Source of FBI Delay on Terry Nichols Explosives

14 April 2005

The Associated Press today has a report on the FBI's delay in investigating a claim by prison inmates Gregory Scarpa, Jr. and Emilio Bravo that OKC-bomber Terry Nichols had hidden explosives in a house in Herington, KS:

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-oklahoma-city-nichols,0,2830054.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

Background to the report is provided below in a series of messages and letters by Stephen Dresch, a forensic investigator, who sent the Scarpa/Bravo tip to the FBI and a member of Congress on March 1, 2005, and subsequently sent the information to the Department of Justice, the National Security Council, the Department of Homeland Security and several reporters at the New York Times, Newsweek, the Washington Post and other media, to no avail.

Stephen Dresch website: http://www.forensic-intelligence.org

Also see two 9/11 investigative books by Peter Lance, 1000 YEARS FOR REVENGE (International Terrorism And The FBI - The Untold Story), and COVER UP - What The Government Is Still Hiding About The War on Terror. Lance claims his COVER UP was the first national publication to credit Gregory Scarpa Jr. for his intelligence initiative about Ramzi Yousef, the planner of the 1993 WTC bombing, and Yousef's link to the crash of TWA #800 in 1996.

See also April 6, 2005 account of the 1993 WTC bombing, TWA 800, FBI, Yousef and Scarpa: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43656

Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 16:12:22 -0400
From: "Stephen P. Dresch" <sdresch@forensic-intelligence.org>
To: inspector.general@usdoj.gov
CC: christine.leonard@mail.house.gov, Keith Ausbrook <keith.ausbrook@mail.house.gov>,
"Turner, Anne Marie" <AnneMarie.Turner@mail.house.gov>
Subject: FBI Refusal to Accept Intelligence Which Led (Belatedly) to Recovery
of the Nichols Explosives Cache -- Threat to Lives of Primary Informants

Mesdames/Sirs:

On 31 March and 1 April the FBI recovered a hidden cache of explosive components at 109 South 2nd Street, Herington, Kansas.

On 1 March 2005 I notified staff of Congressman Delahunt (letter attached) and the FBI (telephone call and faxed copy of the Delahunt letter) of the existence of a cache of hidden explosive components anticipated to be recovered and used in a future act of domestic terrorism, possibly on 19 April 2005. On 3 and 4 March the FBI refused to accept details of this cache (location, contents) from the primary informants, Florence ADMAX U.S. Prison inmates Gregory Scarpa, Jr., and Emilio Bravo.

On 10 and 11 March my colleague Angela Clemente and I visited Scarpa, Jr., obtained the details (detailed information on the contents of the cache and its location within a house at 109 South 2nd Street, Herington, Kansas) and immediately provided these, via an intermediary, to homeland security officials. On 22 March, via another intermediary, we provided this information to officials of the National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security (receipt acknowledged in each case), and on 23 March we also notified staff of Congressman Rohrabacher (letter attached).

Below you will find concise but yet complete, comprehensive account this astonishing affair.

The press has, essentially, been as adament as the FBI in its refusal to acknowledge the true story here. My final notes to several cognizant reporters are also attached. An excerpt:

Over the course of the past week (in fact, earlier), (a) Scarpa and Bravo should have been moved from Florence ADMAX (where they are receiving repeated, and sincere, death threats) to a secure witsec facility, and (b) heads should have rolled, especially at the FBI. But, in fact, the true story continues to be ignored or covered up, by members of Congress with whom we have been in contact, by DoJ, by FBI, ..., and by the press.

I had thought that, when Scarpa and Bravo are killed at Florence, this entire affair would finally explode into public view. Now, I think that this consumation is precisely what the FBI et al. most devoutly wish. The murders will be entirely ignored, as will the underlying story of FBI incompetence, sloth, venality, ... And the cognizant (responsible and culpable) officials will continue plodding toward their promotions and eventual (inflated) pensions.

This egregious case demands an intensive inquiry by your office, preceded by action to secure the safety, in fact, lives, of Gregory Scarpa, Jr., and Emilio Bravo.

