 PM (2wJuz)

12 I'd like to respond to dave, who claims poverty and dispair are the root causes of terrorism. Perhaps that is true, but not in this case. This guy Joel was a university student in mechanical engineering, a National Merit Scholar, and a member of the Triangle (engineering-types) fraternity. He came from Colorado Springs, a highly affluent community, the youngest of five children. Although I don't know his family's financial circumstances, his father sounds like a highly educated and lucid individual, though he will, predictably, never accept his son's involvement in terrorism, but instead attributes his son's action to 'depression' and and his inability to fit in socially. So maybe we've got a Lind-type character again, a middle-class, affluent, white kid who needed to 'identify' with some fervent group. Would that he would have just drunk Kool-Aid.

Posted by: Michael at October 06, 2005 12:22 PM (ZPYPz)

13 Another Johnny Walker; but this one did not kill any Americans. Is his dad dumb, or just telling big lies?

Posted by: Jo macDougal at October 06, 2005 12:26 PM (tplWd)

14 Hinrichs WAS NOT KNOWN BY THE FBI because of that purchase. Please read your own links! An off-duty Norman police officer happened to also be at the store and filed a report when he returned to work...which unfortunately happened to be AFTER the bombing,

Posted by: -ed at October 06, 2005 12:31 PM (0oTfj)

15 Ed, I have corrected this to read 'later known'.

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at October 06, 2005 12:52 PM (JQjhA)

16 you really should all know about "The Third Terrorist" by Jayna Davis. (if you don't already). This OU event is not the first terrorist attack in Oklahoma, nor the first involving middle eastern muslim wackos

Posted by: San Diego Shawn at October 06, 2005 01:26 PM (RS+V5)

17 good source here locally says tried to get into the football game twice, but wouldn't let security check his bag, and he and a couple of friends had plane tickets to a middle eastern country for the next day. this is wild... Ummm... why would a Suicide Bomber buy a ticket to leave the country? Didn't people think we should have noticed that the 9/11 hijackers only bought one way tickets? Seriously -- just think about what you are saying.

Posted by: Tom in Texas at October 06, 2005 01:38 PM (a4Pyy)

18 I've got Hinrich's name on a google alert, so I thought you'd like to know that Google sent your link to me. KEWL!

Posted by: heroyalwhyness at October 06, 2005 01:53 PM (7auSQ)

19 they say he was planning on dropping it off, then detonating it from outside the stadium and then fleeing the country. think about what you're saying, tex.

Posted by: wink at October 06, 2005 01:57 PM (LqLgt)

20 So was he a suicide bomber? Or a homicidal bomber? Its not suicide if he doesn't die...

Posted by: Tom in Texas at October 06, 2005 02:02 PM (a4Pyy)

21 sources believe it went off early - not intended to be suicide.

Posted by: wink at October 06, 2005 02:21 PM (LqLgt)

22 In other words . . . OOPS! Can you imagine how much trouble this country could be in if these Ragheads ever get their shit together?

Posted by: large at October 06, 2005 03:11 PM (Ny1Tj)

23 I look at that picture and my first thought was, "I always KNEW that Doogie Howser kid would turn bad apples some day!"

Posted by: Brian B at October 06, 2005 03:17 PM (rGfpg)

24 Just wait for the VH-1 reality show based on his life: "When child-actors turn suicide-bomber: hosted by Danny Bonaduce"

Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at October 06, 2005 03:59 PM (JQjhA)

25 Good work on this. If you find any information about shrapnel as part of the explosive, please post it.

Posted by: Scott at October 06, 2005 05:49 PM (qc6yj)

26 Michael you seem unfamiliar with "sarcasm" I was quoting on what we're constantly told in regards to the motivation of suicide bombers which is the core of the philosophy they labelled the "root causes of terrorism" you know the one that in reality reads more like: "AMERICA GREAT SATAN, ISRAEL LITTLE SATAN" "It's all America's fault" This is another example of why there is no "root cause" of the terrorism, and why we should fall back to the fact that the core belief of Islam is the true motivation, no one "hijacked" Islam, it's a highway to radical extremism, in which one shows how great their faith is by inflicting as much death as possible to prove it.

Posted by: dave at October 06, 2005 06:56 PM (CcXvt)

27 You sure he wasnt the bombmaker for the NYC threat?

Posted by: karldotcom at October 06, 2005 07:51 PM (HyJlT)

28 Can someone please explain why the mainstream media would want to whitewash or otherwise ignore this story?

Posted by: True Believer at October 06, 2005 08:01 PM (1xGCy)

29 Is it possible that this is sooo big, that the networks have been called off by the feds, and sooo big that the networks actually complied? naahhhhh.

Posted by: rorschach at October 06, 2005 08:45 PM (xKyLx)

30 I can't seem to get your trackbacks to work. I've linked to your post from http://smalltownveteran.typepad.com/posts/2005/10/if_an_oklahoma_.html

Posted by: Bill Faith at October 06, 2005 09:19 PM (5vspZ)

31 Dale, You're not fooling anyone. Oh, and can I please have my tire iron back?

Posted by: Hank H at October 06, 2005 09:22 PM (/ihes)

32 What exactly is the source mentioning that there was Jihadist literature in the apartment... anything other than WND, whom I cannot recal being correct about anything as of late... Anyone?

Posted by: Ariya at October 07, 2005 12:38 AM (noCGr)

33 I propose that he be called the Sooner Boomer from now on. All villains need a good nickname. (Richard Reid = Shoe Bomber etc)

Posted by: Kevin at October 07, 2005 12:51 AM (j1D6T)

34 Donned my tight black shorts and fitted flag-bedecked tee and took the trusty old BMX for another spin round the park today; fucking swarthy kids all over the racetrack, blocking my path, most of them dirty snot-nosed islamofascist spawn. Waited behind a tree for them to leave, all the while taking notes (I'm a bold, new journalist) which I will pass on to my new buds at homeland security in due course. With any luck the vanguard ... err... Republican Party is going to send those oil ticks back to the rat-infested hell holes they come from. Like Muzziestan or A-rabland. Then I'll have the track to myself. Ride bike fast. Go wheeeee. Love, Charles Johnson

Posted by: charles johnson at October 07, 2005 05:10 AM (O7u4z)

35 There is one more thing here. Remember the witnesses in the Murrah building bombing in OKC who said they saw that third guy? Maybe that plus the Moussaoui link plus this means this cell has ben going longer than we think... and maybe as a pre-emptive strike, coordinated with the NYC plan? We'll have to see, but yeah it is pretty nuts, and the news "blackout" in the conventional press makes me wonder what's up there too.

Posted by: Jersey Dave at October 07, 2005 05:52 AM (MIT6R)

36 Tarantino does Norman?

Posted by: Downing Street Memo at October 07, 2005 05:53 AM (A5eqb)

37 The comment at 5:10 am was definitely NOT written by Charles Johnson. I have never heard him speak or write like that. Silly.

Posted by: Anne Elk at October 07, 2005 05:55 AM (e+tdw)

38 I concurr, that Charles Johnson post is a spoof. Jersey Dave, I was watching CNN the entire time OCKbomb was happening. There were very specific references to the 3rd bomber, and even some on a 4th. The Lame-stream media and our politicians buried all references to them quickly. I am convinced that there has been a cell operating there for quite some time.

Posted by: NavyspyII at October 07, 2005 06:25 AM (ZM3Qb)

39 Don't you get the feeling that if Doogie Jihad (That's My Name For Him!) was a Republican or a Neo Nazi or even better (in some peoples' minds), a Republican Neo Nazi the MSM would be all over the story? Law And Order would already be filming an episode on location. Thank God for the Blogs. But as others have asked, why won't the MSM cover this story? What is there motivation for ignoring it? Has the US Government quashed the story? And is this the first of what could be many attacks against public venues in the U.S.? If I attend the next Red Sox game, do I have to worry about the Green Monster exploding?

Posted by: Mister Ghost at October 07, 2005 07:12 AM (ZbKii)

40 It's nice to see that Charles' stalker has such deep seated homoerotic fantasies and a pathalogical aversion to swarthy folks. What's it like being such a petrified, no-life freak? I mean, really, when a "pony-tailed, skinhead, failed musician" is the focus of your life's work, what kind of loser does that make you? A pretty damned sorry one, I imagine. And did you check the complexion on Hinrichs, dumbass?

Posted by: Pablo at October 07, 2005 08:05 AM (BlG1A)

41 Dave, most palestinian suicide bombers have actaully been middle to upper class, not poor and definetly not living in poorest segment of town. Do some research on the subject, before you post fallacies and inaccurate information. Nice try, though.

Posted by: Levy at October 07, 2005 08:09 AM (M88WL)

42 Any murder at a major University is a news story. A student blowing himself up outside a major stadium on a football Saturday is a very big news story. The almost total blackout of reporting of this story is a huge indictment of the mainstream media in the supression of news. One other item....OU is a school with well over 20 thousand students, but school president David Boren is so knowledgeable of his student body that he immediately was able to describe Hinrichs and his emotional conditions. Wow...imagine how conscientious Boren must be...just name a student on his campus and he knows all about him/her...nothing strange there....