I am prepared to assist you in any appropriate manner. You may reach me at 906-370-9993.

SPD

Rev. 6 April 2005

FBI's Rejection of Intelligence Which Led to Recovery of Terry Nichols' Explosives Cache
109 S. Second Street, Herington, Kansas 31 March and 1 April 2005

The following appeared today on cryptome.org (offsite):

FBI <http://forensic-intelligence.org/NicholsSummary.pdf> FBI Allegedly Blows Nichols Explosives Probe /S April 5, 2005

Summary of the FBI's abject failure [See http://forensic-intelligence.org/Z.pdf]:

Past (2005)

       1 March     Congressman Wm. Delahunt & FBI notified by Dresch
       (transmitting Scarpa information received that day) of the
       existence of explosives cache and of its prospective use on
       4/19/05 [See http://forensic-intelligence.org/GSLeonard.pdf]

       3 March     FBI SA Stern (Colorado) interviews Gregory Scarpa,
       Jr., at Florence ADMAX bur claims inability to act without
       higher authorization

4 March DC-based FBI agent administers absurd polygraph,
declares Scarpa is lying, leaves

           Scarpa had permitted Stern to copy all Nichols-related
           correspondence and notes, including detailed description of
           the contents of the Nichols cache, but refused to divulge
           location without a written cooperation agreement.

10 March Clemente and Dresch visit Scarpa at Florence ADMAX,
review (and copy excerpts from) Nichols correspondence and notes

       10-11 March     Dresch negotiates with Daniel Hill (with mil.,
       intel., HS connections) terms under which Scarpa will reveal
       location and receive credit for preventing terrorist act

           Terms include (a) formal notification of federal judges of
           the principal contribution of Scarpa and fellow inmate
           Emilio ("Tito") Bravo in prevention of a major act of
           domestic terrorism, (b) provisions for the security of
           Scarpa and Bravo (who will be targeted by violent inmates
           [neo-Nazi, skinhead, ...] who glorify Nichols), and (c)
           testing of the recovered materials for evidence that (as
           claimed by Nichols) it was provided by FBI informant Roger
           Moore (and, hence, the FBI itself).

       11 March    Scarpa agrees to terms, reveals location (address
       and detailed blueprint); Dresch & Clemente transmit this
       information to Hill

       22 March    Inaction by Hill to retreive cache leads Dresch to
       authorize intl.-org-security colleague to pass information to
       Natl. Sec. Council & DHS; both acknowledge receipt

23 March Dresch notifies Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of the
existence of the cache [See http://forensic-intelligence.org/RRudman.pdf]

       31 March - 1 April     FBI recovers cache. News reports indicate
       that its location, packaging and contents were precisely as
       described by Nichols to Scarpa.

Continuing

       1 April -      Emilio ("Tito") Bravo, fellow Florence ADMAX
       inmate who worked with Scarpa to obtain Nichols' intelligence,
       reports that he and Scarpa have obtained explosive information
       concerning (a) Terry Nichols' connections with Abu Sayef
       (Philippines -- Edwin Angeles, Ramzi Yousef, ...), and (b) a
       new, continuing imminent threat (much more serious than the
       Herington, KS, intel); he will communicate it only to us, in
       person. He also reports that he and Scarpa are at serious risk
       of death at the hands of those inmates (neo-Nazis, skinheads,
       ...) who view Nichols as an heroic figure. No action is taken by
       the FBI or any other official body notified of this information.

       1 April     FBI SAs Hahn & Cowley interview Dresch for 4+ hours.
       FBI agents Petoskey, Haug and Nerbetski, who initially identify
       themselves as state police officers, interview Clemente; they
       also attempt to sieze her mail from her private mailbox service;
       but, because they have no warrant, service refuses.

       1-4 April    FBI agents attempt to interview Scarpa and Bravo;
       in the absence of binding commitments, and on advice of Dresch &
       Clemente, they refuse.

                         Originals of Nichols correspondence and notes
       mailed by Scarpa to Clemente are returned to him and then seized
       by FBI

                         Bravo reports that news of the cache recovery
       has spread throughout Florence ADMAX, that the situation is
       "ugly," that no provisions have been made for the security of
       Bravo and Scarpa; if, as planned, they are returned from
       solitary to the general population, they will be killed.