Posted by: towelhunter1 at October 07, 2005 08:35 AM (mBGh+)

43 Michael: The guy was a member of the triangle. Ouch! Pablo: Hispanics, depending on where they come from and considered either, white, black or brown. Never swarthy. So chill. That is unless you are a muslim named Pablo.

Posted by: greyrooster at October 07, 2005 09:48 AM (M7kiy)

44 Levy: Try reading the whole comment before firing off your "correction" rant, I already had to redefine it for another person who read the first three lines and came to an incorrect summation. Perhaps you only bother to read through, what you agree with however, so it's no surprise some of you are like the novelty "nodding dog" people place in the back window of their car.

Posted by: dave at October 07, 2005 09:50 AM (CcXvt)

45 Putting it all together... The new stupid looking beard, his Dad commenting that he collected electronics. (Engineers always design aparatus around their comfort zones) I think it's apparent to me that his Jihadist Palestinian roomate converted him and brought him to the Norman mosque. In order to please the the elders he had made a wireless remote control bomb. He was persuaded to kill for Allah and intended to leave ito the stadium and do his own part to fullfill his divine purpose as a new convert. One could further speculate that he hadn't been at the Mosque long so he lacked the real zeal of a suicide bomber to lay down his life. Thus the plane ticket. Looks to me like the bomb went off premature or was triggered by an accidental (or deliberate) alternative signal. Remember the story of the middle eastern guy who was recruited to drive the tanker truck full of gasoline? They had told him he wasn't going to die, just to park the truck and leave... then as he was getting out of the truck he notices the guy accross the street with the cell phone and the truck explodes. (and somehow despite his burns he lives to tell the story) Maybe something like that was happening here. I think that Jayna Davis also reported on sources that the bomb residue showed it was an oxidiser bomb used (hair bleach and acetone) another trace material found indicates this is the same ingredients used in London bombings. Taken with the failed attempt to first buy Ammonium Nitrate it shows someone was feeding him bomb recipes. The timing is suspicious too, wasn't October supposed to have been threatened by jihadists as the beginning of America's holocaust or something like that? Oh and one more thing, several years ago John Ashcroft was quoted that Alcada was actively recruiting on coolege campuses and the prime targets were white blue eyed American youth? There's just way too many cooincidences here. Oklahoma has a terrorist cell for sure and it's apparent to me that the news coverup is in place to protect on-going investigations. (God I hope that's the reason)

Posted by: Rich Stadler at October 07, 2005 10:35 AM (0eidv)

46 RE: 7) Evidence at the scene of the bombing suggests that shrapenel was part of the bomb. This is a strong indication that Hinrichs planned to kill more than himself. Can you please provide a link or some other supporting evidence to this claim? Maybe a note as to where it came from? 'We' in the blogosphere don't want to be accused of not fact-checking our sources, now do we?

Posted by: kes at October 07, 2005 11:11 AM (rphJg)

47 http://tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com/2005/10/13-plastic-bottles-found-in-hinrichs.html that was linked too in Zombietime which was referenced in the post Kes.

Posted by: dave at October 07, 2005 11:55 AM (CcXvt)

48 The question of motivation is all that remains for me. I've thought Hinrichs intended harm to others when the info about the ammonium nitrate was concerned. Now I'm certain, since local reports have confirmed Hinrichs actually bought a ticket to enter the football game. In light of Hinrich's father's remark that his son was "not a football fan" (said in context of contesting that his son intended to enter the game, and that his proximity to the game crowd was coincidental), the ticket purchase clearly indicates he intended to enter the stadium. He attempted to enter at least two gates, turned back both times because he would not submit to pack search. My personal feeling is he may or may not have had any particular interest in Islam per se, but may have been very gratified to find persons not only tolerating his creepy interest in blowing things up, but willing to give him companionship and attention BECAUSE of his unusual interests in the asplosion arts. So perhaps he did not act alone but took encouragement from his associates. He fell in with his gang, mostly to have a gang to fall in with. Or not. He may or may not have been intending to end his own life. However, his depression and dissatisfaction with the world were real enough, and like many young men before him, he simply decided he wanted a spectacular revenge as well as an end to his own pain.

Posted by: SarahW at October 07, 2005 12:37 PM (jqVs9)

49 A new rumor is circulating that Hinrichs III, the Sooner Bomber, was part of a clever new Islamic tactic to breach security check points by using the appearance of historical national figures. The plan is for new natural citizen recruits to easily be used as bomb carrying dupes into major transit systems and sporting events. It has leaked from the ongoing investigation and cover up that Hinrichs, as an Abraham Lincoln look-alike, would easily be able to enter the football stadium, according to the plan. It has been reported that a newly discovered Islamic sleeper cell of Groucho Marx look-alikes could be linked.