Press failure - Commencing approximately 20 March, senior correspondents of major national and regional media were informed of the foregoing but failed to act. [See http://forensic-intelligence.org/Z.pdf]

The following, a note from a DHS official to my intl-org-security colleague, appears to explain the FBI's recovery operation of 3/31-4/1/05. My colleague had passed the information to a National Security Council contact as well, but there has been no feedback to that referral (other than an acknowledgement that it had been received and passed on).

-----Original Message-----
From: [DHS official]
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 9:25 AM
To: [intl-org-security officer]
Subject: Fwd: Emailing: A19792-2005Apr1
Bingo! Don't know who did what, but I would guess that your efforts
paid off. My contact told me he had passed the information to a BATF
agent assigned to the DHS ops center (HSOC) who advised he would notify
appropriate folks in his agency. [DHS official]
However, thus far, it appears that the FBI has successfully avoided public recognition of its abysmal, and continuing, failure in this whole affair.

Stephen P. Dresch, Ph.D., Forensic Intelligence International, LLC
the Kauth house, 318 Cooper Avenue, Hancock, Michigan 49930
906-370-9993, 706-294-9993 (mobile), 603-452-8208 (fax, voice mail)

[] RRudman2.pdf

[] GSLeonard1.pdf

Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 16:07:11 -0400
From: "Stephen P. Dresch" <sdresch@forensic-intelligence.org>
To: "Bell, Dawson" <dbell@freep.com>, "Isikoff, Michael"
<Michael.Isikoff@Newsweek.com>, jsolomon@ap.org, "Kevin Flynn
(E-mail)" <flynn@nytimes.com>, Joby Warrick <warrickj@washpost.com>,
"Guart, Al" <AGuart@cbs.com>, Allan Lengel <lengela@washpost.com>,
richard.j.esposito@abc.com
Subject: [Fwd: Re: DHS OIG]

Gentlemen:

Am I to intuit that you have seriously concluded that there is nothing of substantive interest in the true story of the recovery of the Nichols' explosives cache?

Over the course of the past week (in fact, earlier, (a) Scarpa and Bravo should have been moved from Florence ADMAX (where they are receiving repeated, and sincere, death threats) to a secure witsec facility, and (b) heads should have rolled, especially at the FBI. But, in fact, the true story continues to be ignored or covered up, by members of Congress with whom we have been in contact, by DoJ, by FBI, ..., and by the press.

Stephen P. Dresch

By wrote:
Holy Mackeral! Never heard of Yousef?!!
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen P. Dresch [mailto:sdresch@forensic-intelligence.org]
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 2:48 PM
To:
Subject: Re: DHS OIG
Why am I not surprised?
Given the incompetence, sloth, venality, ... (all combined) of the FBI,
DHS, DoJ, ..., we must have fewer enemies around the world than our
illustrious leaders claim. If they were corrent, the entire country
would be in ashes! Or, alternatively but certainly less likely, these
enemies must be more incompetent, slothful, venal, ... than our
ostensible protectors.
E wrote:
S
How come DHS OIG never heard of Ramzi Yousef? "Yeah, I heard
explosives were found in Colorado?"
(At least they'd heard of the Pope!)
I'm succeeding in feeling foolish. Maybe Acting OIG Rick Skinner will
call back. IF he gets a coherent message.
E

Stephen P. Dresch, Ph.D., Forensic Intelligence International, LLC the
Kauth house, 318 Cooper Avenue, Hancock, Michigan 49930 906-370-9993,
706-294-9993 (mobile), 603-452-8208 (fax, voice mail)

Stephen P. Dresch, Ph.D., Forensic Intelligence International, LLC
the Kauth house, 318 Cooper Avenue, Hancock, Michigan 49930
906-370-9993, 706-294-9993 (mobile), 603-452-8208 (fax, voice mail)

Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 16:41:04 -0400
From: "Stephen P. Dresch" <sdresch@forensic-intelligence.org>
To: "Bell, Dawson" <dbell@freep.com>, "Isikoff, Michael"
<Michael.Isikoff@Newsweek.com>, jsolomon@ap.org, "Kevin
Flynn (E-mail)" <flynn@nytimes.com>, Joby Warrick <warrickj@washpost.com>,
"Guart, Al" <AGuart@cbs.com>, Allan Lengel <lengela@washpost.com>,
richard.j.esposito@abc.com
Subject: Nichols Explosives Cache -- CIA Liaison

A note just received from an associate in a high-level DC position:

Sounds like E was talking to an intern instead of REAL congressional liaison. I am confident the right people have this, but for them, it is a matter of how to handle it without having the Fed's "screw-up" come to light. I am also pretty certain that at least my home phone is tapped as of two days ago. But no problem, I have nothing to hide or hide from. And of course you do realize that your email is in the "carnivore" circuit. So trust me: they are on this like white on rice, but your cat amongst the pigeons has momentarily stunned the spectators.

From: Stephen P. Dresch [mailto:sdresch@forensic-intelligence.org]
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 4:15 PM
To: Baysden, Ray
Subject: [Fwd: Re: DHS OIG ... CIA awkwardness!]
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: DHS OIG ... CIA awkwardness!
Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 16:25:26 -0400
From:
To: sdresch@forensic-intelligence.org
Mumblings on talking with CIA ... SL (?) told to call me back by Congressional Liaison DF...
Holy Mackeral! Never heard of ADMAX!
Well the liaison at the CIA clearly had never heard the "term" as she interrupted politely to inquire what admax meant... so I suspect she wasn't on top of it. "We don't have jurisdication at BoP" ... "Do you want to file a complaint of obstruction with DoJ?" -- NO NO NO NO NO ... Glenn Fine has already botched -- violated their procedures!
I told her about FBI refusing info on polygraph pretext ... and explosives were found.
That sounds like obstruction -- and it sure could be embarrassing in the press ...
THE two terrorists in prison ... should someone be listening????
Congressional hearings etc... Yes, she asked who I'd spoken with there. What hearings? What committee/s? (a little nervous maybe)
I specifically mentioned the 9/11 Commission and the Ramzi Yousef -Informant role of Scarpa and conflict of interest with ValerieC. It could be embarrassing ...
Did I talk with DHS. Yes, and they're doing the same "not my jurisdiction" dance ... like everyone else. What type of intimidation ...keeps DoD, DHS, and OIGs from the wonderful "teamwork" for terrorism prevention?
I'm calling as a citizen. You need to hear directly. I don't know what others are telling you. Yes, the press has asked me ... they keep in regular contact. I'd talked with your predecessor before and thought I had a responsibility to simply lay out the situation. I don't know what Abu Sayef or anyone is going to do. I know the process is compromised. The Informants should not be killed or kept in insecure situation.
Then ... "have you read the book The Third Terrorist"? Ah, I praised her for making the conversation easier. I had just mentioned ROger Moore's name so it would be out there. CIA operatives should be CIA jurisdiction
Then, like I was calling a Sears' customer service rep, she asked "So what do you want me to do for you?"
I was clear. For OUR COUNTRY... not for me ... just imagine what it will be like when the trail shows -- those running the investigation should have been recused -- and those knowing about the situation failed to follow up. I have nothing to do with this. I told you who I am ... gave my license number, etc. because I'm not hiding anything. But, this is not about checking out who I am. I'll tell you. This is about an serious threat -- whether an attack is planned or not, I don't know. I know the handling is compromised. If any independent board looked at that it would be obvious.
What ever information you get from your people may be fine ...
You can check files re Scarpa's use as an Informant. See where Valerie Caproni was.
What teamwork and cooperation and care in handling this do you see?
A call, presumably from OIG DHS came beeping... and I lost it as she hung up.
E

Stephen P. Dresch, Ph.D., Forensic Intelligence International, LLC
the Kauth house, 318 Cooper Avenue, Hancock, Michigan 49930
906-370-9993, 706-294-9993 (mobile), 603-452-8208 (fax, voice mail)