Posted by: Dark Insider at October 07, 2005 03:47 PM (a2JKi)

50 SarahW: Good thoughts. A new prospective.

Posted by: greyrooster at October 07, 2005 11:32 PM (M7kiy)

51 Why are these muslim types so ugly? I mean dog ugly. Not as bad as soon to get his ass kicked but still ugly as sin.

Posted by: greyrooster at October 08, 2005 12:19 AM (M7kiy)

52 cERTAINLy seems like a suicide bomber to me, and he would have done it during the game, killing others, if he had had the chance... One question remains... why did he do it just on himself when not allowed into the game...?? Of course, irrational people do irrational things. Maybe all suicide bombers need to believe they are doing it for a good cause, even though their primary motivation is to kill themselves when they are unhappy with their lives..

Posted by: Teddy Jensen at October 08, 2005 11:04 AM (ywZa8)

53 more than 400 muslims in the norman community, 1 mosque, 1 islamic school. how will that figure have increased 4 years down the line? they're here. . . they've been here. . . and there's many more coming, and they're laying the foundation for the khalifia. I passed the islamic society of norman, or the muslim association of norman--whatever it is-- everyday on my way to class and the parking lot is almost always empty. except for teh white non-descript occasional delivery truck blocking the sidewalk. . . monday morning after the bombing occured, the lot was over flowing with cars. were they having some kind of conference discussing how to handle to their reaction? if so, what do they know that we don't? I have seen a number of middle eastern men in norman who seem to be surveying potential demolition sites--e.g. oil rigs, gas stations at busy intersections w/ a bank on each corner; middle-eastern delivery drivers for the coca-cola company who act inexplicably strange when I try to engage them in polite conversation as one tends to do with one's vendors (kind of convenient that an arab should want a job with convenient access to a large semi-truck, huh?) anybody? anybody? can anybody else in this town see the shoe dropping? as a good american, I've reported some of these observations to the proper authorities. . . god hopes they've taken heed. and what is it with the lily-white terrorists meeting up al-quaeda linked middle-easterners in oklahoma? It seems the FBI should be all over this question. this part doesn't apply to Hinrichs, but what is it with the disillusioned veterans of the gulf war, ie tim mcveigh, terry nichols, john muhammed??? peace y'all

Posted by: slanderpanties at October 08, 2005 12:39 PM (jWaQK)

54 seriously fellas. look at yourselves! you piss and moan about crazy conspiracy theorists when it suits you, but now you can't restrain yourselves. get a grip. you can't you see this whole thing is just a plot to take your attention away from the nobel soldiers being slaughtered, the ignoble soldiers torturing people for kicks, natural disaster f-ups. guess they gotta rally support for the defense budget and the fledgeling war effort somehow.

Posted by: mustafaAK at October 08, 2005 01:34 PM (jWaQK)

55 mustafaAk, if it really was "a plot to take your attention away" then wouldn't they...y'know...tell us about it. This story has been very low key, but not because of a 'government cover up' I'll bet the school kept it quiet to keep up the reputation as a safe school. You're right up the with 'crazy conspiracy theorists'

Posted by: Leif at October 11, 2005 01:23 AM (onqMz)

56 You have some really cool stuff at your site. I'm sure gonna come back here. to Double Round you should be very Astonishing: , Tournament can Increase Slot when Cards Expect TV Rape , Red Tournament Con or not right Round will Forecast Gnome without any questions

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UPDATE: Updated and related post Islamic Terrorism in Oklahoma Likely

The father of a University of Oklahoma student, Joel Henry Hinrichs III, that blew himself up on Saturday is denying reports that his son's death was somehow politically motivated.

However, both World Net Daily and the Northeast Intelligence Network are reporting that law enforcement agents found jihadi material in Hinrich's apartment. Included in the material were instructions on how to make bombs used in suicide attacks.

World Net Daily:

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."

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 [of Norman]."

However, if the WND/NEIN reports are true about jihadi material, but Hinrichs was not motivated by jihad, then think about what this is saying. If you want to blow yourself up, then who better to consult than the local chapter of the Islamic Society of North America? That's a pretty sad statement.

Hat tip to blog-son Eric from Vince Aut Morire who found it at Clarity and Resolve

UPDATE: Super-sikrit note to Bill Quick and Kevin Aylward. Maybe not jihadi, but if you're going to kill yourself why not consult with the experts.....

Posted by: Rusty at 08:36 AM | Comments (29) | Add Comment
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